Ivanka Trump, who served as a top White House advisor in her father Donald Trump’s administration, joined podcaster Lex Fridman to discuss a wide variety of issues. During the course of her conversation, Ivanka discussed several core concepts of Judaism, making for an interesting conversation with the Jewish, but irreligious, podcaster.
When asked about the hate and vitriol lobbed at her and her family over their immediate association with Donald Trump, Ivanka said: “There’s a concept in Judaism called Lashon Hara, which means evil speech. The idea is that speaking poorly of another is almost the moral equivalent to murder, because you can’t really repair it. You can apologize, but you can’t repair it.
“Another component of that is that it does as much damage to the person saying the words than it does to the person receiving them. And I think about that a lot. I talk about this concept with my kids a lot, and I’m not willing to pay the price of that fleeting and momentary satisfaction of sort of swinging back because I think it would be too expensive for my soul. And that’s how I made peace with it, because I think that feels more true for me.”
At another moment, when discussing the concept of gratitude, Ivanka referred to the bracha of Asher Yatzar:
“There’s a prayer in Judaism you’re supposed to say every morning, which is basically thanking God for your body working. It’s something so basic, but it’s when it doesn’t that we’re grateful. So just reminding ourselves every day the basic things of a functional body, of our health, of access to water, which so many millions of people around the world do not have reliably, is very clarifying and super important.”
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
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26 Responses
Does she also talk about tznius??
Wise words
Secondly I don’t think she was referring to אשר יצר she said we say it every morning maybe she’s referring to ברכת השחר
ujm: My father ע”ה used to say that the essence of being a גוטער איד is to be מחמיר for yourself and מקל to others.
Ujm, that is pure Lashon Hara!
Ujm maybe re read the article. Maybe she can influence you…
ujm,
You should probably take a deep breath and think before typing. Do you realize where this woman comes from?! Yiddishkeit is a lifelong work. Coming from her background, her tznius is quite admirable, in fact.
Sounds like she’s talking about Asher Yatzer. Either she’s grossly uneducated, or she meant Birkot Hashachar….
Since her kids are in a religious school, hopefully that’s what she meant…
Ujm: Kindly explain your heter for that statement in that cynical form using citations from Sefer cc.
Coffee- See SA and MB on the topic. There is a tzad to say it every morning; it is sort of a part of birchos hashachar, which is presumably what she was taught (perfectly acceptably so).
Boy do I feel like an idiot. Spent hours trying to sneak anything past my filter to no avail… but all I had to do was check out YWN. Thanks! Please post more videos of Ivanka.
ujm, She just spoke about the halacha of forbidden lashon hora and you yourself wrote lashon hora about her. Shame on you!
Yashar: How about כל מילתא דמתאמרא
באפי תלתא לית בה משום לישנא בישא
There are too many photos of her appearing publicly dressed non tznius since her גירות לנישואין.
It’s very nice that she likes part of Judaism אבל פשוט ונראה לכל בר דעת שרק קל שבקלים היה יכול להתגייר אותה אחר שהגיור היה דבר מפורסם שהיה בשביל חתנות
Guys, there is forbidden lashon hara and permissible lashon hara. Learn hilchos lashon hara before going out and accusing people of it.
I think you are conflating her focus on an asher yatzer moment and what some of us think about her father. While “normal” compared to other family members, she still has to navigate a fine line in retaining a modicum of respectability for herself, Jared and the kids.
@Ujm
Let me quote “There’s this concept in Judaism called Lashon Hara Literally translated as evil speech, Which is morally equivalent to murder because you can’t really repair it, you could apologize, but you could never take it back, And another component of it is, It does as much damage to the person saying the words then it does for the person receiving the words.”
-Ivanka Trump
Looks like she got a better education than you to be honest.
Not to mention That there is a Halacha that whenever someone harms verbally or physically a gerr he gets 7 times the punishment.
Mordy,
Joseph has repeatedly noted that his posek (probably the one in his cracked mirror) gave him permission to criticize and even hate anyone not exactly like him. Joey’s version of olam haba only has room for one but he’s going to be shocked by how hot and crowded it is, hopefully very soon.
@Mordy,
Are you her talmid muvhak….. or maybe a chasid/ah of hers?
Just chill out mate will ya!
Dear UJM,
You are a very sick man, and if I were a moderator,
I would permanently ban you from making comments
on this web site, and delete ALL of your comments.
Sincerely,
SQUARE_ROOT
Yashar,
Only in the morning?
If you open a Sephardic siddur it is on the first page. So yes, we do say it every morning (after using the bathroom) but it is still in the siddur
>>>Another component of that is that it does as much damage to the person saying the words than it does to the person receiving them.
Putting LH aside, she is correct about this in general way. The Democratic party has paid a very heavy price in relation to it’s own personal morals and standards for it’s obsession with trying to find fault in Trump. The media has paid a very high price in relation to it’s own integrity and trustworthiness etc. To say this in non-Jews terms, hatred is a poison. Heavily focusing on the (real or perceived faults) of others on a constant basis NEVER brings out good in anyone and usually does the oppisite . Even if the ostensible purpose is making a better world where those attacked have no power
For all those experts on Hilchos Lashon Hora, time to Chazer it over.
It is NOT LH per se to point out an obvious public knowledge. However, it would be a problem if the intention would be to disparage said party. Something tells me that the commenter’s point was not to disparage her (does B’tzedek Tishpot ring a bell for any of you Chofetz Chaim experts?) but rather geared to YWN (or any reader) as a message that if you’re going to go gaga and present view her as some role model and great Rebitzen (which BTW I personally don’t think was YWN’s intention) , this blatant PUBLIC flaunting of Halacha should be pointed out.
Ari,
I’m sure your father knew the difference between a קולא and a הלכה.
Uncle mo,
Your point is well understood but would normally be very relevant and on target had she been a Ballas Teshuva. A Giores doesn’t get that same pass. You need to accept ALL of Shulchan Aruch for Geirus.
HAVING SAID THAT, I’m certainly not here to judge or disparage her. If she is being told by her husband and/or Rabbi that it’s ok, then it’s their issue mostly.
I envy her big Zechus, for being Mekadesh Shem Shomayim with the good (true Torah Hashkafah) messages that she’s disseminating.
Last but not least, TOONAPHISH,
Oy Hust Die Git Gezugt!!! Leider
I may be mistaken but, in this day and age, if this isn’t a kiddush Hashem then I don’t know what is?
B’ezrat Hashem she will inspire Lex Friedman to teshuva.
Um, Asher Yatzar is officially part of Birchos Hashachar. Maybe she should have said that it’s also an after-bathroom Beracha, but she wasn’t incorrect.
Did she also speak about flying to Saudi Arabia on Shabbos?
She deserves our blessing.
Kinsler: Look over the first השגה of the ראב”ד and you may see that it is not so simple. Yes, my father ע”ה knew the difference. And he also knew, and said on many occasions, that religion is a personal matter.
Intrusiveness is a common trait with the current generation. The affairs of others are none of our business. Don’t be an אונטערהעצער.