Endorsing Candidates from the Pulpit Is Generally Unwise

Every election cycle, the same drama repeats itself: Politicians come knocking on synagogue doors, eager for the rabbi’s blessing. Some congregants beg their rabbi to “take a stand.” Others demand neutrality. And too often, the pulpit – the sacred space meant for Torah and tefillah – is dragged into the mud of partisan politics.

Part of the reason this pressure has grown is that what was once clearly illegal is now tolerated. For decades, the Johnson Amendment barred houses of worship from endorsing candidates, under penalty of losing their tax-exempt status. Enforcement, however, has weakened. Federal authorities have signaled that statements made in the course of worship are unlikely to be punished. In practice, this means that rabbis today can endorse candidates without fearing that the IRS will shut down their shul.

But let’s be clear: Just because something is legal does not make it wise, moral, or Jewishly appropriate. A rabbi’s job is not to act as a party boss. The pulpit is not a campaign rally. Torah should never be reduced to a bumper sticker for one candidate or another. When rabbis endorse candidates, they risk corrupting the Torah itself. They divide their own communities, alienate members, and transform themselves into partisan hacks rather than teachers of Torah.

Halacha never demanded this. Jeremiah commanded the exiles: “Seek the peace of the city…for in its peace you will find your peace.” Pirkei Avot teaches us to pray for the government’s stability. The Talmud instructs us to obey the law of the land. None of these sources tell rabbis to declare which politician most resembles “Torah values.” Judaism calls for prudence – preserving Jewish life, defending religious liberty, and ensuring justice – not for baptizing candidates in the name of Torah.

The dangers of pulpit endorsements are obvious. First, they risk chillul Hashem when the “Torah candidate” later disgraces himself or is already a weak moral model. Second, they rip apart synagogues that ought to unite Jews of different political leanings. Third, they jeopardize the very institutions we build, from their tax-exempt status to donor support. And finally, they destroy rabbinic credibility. Once a rabbi is branded as a partisan operative, who will listen when he speaks about antisemitism, Shabbat, or morality?

Some will argue that silence is cowardice, that in “critical” times rabbis must declare who to vote for. That is nonsense. Jewish law commands us to speak out about values: protecting life, pursuing justice, fighting immorality. But values are not the same as candidates. Rabbis can – and must – teach Torah from the bimah without examining candidates to declare which one best embodies Orthodox Judaism.

Are there rare times when a rabbi should endorse? Yes, but the bar is very high. When Jewish life itself is on the line – when a candidate shows real commitment to fighting antisemitism, protecting synagogues, and ensuring Jewish or Israeli safety – endorsement may be justified. Likewise, when religious liberty is at stake, prudence demands that we side with candidates who will defend minority rights, even for groups whose practices we reject. If America does not protect their rituals, our bris milah and kosher slaughter will be next.

But note the difference: This is about Jewish survival, not partisan thrills or wins. It is about ensuring religious freedom, not chasing short-term victories.

Consider abortion. Halacha’s view is complicated – sometimes forbidden, sometimes permitted, sometimes required. The Jewish objective is not to impose halacha on every American, but to make sure Jews remain free to follow halacha ourselves. That means supporting laws that preserve space for Jewish practice, even if others use that space differently. Consider the Lukumi case, where Orthodox Jews defended the Santeria right to animal sacrifice. We went to court to protect the right to practice avodah zarah as religious freedom. Why? Because religious freedom is for all – or for none. Protecting their freedom was the only way to protect ours. This is Jewish prudence in action.

That is why, in most cases, the wisest course is silence. When a congregation is politically divided, endorsements destroy unity. When candidates’ positions are murky, endorsements waste rabbinic capital. When a candidate is personally corrupt, endorsements desecrate G-d’s name. Silence, in such cases, is not weakness but wisdom.

The truth is simple: Rabbis who endorse casually are selling the Torah cheap. They are trading long-term Jewish credibility for fleeting political points. They are confusing their sacred mission with partisan gamesmanship. And they are teaching their congregants the wrong lesson – that Judaism is just another political brand.

Halacha points us elsewhere. It calls on rabbis to guard Jewish life, defend liberty, pursue justice, and avoid chillul Hashem. That means reserving endorsements for the gravest moments – and even then, doing so with caution, transparency, and humility.

Jewish organizations and Jewish newspapers should endorse candidates; shuls rarely should.

The pulpit is not a political platform. It is a holy space. Rabbis who care about Torah should stop playing politics and start doing what only they can do: teaching eternal truths that rise above partisan noise. Anything less is a betrayal of the Torah they claim to represent.