Is Voting A Mitzvah?

(4) Thus said the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, to the whole community which I exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon: (5) Build houses and live in them, plant gardens and eat their fruit. (6) Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters. Multiply there, do not decrease. (7) And seek the welfare of the city to which I have exiled you and pray to the LORD in its behalf; for in its prosperity you shall prosper.

(2) Rabbi Chanina, the Deputy High Priest, says: Pray for the welfare of the government, for were it not for the fear of it, man would swallow his fellow alive. Rabbi Chananya ben Teradyon says: Two who are sitting together and there are no words of Torah [spoken] between them, this is a session of scorners, as it is said (Psalms 1:1): “[Happy is the man who has]... not sat in the session of the scorners.” But two who are sitting together and there are words of Torah [spoken] between them, the Divine Presence rests with them, as it is said (Malachi 3:16): “Then those who feared the Lord spoke one with another, and the Lord hearkened and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before Him, for those who feared the Lord and for those who thought upon His Name.” I have no [Scriptural support for this] except [in a case of] two. From where [is there proof that] that even [when there is only] one [person studying Torah], the Holy One, blessed be He, determines a reward for him? As it is said (Lamentations 3:28): “He sits alone and is silent, since he takes [a reward] for it.”

(14) What must they do to fulfill their requirement regarding the Law of Justice? They have to set up magistrates and judges in each district to judge the people with regard to these Six Commandments; and they must issue warnings (about them) to the people. A non-Jew who violates one of the Seven Commandments is executed by means of the sword. ¹⁰¹This entire passage is absent in most versions.How is this so? Anyone who worships idols or blasphemed or murdered or had sexual relations with one of those forbidden to him or stole even less than the value of a Prutah or ate any amount from a limb or the flesh of a live animal or saw someone else violate one of these and failed to judge and execute him, is himself executed by means of the sword. It was for this reason all residents of the City of Shechem deserved to be executed. For Shechem kidnapped¹⁰²Dinah., and they saw and knew and failed to judge him. A non-Jew is executed by the testimony of one, and with one judge, without forewarning, and by the testimony of relatives, but not by the testimony of a woman¹⁰³Other editions are missing the words, “but not by the testimony”.. A woman may not judge for them.

(1) The residents of a town can force one another (even the minority can force the majority - Rabbneu Yerucham 6:31) to put up a wall with gates and a bolt for the town; and to build a synagogue and to buy a book of the Torah, Prophets and Writings so that anyone from the community may read from them. Gloss/Rema: And the same is true for all the needs of the town and see Orachot Chaim 55 - Laws of Hiring a Cantor for the People of the Town; and also ibid., 53. And the residents of the town can force one another to provide hospitality for guests, distribute charity to them and to contribute to the charity container (Mordekhai on Bava Barta: Chapter 1; Teshuvot Maimoni on Mishneh Torah, Acquisition 59). And see above Choshen Mishpat 4 and Choshen Mishpat 7 regarding whether if the people of the town have a case with an individual, they can judge him. And... And regarding expenses that were spent to get rid of a talebearer, all of the residents of the town are obligated to give towards this (Rosh in a responsum, Principle 6: 21, 27 and repeated below Choshen Mishpat 288). And with a matter that the community is not able to be in agreement about, all the heads of households that pay taxes should convene and accept upon themselves that each one proclaim his opinion for the sake of heaven, and [then] go according to the majority. And if the minority [refuses to go along], the majority can force them [to comply] - even through the laws of the idolaters - and to extricate money form them, and they must give their portion. And backed by the ban (cherem), the opinion of one who refuses to state his opinion is nullified, and we follow the majority of those stating their opinion (Responsum of Mohoram, Sefer Kinyan 27; Hagahot Maimoniot on MT, Prayer 11). And see Yoreh Deah 256, as to when he is obligated to give to the charity container.