When The Votes Are Counted, Remember Who Holds the Pen

The news is in: Zohran Mamdani has won the mayoral race in New York City. For many, the reaction is one of concern — and understandably so. But as Yidden, our perspective must remain rooted in emunah. Chaza”l teach us, lev melachim vesarim b’yad Hashem — the hearts of kings and rulers are in the hand of Hashem. The seforim ha’kedoshim point out that this Divine guidance begins precisely when a person assumes power. Once he becomes the melech or sar, Heaven takes over the steering wheel.

That means our job now is not to panic, but to strengthen our avodat Hashem, intensify our tefilos, and trust that Hashem will do the rest.

It struck me that this week’s parshah is Vayeira. As I was discussing Mamdani’s victory with family, I overheard a shiur playing in the background — and the maggid shiur was speaking about Avraham Avinu davening for Sedom! Yes, Sedom! Avraham prayed that if only ten tzadikim could be found, the entire city would be spared.

If that’s the power of tefilah for Sedom, imagine what can be achieved for New York — a city with one of the largest concentrations of Yidden in the world, far more than ten tzadikim and yirei Shamayim. We must lift our eyes heavenward, confident that with our prayers and merits, Hashem will guide the coming years with great Siyatta Dishmaya.

(And perhaps, as a humorous aside, it wouldn’t hurt to say a kapitel Tehillim at the kever of Rabbi Shmuel Kunda, zt”l — after all, he knew a thing or two about “the mayor of New York, York, York!”)

Across the river in New Jersey, the outcome wasn’t much different. The candidate most aligned with the interests of the frum community did not prevail, though reports suggest there was record voter turnout in Lakewood — a reminder that we’re doing our part.

A friend who writes a weekly parshah column shared a profound thought with me. When Haman was appointed prime minister, klal Yisrael should have trembled with fear and recognized it as a Heavenly message — a call for teshuvah. He suggested that perhaps, had they taken that message to heart immediately, even before the gezeirah was publicly issued, the tide could have turned sooner. Once the decree came into the physical world, more rachamim was required to overturn it.

Indeed, some mefarshim explain that the Purim redemption, as miraculous as it was, did not culminate in the final geulah because klal Yisrael acted only when forced into crisis. Had they initiated teshuvah voluntarily, the tikun might have been complete.

So here we are again, facing political shifts that might unsettle us. But perhaps they are reminders — not of despair, but of opportunity. Before any decree takes shape, before any policy is written, our tefilot can rewrite the script.

May our tefilot rise with sincerity, our unity deepen with compassion, and may we soon merit the ultimate geulah — speedily, in our days.

S.R., Lakewood