Shalom Mishpacha,
Here’s hoping the onset of another beautiful Shabbat finds
each one of you in happiness and health. For those in Ottawa, it finds you
buried in snow!
This week we start the Sefer Shemot (known
in English as the Book of Exodus) with Parshat Shemot, which includes the story
of Moshe (Moses), whom we might consider to be the paradigm of a Jewish leader.
Does not the mere name – Moshe – stir feelings within us?
It brings with it the weight of history, our history... as
Moshe is forever linked with our Torah and our lives. This week we begin to
read his story - our story – from his beginning.
Moshe comes to teach us so much. This
week, we will focus on what he teaches us about leadership. Each us is a
‘leader’ in some way: perhaps in our families, in our schools, in our
synagogues, in our communities, in our workplaces; or at least, we all
certainly have the potential to be. Moshe and our Torah come to teach us much
about how bring out this potential.
We all know the story and how it begins. We find the
Israelites in Egypt and we watch them as they become slaves to Pharaoh. The
Torah then tells us that Pharaoh wanted to kill all of the Jewish newborn boys.
His astrologers told him that a redeemer of the Jewish people was being born.
However, Amram and Yocheved, Moshe's parents, hid him as long as they could. They then placed him in a waterproofed basket in the
Nile where he was found by Pharaoh's daughter. Moshe was brought up in the
Pharaoh's palace.
The Torah tells us that after Moshe grew up, he went out to observe the burdens of his brethren. He came to know that he was one of them. He saw an Egyptian man beating a Hebrew, he "looked this way and that way to see if there was a man," and then struck down the Egyptian (Exodus 2:11-12).
The Torah tells us that after Moshe grew up, he went out to observe the burdens of his brethren. He came to know that he was one of them. He saw an Egyptian man beating a Hebrew, he "looked this way and that way to see if there was a man," and then struck down the Egyptian (Exodus 2:11-12).
From here, Rabbi Kalman Packouz believes that
we learn some of the basic principles of being a leader:
(1) A leader must go out amongst the people to understand
firsthand their situation.
(2) A leader must be able to recognize that there is a
problem.
(3) A leader must look to see if there is anyone else who
is dealing with the problem. If someone is already taking action, then support
and assist the person - don't vie for glory of being the hero. (4) If there is
no one taking action, then one must take action.
There is a common misconception that only ability leads to
leadership. Moses comes to teach us that caring and taking responsibility
leads to leadership. People tend to focus on their weaknesses and use them as
excuses for not taking responsibility and for not leading.
Moshe, as we know, had a serious speech impediment. It
didn't stop him from achieving greatness. He succeeded at being a great leader
and a great person. And so can each of us... no matter what impediment may lie
before us.
Charles Harary speaks of 3 prerequisites for
real leadership: First, A Commitment To Truth -
it should be about doing what is right, not what looks good or what everyone
might be doing.
Then, second, it is about being ready to stand
against the whole world - for what's right. Avraham was the first
monotheist and stood firmly in opposition to all of the idol worshippers – to
the world – around him (where the term Ha’ivri (Hebrew), ‘the one who stood on
the other side’, comes from). Moshe too, stood against many, in opposition,
standing up for what was right.
But I wanted to focus on the third one Charles Harary
brings forth: Compassion. A leader must truly care and want to help
others.
We read in the Torah that G-d tested all of the Patriarchs as shepherds to test and train them for leadership. The Midrashim (part of our Oral Torah and tradition) tell of Moshe going to great lengths to find a lost lamb and carrying it back to the flock because it was weak.
We read in the Torah that G-d tested all of the Patriarchs as shepherds to test and train them for leadership. The Midrashim (part of our Oral Torah and tradition) tell of Moshe going to great lengths to find a lost lamb and carrying it back to the flock because it was weak.
Among other reasons that he was chosen to lead the
Israelites: just as he cared about that one small member of his flock, Moshe
cared about each and every Jew and directed his heart and mind the share the
experiences of his fellow Jews. Although he enjoyed the privileges of a palace
upbringing, he empathized with the plight of those Jews who were enslaved. This
quality of concern for others helped make Moshe an outstanding leader.
Rabbi Zelig Pliskin argues
that just as Moshe went out from the luxury of the royal palace to see his
fellow Israelites' suffering; we, too, must "go out" to see and
respond to others' suffering... whether we see ourselves as leaders or not...
It is part of our role in the world to care for and look out for others.
Rabbi Yeruchem Levovitz learns
from this parsha the meaning of true empathy. He draws upon a comment from the
Midrash which Rashi (Rabbi and perhaps the greatest of our Torah commentators,
11th C, France) quotes in this week's parsha: "And it was in those days
that Moshe grew up and went out amongst his brethren and saw their
travails."
Rashi comments that Moshe put "his eyes and heart into
suffering with them." Moshe did not merely observe their distress; rather,
he threw his entire being into understanding the depth of their distress, to
know every tiny detail of it. But, it does not stop here.
The Midrash goes on to say that Moshe put his shoulder
under their load and shared the burden with all his brethren. This was not so
much to help them, says Rabbi Levovitz, since Moshe could only provide a
limited amount of help to such a multitude and for such an overwhelming task.
Rather, he shared in their hard labor so that he could truly share in their
pain, exhaustion and crushed spirit. Then, and only then, could he be truly
empathetic. This is the trait of a true leader.
As our Mishnah in Pirkei Avot (also
from Oral Torah, a beautiful and insightful set of wise words) teaches us,
sharing in another's burden is essential for the acquisition of Torah. It is
fundamental not only for mitzvot between man and man, but between man and G-d
as well.
Since true empathy is essential for Torah, Rabbi Levovitz
states one can't be truly Torah observant if one is derelict in this trait.
Ritual piety without sharing in others' burdens is not Torah observance.
The natural feelings people have cause them to isolate
themselves from others who are suffering., Torah observance is not designed to
provide one with maximum comfort; the Torah requires us to investigate the
depth of other peoples' distress and, as Moshe did, feel along with those who
suffer. This is true empathy.
Moses came to teach us that an essential part of being
Jewish is taking care of those around us. In this light, we can all be leaders.
To end off, it is worth noting that Moses’ empathy was
surpassed only by his modesty perhaps, another trait not entirely unbecoming of
a true leader. As the Torah states, Moshe said to Hashem: "Who
am I, that I should go to Pharaoh . . . " Moshe, as humble as
he was, did not even consider himself worthy of being the deliverer of the
Jewish people.
Thereupon, Hashem answered him
that his very question was proof of how fit he was for the task. Hashem calls
only on those who do not think overly highly of themselves. Thus, as the
Midrash teaches us, of all the mountains, Hashem chose lowly Mt. Sinai as
the place upon which to give the Torah, for while the higher mountains boasted
of their heights, Mt. Sinai remained little in its own eyes. Similarly, since
Moshe remained little in his own eyes, he was worth of leading the Jewish
people.
We all have this potential of leadership within us, and I
believe we shall each realize this in our own ways.
May we learn from our Torah and from Moshe
Rabbeinu, Moses our teacher, how to bring out this potential to
lead. May Hashem strengthen us all to be committed to the truth, to stand up
for what is right and to demonstrate unending love, compassion and empathy
towards those around us. And all this, with a good dose of humility. With this,
we will all lead where we can, in our families and in our communities… and
collectively, the Jewish people can act as role models for everyone.
Shabbat Shalom
Evan Green
Partner and International Project/Programme Manager
Le Groupe-conseil Baastel ltee
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