Torah Portion
The Mantle Of Leadership
Is Deftly Tailored
Israel Prize, also has pointed out a sig-
nificant change in how Moses address-
es God after this disappointment. No
longer does Moses speak to God in
the second person. "Moses — just
rebuked by God, who reminded him
of his sin at Meribah — feels that he
is no longer the intimate of God.
his Shabbat falls in the
Indeed, he never speaks to Him again
three-week period between
directly but only through mediation.
the 17th of Tammuz and
Hence he adopts the third person
Tisha B'Av, commemorat-
address characteristic of the sinful
ing the destruction of the first and
petitioner who has fallen out of
second Temples. It is a time for
grace."
reflection on the leadership exhibited
After absorbing the mes-
throughout the history of
sage that he will not enter
the Jewish people.
the promised land, Moses
Among the disparate ele-
says, "Lord, source of the
ments in this week's portion
breath of all flesh, appoint
we have a description of the
someone over the commu-
transfer of leadership from
nity so that the Lord's
Moses to Joshua found in
community may not be
chapter 27:12.
like sheep with no shep-
For close to 40 years,
herd." At a time of tremen-
Moses had led the people;
dous personal discourage-
he listened to their com-
TOM
ment, Moses has concern
plaints and calumnies. One
for his flock, his people.
WEXELB ERG-
might reasonably expect
Moses does not cling to
CLOUSER
that Moses would be
power, confusing his needs
Special to
rewarded for his service,
The Jewish News with the needs of his peo-
perhaps with entrance into
ple. Instead he asks God
the land of Israel like the
for a successor.
daughters of Zelophehad, who in
Perhaps even more remarkably,
prior verses turned to Moses for
Moses does not say, "Okay, if I can't
their legitimate inheritance. The
finish it, I'll turn things over to my
Chizkuni, a biblical commentary,
son." In a time when kings estab-
points out that Moses prayed inces-
lished royal dynasties, frequently
santly to be permitted to reach the
passing power to ineffectual or
land of Israel. However, we read that
incompetent heirs, Moses- is laudable
God informs Moses he will be "gath-
not only for what he says, but equal-
ered unto your people as was Aaron,
ly for what he did not say. For a con-
your brother."
trasting example, we have only to
From a lesser person, one could
look to Israel's later history, when
expect a tirade or at least a com-
Solomon's son Rehoboam demon-
plaint that as leader of the people he
strates that he is unequal to the task
is indispensable. Yet in the terse bib-
of kingship.
lical text, Moses refrains from any
What are the qualifications need-
such insubordination. Our sages did
ed to lead the people into the
not envision, however, that Moses
promised land? The Jewish
was somehow totally above human
Publication Society Torah
complaint. In Midrash Bamidbar
Commentary points out the phrase
Rabbah, the rabbis see a possible
"go out before them and come in
inkling of Moses' sense of grievance
before them" clearly indicates mili-
at being dismissed before he has fin-
tary leadership. It is not by accident
ished his mission. The repetition
that "officers of modern Israel's
found in verse 17 — "who shall go
defense forces are noted for their
out before them and come in before
them, who shall take them out and
bring them in" — gave a hint to the
rabbis of Moses' disappointment.
Moshe Greenberg, a biblical scholar
What does leadership mean
at the Jewish Theological Seminary's
today in the Jewish world? How
Jerusalem Center and recipient of the
are our leaders chosen, especially
outside modern-day Israel? What
Tom Wexleberg-Clouser is the Great
is the contemporary relationship
Lakes regional director of the Jewish
between leaders and followers?
Shabbat Pinchas:
Numbers 25: 10-30: 1;
Jeremiah 1:1-2:3.
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battle cry acharai
follow me." But
long before the establishment of the
IDF, the biblical commentator Rabbi
Ovadiah Sforno observed that Moses
asked for a leader who would have
prowess in war and statecraft.
God's response to Moses is to sin-
gle out Joshua, son of Nun, "ish
asher ruah bo
a man in whom
there is spirit." According to Rashi,
this means a man with the spirit of
God. Previously, in Numbers 13, we
have seen how Joshua and Caleb
countered the bleak report of the
spies. Joshua stands by Moses. He
encourages the people to hold fast,
"If the Lord is pleased with us, he
will bring us unto that land." For his
faithfulness, Joshua is later rewarded
with the privilege of entering the
promised land while all others of his -(±
generation perish in the wilderness.
We next read of God's instructing
Moses to have Joshua "stand before
Eleazar and before the whole com-
munity and commission him in their
sight." This is no palace coup.
Transfer of power does not take
place surreptitiously, but publicly.
The people can see and understand
that Moses is involved in commis- Cf\
sioning his successor. What a con-
trast to the vast history of treachery
and warfare exhibited throughout
human history.
In a few short lines, the Torah
teaches us the nature of leadership,
its responsibility to the people and
the humility that real leaders need to
possess to fulfill their tasks. Within
Judaism, there is a profound appreci- –\
ation that leaders are made, not born
to rule. They lead by example and by
knowing their followers. The exam-
ple of Moses is one that our world
leaders would do well to take to
heart.
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