>> Torah portion
WILLIAM DAVIDSON
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Choosing A Leader
Parshat Pinchas: Numbers 25:10-30:1;
I Kings 18:46-19:21.
M
oses said to the Lord, "May
science, our Torah is first and foremost
the Lord, the God who gives meant to foster the well-being of the
breath to all living things,
people.
appoint someone over this community
Our Talmud's ultimate objective must
to go out and come in before them, one
be to create a perfect society that looks
who will lead them out and bring them
out for the welfare of each individual;
in, so that the Lord's people will not be
hence Maimonides concludes his mag-
like sheep without a shepherd" (Numbers num opus, the Mishne Torah, with a
27:15-17).
description of the Messianic
Moses' request is made
Age, the period of human ful-
immediately after God
fillment and redemption that
instructs him to climb Mount
is the purpose of our entire
Abarim and take a glimpse of
halachic system.
the Promised Land — after
We may be the people of
which "he will be gathered to
the book, but the objective
his family-nation:'
of the book is the welfare of
God explains that Moses
the people — one might even
must now relinquish his
add, "to the people, by the
leadership because he did not
people (human input in the
sanctify God when he struck
Oral Law) and for the people:'
Rabbi Shlomo
the rock instead of speaking
The true fruit of the tree
R is kin
to it.
of Torah is the Jewish people,
On what basis is Joshua chosen by God whom Torah has informed, nurtured and
to be Moses' successor? The Midrash
recreated for the past 4,000 years. One
(Tanhuma Pinhas 11) suggests that the
can become too involved with the tree,
most logical choice would have been the
so that one forgets that its purpose is its
more intellectually gifted Phinehas or
fruits.
Eleazar the priest, or alternatively, the
Only one who watches over the tree
personal choice of Moses himself — his
and worries about preserving its fruits
own sons (see Rashi on Numbers 27:16).
has the right to legislate for them.
The Midrash explains the choice of
That's why Joshua is appointed just
Joshua by citing a biblical verse: "He who
as Moses is reminded of his sin at the
tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and he
"waters of strife when he strikes the rock
who looks after his master will be hon-
(which symbolizes the often hard and
ored:' (Proverbs 27:18).
stiff-necked nation) rather than speaking
Joshua was the devoted servant who
to it (Oral Law).
never left Moses' tent (Exodus 33:11).
That is why the most fundamental task
He was such a faithful disciple that he
facing Joshua must be to understand the
was absent from the encampment dur-
"spirits" of the people comprising the
ing the sin of the golden calf because he
nation and suit his decisions (as much
remained all 40 days at the foot of Mount as possible) to their temperaments and
Sinai waiting for Moses to come down
needs.
from the mountain (Exodus 32:17).
He must sensitively nurture his people
But why was "devotion" the primary
just like a shepherd nurtures his flock,
consideration for a successor to Moses?
not only leading from up-front but also
Why choose the outstanding caretaker,
personally bringing them in and taking
the best shamash, not the most praise-
them out whenever necessary.
worthy jurist, the leading expert in analy-
Joshua is a true leader, who proved
sis and halachic judgment?
himself by "nurturing" and tending to the
I would submit that, although we are
needs of his rebbe in addition to learning
from him.
rightly called the "people of the book:'
and Jews throughout the ages have been
Shlomo Riskin is chancellor Ohr Torah Stone
proud of their intellectual accomplish-
ments in Torah, in philosophy and in
and chief rabbi of Efrat, Israel.
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JIN
July 9 • 2015
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