Menachem Bluming Muses: Absentee Ballots

American law establishes that a person who cannot vote in person does not forfeit his or her right to vote. Rather, they can vote early by mail or other means.

In Israel, the citizen must appear in person at the polling place on Election Day. In Israel, if you are absent on Election Day, you forfeit your right to vote.

What does Judaism say? If I can’t make a seder on Passover is there a make-up date? 

Amazingly there is! The Torah records (Numbers chapter 9) that in the desert, Jews who were impure or too distant complained to Moses that they did not have the chance to bring the Passover offering and G-d gave those people a make up date one month later.

There is a caveat, however. If someone just couldn’t bother to bring the Passover offering on time, there was no make up date offered. Only if the mitzvah was important to you but for reasons beyond your control you could not make it was there a make up date for you.

Voting is an important calling for each of us. Whether it is in person or by mail or online you show that this country’s direction is important to you by voting.

G-d bless America (we need it). Mendel (Menachem) Bluming

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