Leadership

 

   "Let HaShem, the G-d of spirits of all flesh"

(Numbers 27:16)

Tammuz 18, 5783/July 7, 2023

Leadership! Good leadership! Righteous leadership! Where has it gone? We are suffering today from a tragic dearth of good leadership, of good leaders, that is, leaders that truly see themselves as servants of their people, not to mention servants of HaShem. Leaders who seek not what is good for them, but what is good for the people they are leading, shepherds who tend faithfully to their flock. Leaders who stand before power and do not bow down. Leaders who seize the moment in times of chaos. Leaders with vision, who see the future. Leaders with courage who demand only what is just. Leaders who see to a righteous successor. Leaders who know when to step down and leaders who know when to take hold of the reigns. This week's Torah reading, parashat Pinchas, is a primer in righteous leadership, showcasing a panoply of true and righteous leaders.

Pinchas, of course, was the hero of the day, having struck down Zimri ben Salu and his Midianite consort, Cozbi bat Zur, (themselves vested with positions of leadership), who, by example, were seeking to plunge Israel into a whirlpool of decadence. By taking bold and independent action when others were stunned, silently witnessing the debauchery before them, Pinchas rescued Israel from oblivion. It was G-d Himself, who endorsed Pinchas' unprecedented zealotry for HaShem's honor, and his swift and clear headed action. "I hereby give him My covenant of peace," says HaShem concerning Pinchas, and, of course, the "eternal covenant of kehunah." (Numbers 25:12-13) As a further sign that Pinchas' act of leadership was sincere and without self aggrandizement, he readily accepted his new role as kohen and stepped back out of the limelight just as swiftly as he had stepped into it.

In the census that follows, registering the Israelites who will soon be entering into the land of Canaan, and their ancestry, we come across the atypical mention of two women: "The name of Amram's wife was Yocheved the daughter of Levi, whom her mother had borne to Levi in Egypt. She bore to Amram, Aharon, Moshe, and their sister Miriam." (ibid 26:59) Midrash teaches us that the two Hebrew midwives, Puah and Shifrah, who stood up to Pharaoh's demand to kill the newborn Hebrew males upon birth, were none other than Miriam and Yocheved. Needless to say that our story would have ended in Egypt were it not for their righteous and fantastically courageous refusal to follow the orders of the most powerful human on earth. There is no greater leadership than that of those who care nothing for their status in life, risking their own lives to save the lives of others, and by doing so, saving an entire people from oblivion. Their righteousness, too, was recognized and rewarded by G-d: "G-d benefited the midwives, and the people multiplied and became very strong." (Exodus 1:20)

Miriam played yet another essential role in Israel's survival and redemption: again, according to Midrash, Miriam convinced her parents, who had separated in response to Pharaoh's edict to throw all the infant Hebrew males into the Nile, to reunite, producing the baby Moshe. Miriam recognized at once that the infant would one day be Israel's redeemer, and watched over him, even as he was placed in a basket upon the Nile, to insure his well being. Without Miriam we would not have Moshe, and Israel would not have had a future. To see the future today and to act towards making it a reality tomorrow is a selfless and oft times lonely display of true leadership. Miriam's reward was her merit, by which Israel would be blessed for forty years in the wilderness with Be'er Miriam - Miram's Well - a source of living waters that followed Israel throughout her desert wanderings.

The five daughters of Tzelophehad, Machlah, Noa, Choglah, Milcah, and Tirtzah, step out of anonymity and humbly but boldly come before Moshe and the entire assembly of Israel, at the entrance to the Tabernacle, with one simple demand: "Give us a portion [in the land] along with our father's brothers." (Numbers 27:4) The five sisters had lit upon an injustice that had seemingly even escaped that all-seeing gaze of HaShem! Theri father dead, and having no brothers, they were in danger of losing their father's inheritance. Certainly their case wasn't unique, and they were speaking not just for themselves, but for all their brotherless sisters till the end of time. They stood upright and spoke straightforward and to the point, without artifice or pretense. It couldn't have been easy to take center stage and place such a challenge before Moshe, who had to consult with G-d to receive an answer to their demand. Not only did HaShem accommodate the sisters' plea, He amended the law of the Torah, itself, providing a positive solution to their dilemma. To have the courage of your convictions and to seek redress before the highest authority in heaven and on earth, is nothing, if not an act of leadership. "Tzelophehad's daughters speak justly!" (ibid 27:7) HaShem told Moshe. Imagine that on your résumé!

Immediately after answering the daughters of Tzelophehad, HaShem reminds Moshe that his time has come: "Go up to this mount Avarim and look at the land that I have given to the children of Israel. And when you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, just as Aharon your brother was gathered."(ibid 27:12-13) Moshe, whose hopes of entering into the land of Canaan were crushed, nevertheless did not demur, even for a second. Knowing when to step down requires a true spirit of selfless leadership. Moshe was spared this painful decision, as it was HaShem who commanded him to step down. But Moshe followed up with a request to G-d which only a true, utterly righteous leader whose only concern is for the good of his people, would voice: "Let HaShem, the G-d of spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation, who will go forth before them and come before them, who will lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of HaShem will not be like sheep without a shepherd." (ibid 27:16-17) Stepping down when it is time and ensuring that a proper leader will take his place once he is gone may have been Moshe's finest, if unsung moment of selfless concern for his people, a final act of principled and virtuous leadership.

The closing act of leadership showcased in parashat Pinchas is that of Yehoshua, who humbly accepted his new role as Moshe's successor, without flourish or fanfare. He would lead Israel into Canaan, and oversee their conquest and apportionment of the land, before passing on his role of leadership, just as his predecessor Moshe had done with him.

Leadership, righteous leadership, comes in all flavors and from all places, often unexpected and unsought for. But the definition of true, inspired leadership remains constant: selfless dedication and service to the people, total faith and trust in HaShem, love of truth and justice, a vision and a path for the people, the ability to act boldly when boldness is called for, to be fearless in the face of calamity, and to always conduct yourself with humility. May we today merit such righteous leaders!

https://templeinstitute.org/3-weeks-and-the-holy-temple/ … very interesting