WELL, EXCEPT THAT THEY VOTE FOR THE PARTY OF PERMISSIVENESS:

Law & order -- and Eternity (Rabbi Berel Wein, 2/16/07, JewishWorldReview.com)

Judaism is primarily a society of laws and not of men. It is possibly the first society in human history that stressed the primacy of law over the rule of humans, no matter how righteous and benign that rule may be. In Jewish life, law reigns supreme. Judaism is a religion of Halacha. Within that field of Halacha there is room for opinion and innovation, but there is no possibility to leave that field and decide matters on the basis of personal whim or set agenda.

The Torah portion of Mishpatim follows immediately after the weekly reading that described the giving of the Torah to Israel at Mount Sinai. This juxtaposition is to reinforce this idea of the supremacy of the law in a Torah society. There is no absolute freedom for leaders and rulers to do as they wish, to institute norms that are contrary to the laws and values of the Torah itself. The law of the Torah reigns supreme in Jewish life. There may unfortunately be lawbreakers in Jewish life, just as there are in all societies. But that in no way diminishes the supremacy of Torah law and its discipline on Jews.

That's the theory anyway. Their voting Democrat disproves it though.

Posted by Orrin Judd at February 16, 2007 12:01 AM