Op-Ed: Faith, Defense, and the Limits of Political Alliance – A Torah View on Jewish Security in a Dangerous World

by Levi Keselman

Jews have always lived in tension with the societies around them. At times welcomed, at times feared, too often scapegoated—history teaches that when things unravel, Jews are often the first to pay the price.

This was true in the time of Yaakov and Eisav, true in Shushan under Haman, true in Germany under Hitler, and it remains true today. The Torah gives us tools to read these moments not just through a political lens, but through a spiritual one. What emerges is a view of history—and contemporary politics—steeped in humility, strategy, and faith.

Yaakov and Eisav: Appeasement, Prayer, and Preparation

When Yaakov Avinu hears that his brother Eisav is approaching with 400 men, he doesn’t respond with panic or overconfidence. Instead, he devises a three-pronged strategy: gifts, prayer, and military preparedness (Rashi to Bereishis 32:9). Moreover, Eisav approached with an army: 400 generals each commanding battalions of 400 men (see Midrash Tanchuma, Vayishlach 6), underscoring the existential threat Yaakov faced.

Yaakov didn’t just send gifts—he spaced them out deliberately, ensuring that as the emotional impact of one gift began to wear off, another arrived. As Rashi (Bereishis 32:17) explains, each group was told to say, “Your servant Yaakov is behind us,” to repeatedly placate Eisav’s anger (see also Bereishis Rabbah 76:8). What modern psychology might call “emotional pacing,” Yaakov implemented with deep foresight.

Modern research supports this insight. Studies on hedonic adaptation show that people quickly get used to positive experiences, diminishing their emotional effect. But when those experiences are spaced out, the positive emotional response is renewed and extended. Additionally, gift-giving has been shown to reduce aggression and promote social bonding. For instance, research published in the journal Emotion (2013) demonstrates that gift-giving increases perceived trustworthiness and decreases hostility.

But Yaakov also prayed. And he prepared for war. Because ultimately, no human alliance—especially not one with Eisav—could be the source of his trust. His faith remained in Hashem, not in appeasement alone.

Chazal say, “Halacha hi b’yadua she’Eisav soneh l’Yaakov”—it is a well-known law of nature that Eisav (Rome, the West) hates Yaakov (the Jewish people) (Sifrei Bamidbar 69).

Mordechai and Esther: The Hidden Shepherd

Centuries later, in Persia, Mordechai and Esther confront a different existential threat: a state-sponsored decree of genocide. The Megillah doesn’t record open miracles. Instead, we are shown Divine Providence operating subtly, behind palace walls and banquet halls.

Chazal ask a piercing question: Why were the enemies of the Jewish people (a euphemism for the Jews themselves) deserving of this decree? The answer given in the Gemara (Megillah 12a) is, “Because they enjoyed the feast of Achashverosh.”

The Rebbe explains: This wasn’t a punishment for simply attending the feast—perhaps attendance wasn’t even optional under Persian law. The sin was in “enjoying” it. They felt at ease in a foreign culture that had once threatened them, trusting more in political acceptance than in Divine protection.

We are “a sheep among seventy wolves,” says the Midrash (Yalkut Shimoni Tehillim 23). Our Shepherd watches over us. But if we stop placing our trust in Him and His Torah, and instead become too comfortable among the wolves, we risk losing that protection. The danger is not in being present in the palace—but in thinking the palace is home.

Esther’s strategy reflects profound wisdom. Before revealing Haman’s plan, she creates intimacy and curiosity by inviting only the king and Haman to private banquets—not once, but twice. The Gemara (Megillah 15b) explains this as a multi-layered tactic: to arouse the king’s jealousy, to lull Haman into arrogance, and to bide time for the Jews’ teshuvah. The second banquet provides the emotional turning point, where Esther courageously exposes Haman as a self-serving manipulator willing to sacrifice the queen and annihilate her people for personal gain. It was political maneuvering guided by deep emunah.

