Perhaps most of all, kavod means a recognition that Mr. Mamdani is about to become a tool in the Hands of Hashem

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a meeting several months ago of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of America, the question was raised: Should the Agudah work on establishing a relationship with then-NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani — a man who couldn’t bring himself to condemn the terrorist call to action “Globalize the Intifada,” a man who promised to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu if he sets foot anywhere in the five boroughs, a man who proudly proclaims that Israel’s military response to the October 7 atrocities constitutes genocide?

And a man who all the pre-election polls were predicting would win the mayoralty in landside proportions.

The Moetzes deliberated for a few brief moments, and then offered their guidance: Agudah must do all in its power to generate a large voter turnout in the Orthodox Jewish community, in the hope that the candidate most favorably inclined to our interests would prevail. But if the election does not go the way we would have hoped, then of course the Agudah must build relationships with the incoming mayor of New York City, no matter how disagreeable his views may be regarding issues affecting the Jewish People. Aderaba, those relationships may prove to be even more important than relationships with political “friends.”

This position is historically consistent with longstanding shtadlanus practice. The US State Department was known to be a hotbed of anti-Jewish sentiment during World War II, yet Mike Tress and other key shtadlanim of that generation relied on Breckenridge Long, one of the most notorious State Department officials, to help save a number of distinguished roshei yeshivah and rabbanim. In more recent years, with the guidance of our gedolim, we have had to work with government officials whose positions and personal lifestyles are anathema to the Torah community, yet whose involvement in key policy matters or in cases of individual need have proven indispensable.

We deal with those in power precisely because they are in power. We do not have the luxury of sitting on the sidelines just because the playing field is occupied by hostile forces.

Developing relationships does not mean that we must remain silent when confronted by policies or statements by elected officials that are harmful to our interests. There are times when we must raise our voices, but we need to do so judiciously. We need to ask ourselves whether we might accomplish more by saying nothing in the public arena, instead dealing with the matter behind closed doors, far from the glare of the public spotlight.

And when we do find it necessary to speak out, we must be very careful to speak with courtesy and respect. Whether or not the individual is worthy of such respect, the office he occupies surely is.

This policy was established long ago during Yetzias Mitzrayim, when Moshe Rabbeinu told Pharaoh that at the time of makkas bechoros all of his servants would come running to Moshe imploring him and all the Jews to leave Mitzrayim — when in fact it was Pharaoh himself, not his servants, who ran in panic to Moshe begging him to take the Jews and get out. Why didn’t Moshe tell Pharaoh the truth? Rashi explains, “chalak kavod l’malchus” — Moshe Rabbeinu was giving honor to royalty by pointing to Pharaoh’s servants rather than to Pharaoh himself as the ones who would come running so desperately. (Shemos 11:8. See also Rashi on Shemos 6:13.)

If Moshe Rabbeinu saw fit to accord honor to the wicked, murderous Pharaoh simply because he embodied malchus, surely we should accord honor to those who embody malchus today — even when we find it necessary to criticize them for their policies and statements.

Mr. Mamdani is about to occupy a seat of modern-day malchus, a position that demands kavod. Kavod means meeting with him to engage in serious dialogue on issues important to the Jewish community. It means refraining from describing him with pejorative labels, or publishing offensive caricatures of him.

Perhaps most of all, kavod means a recognition that Mr. Mamdani is about to become a tool in the Hands of Hashem — leiv melech b’yad Hashem — to help bring about the fulfillment of His grand plan for Klal Yisrael b’acharis ha’yamim.

May Hashem protect us all.

Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel is Executive Vice President of Agudath Israel of America.

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 1088)