Here is an part of an article published on-line in the Jerusalem Post.
The charge that Obama was not truthful about his background can be added to the list of other whisperings about Obama. Not all of the statements are evil. Worries about Obama's being too young, for example, parallel concerns that McCain is too old. Too many of the statements are, however, malicious and ugly. The implication that Barack Obama would not be a good president somehow because of his racial or family background is repugnant, is unconstitutional and is un-American.
An interesting gloss on this whole matter was raised during the reading of the Torah in synagogues this past Shabbat, portions of which are included in the important prayer known as the "Sh'ma". The prayer opens: "Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One." The prayer continues with warnings not to be misled by the urgings of one's heart or eyes.
The Sh'ma prayer is remarkable in that it states that God - and hence truth - may be better perceived through the ears than by the eyes. In fact, throughout the Bible, God appears to Moses by speaking to him, but denies Moses the opportunity to visually look at Him. Even Moses experiences God through hearing.
The eyes may be easily deceived. The eyes see only the superficial exterior and register a subjective response based upon an individual's internal mental wiring - his own set of biases and prejudices. Communication by hearing is more penetrating. It involves the need of the communicator and the recipient to be on the same page - to speak to each other in a common language in order to be correctly understood.
Ten individuals of different countries and backgrounds, seeing an event, will each understand the event in his own way, and will together offer ten different interpretations of the event. However, only the individual who has understood the language and cultural context of the communicator can even suggest a reliable interpretation of the substance of the oral communication.
Here then is a challenge to any honest person who wishes to truly understand the nature and character of the two candidates, and thus to vote properly. When Obama and McCain next speak or debate each other - close your eyes and open your ears.
Sound advice !
