My mother has harbored strong negative feelings towards me ever since I decided to vote Republican. Our relationship hasn’t been the same. Am I obligated to follow the political views of my parents?
Regarding your political stand, remember: both donkeys and elephants are non-kosher animals:) Both major parties make a lot of mistakes and both occasionally display certain values that are in line with the Torah. I don’t think it can conclusively be argued today which party is really closest to being in line with Jewish values, since both sometimes veer off in critical, but different respects.
Every child is obligated to show his or her parents respect and to help attend to their needs as much as he or she is able. But we do not have to listen to our parents if they tell us to do something we believe goes against Torah values. It is the Torah that commands us to honor and respect our parents in the first place. Thus, following the Torah should come before going along our parents. We should, however, always consider the possibility that our parents may be right, and analyze their arguments thoroughly.
I hope and pray that you and your mother will be able to be reconciled very soon. You are too important to each other to allow politics to get in the way. Although politics is important for our nation, the family relationship should be far more important for you and your mother personally. Political issues come and go, but the connection between mother and daughter is forever.
Take care,
Shlomo Shulman
JAAM CT
Maimonides at Yale
Waterbury, CT