From Megillah to Modernity: The Politics of Self-Defense

Fast forward to today. Jews in America find themselves in a volatile moment. Antisemitism is spiking, synagogues need security guards, and Jews are being harassed in elite universities and city streets alike.

In the past, I wrote that the Torah teaches us not to rely on others to fight our battles, but to fight for the right to defend ourselves. This remains true. The mitzvah of self-defense is embedded in halacha (see Rambam, Hilchos Rotzeach 1:6 and Sanhedrin 72a).

In American politics, one party—the Democrats—has for years led efforts to limit private firearm ownership. Whatever one’s position on gun control, the reality is this: when violence threatens, calls to the police are not a sufficient plan. After Pittsburgh, Poway, Jersey City, and now countless pro-Hamas rallies across the U.S., Jews can’t afford to depend solely on the government or social goodwill.

On the other hand, the Republican party, traditionally more aligned with personal defense and 2A rights, was for many years a relatively safer home for Jews. Many conservatives expressed genuine support for Israel and American Jewry. And before October 7th, major voices on the political right openly rejected the far-right’s antisemitism.

But something has shifted.

The Predictable Fracturing of Leftist “Allyship” — and the Surprising Shift on the Right

For years, the ideological left positioned itself as a friend of the Jews in the name of inclusion and minority rights. But this alliance always had cracks. Once leftist ideology embraced critical theory, which views the world as a binary of oppressors and oppressed, Jews—perceived as white-adjacent, successful, and Zionist—were increasingly cast as part of the problem.

Before October 7th, antisemitism cloaked as “anti-Zionism” had already become fashionable in elite universities and leftist organizations. Intersectionality made room for every group—except the Jews. It became clear that progressive support was conditional and superficial.

This shift was sadly predictable. But the more surprising development has been the post-Oct 7 shift among conservatives, especially online influencers. Some who once disavowed antisemites now partner with them, platform them, or downplay their rhetoric. Under banners like “free speech” or “nationalism,” disgraced far-right elements are reentering mainstream right-wing discourse.

Trust in Hashem, Not Horses and Chariots

As of now, data still shows that Jews remain safer overall among conservatives. Polls show a majority of Republicans continue to support Israel and express favorable views of Jews. In some areas, non-Jewish Americans have even stood guard outside synagogues with their own legally-owned firearms to protect Jewish worshippers—men like Elliott Kline, a Navy veteran who took it upon himself to guard a synagogue in Texas during Shabbat services.*

But we would be naïve to let our guard down. Chazal tell us that when Haman’s decree was made known, the city of Shushan was “novoicha”—mourning, disturbed, and panicked (Esther 3:15). The Midrash and Rashi emphasize that former friends and neighbors quickly turned indifferent or hostile. The same could happen again, anywhere.

Political alliances are not covenants. They are fragile, shifting, and conditional. We must pursue them with wisdom, but not put our faith in them.

As Dovid Hamelech said: “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we invoke the name of Hashem our G-d” (Tehillim 20:8).

Other Sources Cited:

Bereishis 32:9 – Yaakov’s threefold strategy.

Bereishis 32:17 – Spacing of gifts and appeasement.

Bereishis Rabbah 76:8 – Yaakov’s strategy to continuously calm Eisav.

Sifrei Bamidbar 69 – “Eisav hates Yaakov.”

Midrash Tanchuma Vayishlach 6 – Eisav’s 400 generals.

Gemara Megillah 12a – Why Jews were vulnerable to Haman’s decree.

Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 31, p. 170

Midrash Yalkut Shimoni Tehillim 23 – “A sheep among seventy wolves.”

Gemara Megillah 15b – Esther’s strategic banquet invites.

Rambam, Hilchos Rotzeach 1:6 – Laws of self-defense.

Sanhedrin 72a – “If someone comes to kill you, rise first to kill him.”

Esther 3:15 – Translation and context of “novoicha.”

Emotion, 2013 – Gift-giving and emotional impact.

News reports – Elliott Kline, Navy vet who guarded synagogue.

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