# Freedom, Dignity, and the Limits of Voting

- Topic: world
- Source: [jpost.com](https://www.jpost.com/judaism/torah-portion/article-913239)
- Published: 2026-10-30
- Original: https://www.jpost.com/judaism/torah-portion/article-913239
- Language: en
- Image: https://images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/q_auto/c_fill,g_faces:center,h_720,w_1280/744192

## At a glance

- Israel’s general elections on Oct 27, 2026 illustrate the limits of voting to secure freedom and dignity.
- The essay traces freedom’s rise from medieval subjugation to Renaissance humanism, Scientific Revolution, Enlightenment, and democratic law.
- Economic, secular, Romantic, sexual, and digital revolutions expanded individual autonomy, but also weakened communal bonds and shared values.
- In Israel, a shared narrative and covenant offer a counterbalance to Western individualism, anchoring people in community and faith.

## Sources

- [jpost.com](https://www.jpost.com/judaism/torah-portion/article-913239)

## The story

Moshe Taragin writes in the Jerusalem Post that while humans possess free will and dignity, a single vote cannot determine those qualities. He argues that freedom, defined as the capacity to choose between right and wrong, gives moral significance to our actions and shapes our identity. The essay traces the evolution of freedom from the Middle Ages, when social status was fixed, through the Renaissance, Scientific Revolution, Enlightenment, and modern democratic institutions that enshrine natural rights. Taragin notes that economic freedom arrived with capitalism, while secularization, Romanticism, the sexual revolution, and the digital age expanded individual autonomy in belief, emotion, sexuality, and information. He observes that the rise of individualism has eroded communal bonds, leaving many people struggling with identity and belonging. In Israel, he says, the sense of shared history and covenant provides a counterbalance to Western individualism, anchoring people in community and faith. The author concludes that while a vote can change a government, it cannot replace the deeper human need for belonging and moral purpose. He invites readers to reflect on how freedom and belonging can coexist within democratic societies.

> Summary by Daily Read Bytes. [Read the original source](https://www.jpost.com/judaism/torah-portion/article-913239)