In a special lecture ahead of the elections, Rabbi Dudi Dudkevitch, Rosh Yeshiva of the Ro'eh Yisrael Yeshiva and rabbi of the community of Yitzhar, emphasized that voting is not merely a civic right, but a Torah obligation and a responsibility toward the future of the country.
Drawing on the teachings of Rabbi Avraham Shapira, the Chafetz Chaim, and the Lubavitcher Rebbe, he stressed the importance of achieving practical results, warned against wasting votes, and explained why every ballot cast could constitute a contribution toward bringing merit to the public.
"Elections, on the one hand, are primarily, primarily, primarily practical. Of course, ultimately, a person has to decide what to do and whom to vote for," Rabbi Dudi Dudkevitch said at the beginning of his pre-election lecture.
Nevertheless, he explained, the decision at the ballot box is also an opportunity for deeper reflection: "Not only where and for whom we vote, but primarily how we evaluate matters involving such public and national questions."
At the center of the lecture was a letter written by Rabbi Avraham Shapira, former head of the Mercaz Harav Yeshiva, containing an unequivocal ruling: "The entire matter of your participation in public elections is not optional, but rather an actual obligation under Jewish law."
Rabbi Dudkevitch elaborated on Rabbi Shapira's character and his role in continuing the tradition of halachic rulings established by the great rabbinic authorities of previous generations.
He explained that Rabbi Shapira's position was not a personal innovation, but rather an expression of a longstanding halachic tradition that regards participation in elections as a public obligation.
One of the central sources cited during the lecture was the teaching of the Chafetz Chaim, who compared those who evade participation in elections to the inhabitants of Meroz, who are condemned in the Song of Deborah: "Curse Meroz... because they did not come to the aid of the Lord against the mighty."
"It cannot be that a person stands on the sidelines as though this has nothing to do with him," Rabbi Dudkevitch emphasized.
According to the rabbi, public responsibility does not end with expressing an opinion or identifying with a particular ideology, but requires action that has a tangible impact.
The rabbi also addressed the security implications of political decisions.
He sharply criticized the Oslo Accords, which he said bear responsibility for bloodshed, and warned against diplomatic approaches that could endanger Israel's security.
"This is absolutely a matter of saving lives in the physical sense, and also of preserving life in the spiritual sense," he said, explaining that, in his view, the elections concern both the security of Israel's citizens and the preservation of the country's Jewish identity.
He subsequently quoted Rabbi Shapira: "We are obligated and commanded to participate and elect our representatives, who will defend these matters."
A significant portion of the lecture was devoted to the question of whom voters should trust to protect the values of the Torah and religion.
Rabbi Dudkevitch cited Rabbi Shapira's teaching that the protection of religious matters should not be entrusted to those who are not personally committed to observing them.
"Someone who is not careful about something cannot be trusted to protect it," the rabbi summarized the principle.
He illustrated the point by comparing it to someone who would not entrust his car to a driver whose caution he did not trust.
At the same time, he emphasized that declarations and good intentions are not enough.
The practical outcome of voting must also be considered, particularly the risk involved in voting for party lists that fail to cross the electoral threshold.
"You believe in something? Make sure it happens," he said, warning of a situation in which "hundreds of thousands of votes, tens of thousands of votes, could be lost."
Another argument presented by the rabbi concerned the mitzvah of zikui harabim, bringing spiritual merit to others.
To illustrate the concept, he recounted a sermon by Rabbi Ovadia Yosef describing a person who arrives in the World of Truth and discovers that he has been credited with establishing a mikveh, a Torah school, and a yeshiva, even though he never personally established any of them.
"Did you vote for Shas? You built the mikveh, you built the Torah school, you built the yeshiva," the rabbi quoted the message of the sermon.
"That is bringing merit to the public. What's the question? That is bringing merit to the public," he emphasized.
He explained that voting can influence the establishment of Torah institutions, synagogues, and mikvehs, as well as the strengthening of Jewish education.
Toward the end of the lecture, the rabbi also cited the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, who called on people not only to vote themselves but also to encourage others to participate in elections.
The Rebbe warned of the responsibility involved in abstaining from voting and asked who could bear the burden of the public harm that might result from such abstention.
Rabbi Dudkevitch concluded his lecture by emphasizing the responsibility incumbent upon every individual to participate actively in public decisions rather than simply standing on the sidelines.
"One must act not only on one's own behalf, but also encourage others to act," he said, connecting his remarks to the call to join in "the aid of the Lord against the mighty."