Asking all generations: What makes a leader?
As my wife and I spent our last Shabbat in Yerushalayim before returning to the United States for the summer, conversations in both Israel and America kept returning to the same urgent question: what makes a leader?
In America, the discussion centers on President Donald Trump. In Israel, with elections expected in October and existential challenges on every front, it centers on Prime Minister Netanyahu. Both men are unquestionably leaders, yet both are also lightning rods, loved and hated with unusual intensity. Their examples force us to ask not only what makes a leader, but what makes a Jewish leader.
The end of last week’s parsha, Balak, and the beginning of this week’s, parshat Pinchas, describe the heroic act of Pinchas ben Elazar, grandson of Aharon. As a child learning these parshiyot with Rashi, I saw him as a superhero — while a plague was devastating B’nei Yisrael, Pinchas acted decisively, stopped the plague, and restored Hashem’s honor. For this he was rewarded with Kehuna and Shalom. At first glance, he seems like the obvious model of leadership.
Yet Rashi and Chazal teach that the matter is more complex. Pinchas acted properly, but as a kanai, a zealot. Zealotry can be necessary and even holy, but it is dangerous and difficult to distinguish from violence unless guided by Divine sanction. That is why Hashem Himself had to defend Pinchas before the people.
The Midrashim connect Pinchas with Eliyahu, another great zealot who will one day herald the arrival of Moshiach. Both are pivotal and consequential, but neither is presented as the national leader. Zealotry may save a moment; leadership must sustain a people.
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To understand Jewish leadership, one must look at three distinct personalities, all of whom shared the same three basic attributes, that best served Am Yisrael at their time.
First, of course, Moshe Rabenu, the most important leader of the Jewish people, leading us out of Mitzrayim, through 40 contentious years in the desert. Forever our teacher, who enabled us to hear Hashem speak to us directly.
Second is Yehoshua, who accepted the mantle from his teacher and mentor Moshe, and led B’nei Yisrael in battle to successfully conquer and settle Eretz Canaan and rename it Eretz Yisrael.
Third is David HaMelech, sweet singer of Israel, fierce warrior and the first to completely unite the Jewish people in our homeland, Eretz Yisrael. This gave him the right to be father of Melech HaMoshiach.
And what three attributes did they all share?
We read that in the final pasuk of last week’s haftara from the navi Micha,6:8:
What does Hashem seek from you: only the performance of justice, the love of kindness, and walking humbly with your G-d
1) Justice: A leader can act justly only if grounded in Torah. Moshe received Torah directly from Hashem; Yehoshua never departed from Moshe’s tent; and David HaMelech remained connected to Torah even while leading the nation in battle.
2) Love of Kindness: Moshe’s leadership begins with empathy for a suffering Jew and continues with repeated pleas for Hashem to forgive B’nei Yisrael. Yehoshua, even after the sin of Achan, addresses him gently as “my son” and urges him toward confession and teshuva. David too shows kindness repeatedly, most notably by sparing Shaul and later protecting Mephiboshet, Shaul’s descendant, despite the political risk.
3) Humility: Moshe is described as the most humble man on earth. Yehoshua remains faithfully at Moshe’s side and never seeks honor for himself. David credits Hashem for his success, accepts rebuke from Natan with the words chatati,” and is willing to humble himself publicly for the glory of Hashem.
This is what we should look for in a leader.
Micha teaches that Hashem seeks these qualities from all of us, not only from those who lead. In Israel I have met countless young men and women who display justice, kindness and humility.
Our future leaders are out there; we as a people must strive to be worthy of them.
Shabbat Shalom.
Write: Columnist@TheJewishStar.com
