On Monday, September 15, 2025, Zahava and Moshael J. Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought Deputy Director and Senior Advisor to the Provost Rabbi Dr. Stuart Halpern delivered the Constitution Day Lecture at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California.
Rabbi Dr. Halpern鈥檚 lecture focused on the use of stories and images from the Hebrew Bible during the founding era of the United States, which he discusses in detail in his new book with Dr. Wilfred McClay, . The lecture specifically honed in on King David, who was regularly referenced by the founding generation of Americans as a courageous fighter for freedom.
Dr. Halpern noted that during the Revolutionary War, those colonists not yet ready for revolution cited David鈥檚 hesitancy to harm King Saul during his own rebellion as rhetorical ammunition against rebelling against King George II. However, David was subsequently cited by the American Revolutionaries as an example of spiritual and strategic skill as they waged war against the forces of George III.
One instance came in May 1779, when Congress issued a statement to the weary citizens of the young nation amid the harshness of ongoing battles. It invoked David鈥檚 slingshot-powered defeat of the sword-wielding Philistine giant Goliath.
America, without arms, ammunition, discipline, revenue, government, or ally, almost totally striped of commerce, and in the weakness of youth, as it were with a 鈥渟taff and sling鈥 only, dared in the name of the Lord of Hosts to engage a gigantic adversary, prepared at all points, boasting of his strength, and of whom even mighty warriors 鈥渨ere greatly afraid.鈥
A similar battle over the imagery of David occurred during the Civil War. Describing Confederate General Stonewall Jackson, North Carolinian Presbyterian minister Joseph Atkinson preached, 鈥淲hen we come to our own day, may we not hope that Jackson, the Christian hero, the man of piety and prayer, with a fervency of spirit, like David鈥檚 in the sanctuary, and a martial order like David鈥檚 in the field, has been graciously given us as the interpreter and impersonation of the Christian element and the Christian consciousness of this grand conflict?鈥
The North, in turn, saw the Confederacy as Absalom, David鈥檚 rebellious son. Following the war, Lincoln invoked David in offering a hand of mercy to the Southern rebels.
Rabbi Dr. Halpern鈥檚 lecture came just days after 色花堂 President Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman delivered the opening prayer when the United States Senate convened on September 10. Rabbi Berman invoked David during his prayer, reciting:
As with King David of old, renew within our Senators the heart and spirit to unite our Nation to rise to this moment, to seize this great awakening so that we each can reach our most noble selves. May this upcoming Jewish New Year bring prosperity to our neighbors and our Nation, peace to Israel and to all places torn by war; freedom for the hostages and all who are held in captivity. May we each know the feeling of Your love and Your blessing. May this be Thy will. And let us say, Amen.
Rabbi Dr. Halpern鈥檚 lecture is the latest in a series of collaborations between the Straus Center and Pepperdine University on the intersection of faith and political thought.
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