Yes, you read that right. Many of us, including myself, have expressed our hakoras hatov for President Trump’s past kindness to the people of Israel. We have also predicted that not only America but the entire world will benefit from the changes Trump will bring about. These include, but are not limited to, restoring law and order, possibly lowering the average family’s daily expenses, and bringing a semblance of morality and justice to the nation. However, in general, our group has often overlooked the real or perceived shortcomings in the new president’s character.
This criticism of Mr. Trump’s leadership has appeared in editorials, letters to the editor, and even major articles in frum publications since the election and inauguration. Without delving into these accusations, I personally have responded privately by explaining that none of us were voting to place Donald Trump on the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah or to submit kvittlach to him for brachos. He was by far the best candidate for president, and his actions thus far have supported that hope and prayer. However, I believe that there is at least one middah—and as we will see, many more—that are worth highlighting for several reasons. It is something we can all learn from and emulate. It is an admirable trait for a leader and one to be proud of. Most importantly, the Torah itself recommends that we follow this approach to life.
What, you ask, am I talking about? The wisest of all men, Shlomo Hamelech, writes, “When Hashem favors a man’s ways, even his foes will make peace with him” (Mishlei 16:7). While Chazal attribute multiple interpretations to this verse, the simple reading seems to be that it is beneficial if someone can make peace with their enemies. One of the hallmarks of President Trump’s cabinet and advisory appointments is that many of these individuals were, to put it mildly, his adversaries. Some of them exchanged sharp words with him in the past, yet they are now firmly on his side. Remarkably, this even includes the man who could succeed him at any moment, Vice President J.D. Vance.
Interestingly, the Chasam Sofer (quoted by Rav Shmuel Alter, Likkutei Bosor Likkutei, Bamidbar, page 12, on posuk 1:49) offers a contemporary explanation of this idea. He writes, “A good person can easily become arrogant when many people give him great honor. To prevent him from falling off his pedestal, Hashem sends him enemies to remind him that he isn’t perfect.” From this, we can deduce that when a powerful individual reconciles with their enemies, setting aside past insults, it is a positive sign for the leader. Mr. Trump, like many notable figures, has often been accused of having a large ego. However, someone who is willing to be open-minded, put past offenses aside, and move forward has certainly made strides toward other positive middos, such as tolerance, indulgence, patience, forbearance, and perhaps even a bit of humility. I must admit that Rav Alter was my rov at the time of my bar mitzvah, but the closest I have come to the Chasam Sofer is visiting his kever last year. I do not intend to whitewash or criticize but to offer some perspective.
In fact, working with former adversaries and even enemies might demonstrate yet another excellent middah. It is natural that people who have been in conflict harbor anger toward one another. After all, particularly in politics, people insult and hurt each other’s feelings frequently. However, a person who is willing to put aside this anger and work closely with those individuals, even granting them respect and positions of honor, fulfills the directive of “Haser kaas milibecha – Banish anger from your heart” (Koheles 11:10). Perhaps surprisingly, Mr. Trump certainly appears to be a model of banishing pettiness and anger from his system.
Now that we have begun to explore the president’s positive qualities, let us examine other relevant middos that have come to light. The president has certainly acted with great zerizus. This is often translated as alacrity, but the Mesilas Yeshorim (Chapter 6) explains that the first step in achieving zerizus is eliminating the natural tendency toward lethargy. After four years of Joe Biden’s indolence, it is refreshing to see that Mr. Trump has swiftly taken action. One may not agree with every pardon, the removal of sanctions, executive orders, or the ending of programs such as DEI, but he certainly embodies zerizus.
Another good middah, which is actually a mitzvah, is that he is keeping his word and fulfilling his promises. As we know, there is a negative mitzvah called “Lo yachel devaro – We must not desecrate our word” (Bamidbar 30:3). We are all familiar with the injunction not to tell lies (Shemos 23:7). Now, President Trump is often accused of stretching the truth or exaggerating, but he is now rectifying many of the promises he made during his campaign—something that cannot be said for many of his predecessors. This, too, is something to celebrate, acknowledge, and strive to emulate.
I generally don’t write explanatory postscripts to my articles, but this time, I feel compelled to. First, just on a human level, we who are pleased that Mr. Trump was elected need to find kind words to say about him, especially given the overwhelming negativity he faces.
Last week’s New York Times (January 26, 2025) featured a lengthy article titled “When Your Son Goes Maga: …How to talk to their children who voted for President Trump.” They quote from a therapist (naturally), who lamented, “I was, like, who’s got a hold of my son? …Are you crazy?” This type of column is typically written for children who have fallen into destructive habits, such as drug addiction or other family crises. For the Times and its biased writers, Mr. Trump’s election, popularity, and the support of their children are seen as a catastrophe. Reading between the lines, it appeared that many of these newly converted Maga Republicans are children of liberal Jewish parents who are bewildered by their children’s shift. This distortion of truth must be countered.
Even more importantly, for Torah Jews, I believe this is a mandate. In the famous Gemara (Kesubos 17a) of “Keitzad merakdin” regarding what to say and sing in front of a bride, we follow the opinion of Bais Hillel that “if one has already purchased an item, we are enjoined to praise it to him.” Some may disagree, but I feel that just as this applies to a bride who may have both praiseworthy traits and some defects, it should also be applied to the most powerful person in the country and perhaps the world. This is not just a feel-good approach to life, but a positive imperative from our sages. For instance, the Ritva, in his commentary to this Gemara, states that “whatever results in peace cannot be criticized for being false.” In other words, once something has been done, we should view it in the best possible light. The Ritva clearly applies this principle well beyond marriage and interpersonal relationships.
Furthermore, one of the commentaries on Rabbeinu Yonah’s Shaarei Teshuvah (see Harotzeh B’teshuvah, page 351) derives this concept from Rabbeinu Yonah. There is a mitzvah to make people feel good about a decision they have made, as long as we are not misleading or deceiving them. Now that Mr. Trump is the president and has already accomplished many good things, we should be optimistic and confident that things will turn out well because he possesses so many commendable qualities. Bais Hillel teaches us, according to these Rishonim, that it is neither wise nor proper to be negative at a time like this.
In conclusion, we must always pray that since Hashem is ultimately in charge, especially in the case of monarchs, and they do not possess free will (see Mishlei 21:1 with Ralbag and Malbim), we hope for good things to unfold naturally without open miracles. Therefore, it is our duty to see the best in our new president and hope that he will indeed fulfill all of his promises. This could be a wonderful moment for Klal Yisroel, America, and indeed all the good people of the world. Hopefully, we will soon merit to see great things unfold.
