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The Leadership Mantle
Is Not Easily Worn
is proud to honor
Judith Grant
Granader
RABBI JULIAN I. COOK SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
W
at
A Sukkos Concert
featuring
Avraham
Fried
Wednesday, October I I, 1995
7:30 p.m.
Seaholm High School
2436 W. Lincoln, Birmingham
TICKET PRICES
$25 at door
$18 in advance
Adults:
$15 at door
Children: $12 in advance
(under 12)
For special group and family rates call: (810) 851-6032 or (810) 541-4171
Tickets available at BORENSTEIN'S, ESTHER'S and SPITZER'S
34
hat makes a good
leader? That question
is as old as society and
certainly as current as
our won political controversies.
Every Jewish and secular insti-
tution today struggles with this
question.
Our ancestors had some pret-
ty sound insights into the ele-
ments of good leadership and the
issues leaders had to face. This
week's parasha, Vayelech (the
shortest portion in the Torah and
one we don't usually see by itself)
has some interesting examples
of leadership criteria.
The portion talks about com-
mitting the Torah to writing and
teaching it publicly to all the peo-
ple. It also predicts the people will
go astray and God will become
angry with them, temporarily
hiding from them. But the focal
point seems to be the passing
down of the mantle of leadership
from Moses to Joshua. As we ap-
proach the end of Sefer Devarim,
or Deuteronomy, we also ap-
proach the end of Moses' life. A
great new adventure awaits the
Jewish people as they cross into
the promised land. They will
need a new leader, a strong
leader, one who can help the peo-
ple fulfill their destiny to inherit
the land which God promised
their ancestors.
The appointment of Joshua re-
ally represents a significant new
paradigm for leadership in the
ancient world. Previously, lead-
ership was seen as the preroga-
tive of the patriarch to pass down
to his son, usually the eldest son.
This was true in tribes and fam-
ilies, as in the story of Jacob and
Esau, and it also held true for the
high priesthood of Israel (e.g.,
from Aaron to Eleazar). But not
here. Neither of Moses' sons, Ger-
shon or Eliezer, follows in his foot-
steps (in fact, we don't know what
become of them). Why? What
must Moses have been feeling as
he consecrated Joshua, not his
own son, to the task?
In a midrash in Bamidbar
Rabbah, the rabbis suggests
Moses' sons were not worthy:
They didn't study Torah or per-
form mitzvot, whereas Joshua
did. The message is clear: An ac-
cident of birth, or "yichus", is not
sufficient for leadership. the job
requires the best person based on
character and experience.
Joshua had clearly pioven
himself: He had been Moses' per-
sonal attendant, serving him
well, and guarding the tent of
meeting; he was a proven mili-
tary commander; and, perhaps
most importantly, he had shown
courage and faith in God by
standing against the multitude
whose weakness resulted in 40
years of wandering. Joshua and
his compatriot Caleb were the
only tow scouts, out of 12, to bring
back a positive report of the land
and encourage immediate colo-
nization. Because the people did
not heed their recommendation,
no adult who came out of Egypt,
save Joshua and Caleb, was priv-
ileged to enter the land. Joshua
had all the right credentials.
Rashi, the medieval commen-
tator, suggested that Joshua's
competition for the job wasn't re-
ally Moses' sons, but rather
Aaron's grandson, Pinchas. That
young man, it will be remem-
bered, had demonstrated excep-
tional zealousness for God by
dramatically killing an Israelite
caught in the midst of a dis-
graceful act, averting God's
wrath. But ultimately Pinchas
came up short, says Rashi, be-
cause his action was impulsive
and violent; he took matters into
his own hand, rather than letting
justice run its course. Thus the
lesson, per Rashi, is that a good
leader must be patient, cautious,
and judicious. He must have
courage and wisdom to lead a dif-
ficult people with resolve; yet he
must also be capable of learning
from others.
_z)
Shabbat Vayelech:
Deuteronomy
31:1-30
Hosea 14:2-10
Micah 7:18-20
Joel 2:15-27.
How did Joshua learn? Moses
taught him patience. At one
point, two men, Eldad and
Medad (Numbers 11) were
prophesying strangely and
Joshua saw their ecstatic behav-
ior as dangerous and wanted
them restrained. But Moses
urged patience and said, "Are you
wrought up on my account?
Would that all God's people were
prophets!" A good leader doesn't
need to silence those with differ-
ent perspectives.
It also is significant that Moses
invested Joshua publicly rather
than privately. Why did he make
a big deal out of it? Moses was
such a great man, his relation-
ship with God unparalleled; it is
hard to imagine anyone filling his
c-/