They cry for forgiveness in the morning, run a dirty campaign in the evening

Menachem Horowitz attacks in an opinion column the contradiction between the conduct of religious figures during the Selichot prayers, where they confess to sins of speech, and their extreme and slanderous statements in the election campaign. He quotes curses against the Chief of Staff, the Central Command commander, and the Attorney General, and wonders how people devout in commandments let loose specifically during the Ten Days of Repentance. Horowitz calls for internalizing that foul language is no less severe than desecrating the Sabbath.

Menachem Horowitz writes a sharp opinion column about the blatant contradiction between the conduct of religious figures during the Selichot prayers, where they confess to sins of speech, and their extreme and slanderous statements in the election campaign. He quotes curses against the Chief of Staff, the Central Command commander, and the Attorney General, which came from people wearing kippot who see themselves as religious leaders. Horowitz wonders how a person devout in commandments, who is meticulous about even minor laws, speaks venomously specifically during the period when he is commanded to examine himself right before the Day of Judgment. He describes how these same people rise early for Selichot, say "We have sinned, we have betrayed, we have robbed, we have spoken slander" and "we have spread lies" and "we have cursed," and then continue to the morning prayer, but immediately afterward there is no limit to their words. Horowitz emphasizes that the concept of "foul language" represents a deep Jewish worldview, where speech is not just a byproduct of thought but an act that shapes reality. He calls on religious leaders to internalize that if they truly believe in heavenly accounts during the High Holidays, they should fear the damage caused by speech, which is no less than damage done by action.