When you think of our current world leaders, does the word humility pop into your mind? Why do you believe individuals choose to place themselves in a position of having to deal with the problems that beset humanity? Is there such a thing as calling?
In parasha Shemot, Moshe is introduced as an individual who is born into a house of Levi even after Pharoah has decreed the death of all Israelite males. The words that pop out from the text are his mother’s reaction to his birth. “She saw him, that he was good.” Certainly mothers love their new infants, but they might be more inclined to talk about how precious they are, rather than how good they are. According to Rashi, the goodness referred to the fact that when Moses was born the entire house became filled with light. The words in Shemot are seen as a reference to the creation of light in Bereishit. When G-d saw the light and said that it was good. Other interpretations suggest that the light was a sign that G-d would protect this child when placed in a basket in the water.
Moshe is indeed placed in the water, rescued by the Pharoah’s daughter, returned to his mother to be nursed, and then finally returned to the Pharoah’s daughter who adopted him. We do not learn any more about his upbringing. In the next scene he is a grown man witnessing an Egyptian striking a Hebrew man. The text makes a point of saying that he was one of his own brethren. Why would an individual raised in the lap of luxury identify with the downtrodden nation being afflicted by the very household in which he grew up? It is this very quality that helps make Moshe a good candidate for leadership. He has the ability to empathize with those who are oppressed in society. Of course the story goes on and Moses intervenes to help the slave by killing the Egyptian when no one is looking. Midrash states that Moses didn’t actually strike the Egyptian, he merely uttered the Holy Name in order to kill the evil Egyptian. The very next day Moses goes out and sees two Hebrew slaves fighting with one another. Moses asks the wicked one, “Why would you strike your fellow?” The response frightens Moses, because the wicked one asks, “Do you want to murder us as you murdered the Egyptian?” Doesn’t it seem strange that just one day earlier his actions were seemingly unnoticed by others? “One commentator suggests that the Hebrew who challenged Moses on the second day was the same he had saved from a beating the day before!” If that’s the case, then as Rabbi Harold Kushner points out, “Moses has just learned his first lesson, to be repeated often in the ensuing years, about the ingratitude of people he has set out to help.”
When Moses flees Egypt and goes to Midian he spends his days tending the flocks of Yitro, who has become his father-in-law. Why does Torah place Moses as a shepherd in the wilderness? Commentary suggests that it was the righteous who often used to be shepherds because they could be apart from other men and therefore away from the sins of talebearing, jealousy and hatred. Perhaps you also remember the midrash about Moses realizing that one of his flock was lost and how he returned to rescue the sheep. He found the little lamb drinking at a watering hole near a shady spot. Realizing that it must have been exhausted, he picked her up and carried her back to the flock over his shoulders. The point of that midrash is to emphasize Moshe’s compassion, another quality needed for leadership.
Even though Moses has shown his empathy for the suffering of the Israelites, he still does not see himself as qualified for returning to the land of Egypt to ask Pharoah to free the Israelites from bondage. When confronted with the message of G-d at the burning bush he replies by stating, “Who am I that I should go to Pharoah and that I should take the Children of Israel out of Egypt.” He does not admit that he is adequate to meet the challenge. Hence, G-d’s response: “I will be with you.” It is G-d’s promise that makes Moses willing to accept the call.
When I think about Moses, he doesn’t quite meet the criteria of today’s leaders. He was not an orator. He did not promote his abilities to lead nor even expect others to believe him when he would say that HaShem appeared to him to bring the Israelites forth from Egypt. He seemed to lack the outward confidence that so many of today’s leaders portray. Yet, in many ways, he had the essential makeup of a good leader. He was humble, able to see pain and suffering and was willing to take action to alleviate it. He was not one who merely used words to make others think he cared about the injustices found in the world. His “seeing” lead him to positive actions. And in the end, he was not just kind and generous, he was willing turn aside from his comfortable path in order to act. He indeed was a faithful shepherd who was fit to tend to the needs of his people. The tests for leadership that Moses passed were provided by the unjust individuals he met in Egypt and by the weak animals that he protected in Midian. The first test was about being able to stand up to adversaries. The second test was about being a positive leader. Moses’ selection by G-d was due to his ability to pass both tests.
No comments:
Post a Comment