Longing for value leadership in the face of unfamiliar challenges - Compass or paddle

The Parasha in the everyday life -Parashot Matot - Masei

Rabbi Eliezer Shenvald – 5780

The signing of Sefer Bamidbar with the Parashot of Pinchas, Matot and Masei is a sign of the change of leadership and preparations for the long-awaited entry into the Land of Israel. A period of dramatic change for the people of Israel: from people who lived in the desert for forty years in a miraculous way to people who establish their kingdom in their land the natural way. In the Parasha of Pinchas we read about the commandment to transfer the leadership of the people from Moshe to Yehoshua. Parashat Matot opens with a special command to the heads of the tribes: וַיְדַבֵּ֤ר מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶל־רָאשֵׁ֣י הַמַּטּ֔וֹת לִבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר זֶ֣ה הַדָּבָ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֖ר צִוָּ֥ה ה'׃ אִישׁ֩ כִּֽי־יִדֹּ֨ר נֶ֜דֶר לַֽה' אֽוֹ־הִשָּׁ֤בַע שְׁבֻעָה֙ לֶאְסֹ֤ר אִסָּר֙ עַל־נַפְשׁ֔וֹ לֹ֥א יַחֵ֖ל דְּבָר֑וֹ כְּכָל־הַיֹּצֵ֥א מִפִּ֖יו יַעֲשֶֽׂה׃ "Moshe spoke to the heads of the Israelite tribes, saying: This is what Hashem has commanded: If a man makes a vow to Hashem or takes an oath imposing an obligation on himself, he shall not break his pledge; he must carry out all that has crossed his lips". (Bamidbar 30:2-3)

Who were the heads of the Israelite tribes? וראשי המטות לבני ישראל הם נשיאי הדגלים שהעמידו אותם המטות על דגליהם אחר שמתו נחשון בן עמינדב וחבריו ואפשר שהיו הנזכרים בפרשת הנחלה אלה שמות האנשים אשר ינחלו לכם את הארץ (להלן לד יז) או שהיו אחרים כי שם ידבר הכתוב על העתיד כי בעת חלוק הארץ יהיו הנזכרים חיים ויעמדו עליהם. "And the heads of the Israelite tribes are the heads of the divisions who took charge after Nachshon ben Aminadav and his friends died. And it is possible they were the ones mentioned when the land was portioned: אֵ֚לֶּה שְׁמ֣וֹת הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֔ים אֲשֶׁר־יִנְחֲל֥וּ לָכֶ֖ם אֶת־הָאָ֑רֶץ "These are the names of the men through whom the land shall be apportioned for you" (Ibid 34:17). Or maybe there were others, because the Scripture mentions the future, and when they divide the land they will be alive and there". (Ramban ibid) That is, it is the intermediate leadership of the children of Israel, the heads of the tribes. These will be the 'leaders of tomorrow' who will lead them at the entrance to the land to fulfill the destiny of the people of Israel in the Land of Israel. The command to the leaders of the tribes was on the "portion dealing with oaths" and the fulfillment of promises. The commentators asked: צריך לדעת מה נשתנית מצוה זו שפרט בה הכתוב ראשי המטות What is so different about this commandment that Moshe assembled the chiefs of the tribes to inform them of it and that they in turn were to tell the Israelites? (Or HaChaim on Bamidbar 30:2) Even though, they are commanded to lead the people also in relation to the observance of the rest of the commandments of the Torah: "After commanding Yehoshua and warning him about Israel, speak also to the leaders of the tribes to lead Israel in a straight path to keep their vows that they vowed before G-d, etc. Needless to say, what G-d decreed for them that they should do, not to steal and not to rob and the rest of His commandments, etc." (Bekhor Shor Bamidbar 30:2)

But there is also a special matter that links leadership to the sanctity of speech ((דיבור דבר אחד לדור ואין שני דברין לדור "There must be one clear and authoritative leader for the generation, and there may not be two or more leaders for the generation". (Sanhedrin 8a). Speech is the most important tool through which leadership takes place as well as the leadership and the public discourse. The discourse must be conducted with truth and faith in the sense of 'whatever comes out of his mouth will do'. It is not for nothing that there are special assessments by the leadership prior to entering the Land of Israel. This is a complex leadership challenge. Dealing with a new and unfamiliar reality and leading the people to make changes and adapt to the new situation. Accordingly, Moshe Rabbeinu requests that his successor be a leader אֲשֶׁר־יֵצֵ֣א לִפְנֵיהֶ֗ם וַאֲשֶׁ֤ר יָבֹא֙ לִפְנֵיהֶ֔ם וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר יוֹצִיאֵ֖ם וַאֲשֶׁ֣ר יְבִיאֵ֑ם "who shall go out before them and come in before them, and who shall take them out and bring them in" (Bamidbar 27:17) לֹא כְדֶרֶךְ מַלְכֵי הָאֻמּוֹת שֶׁיּוֹשְׁבִים בְּבָתֵּיהֶם וּמְשַׁלְּחִין אֶת חַיָּלוֹתֵיהֶם לַמִּלְחָמָה, אֶלָּא כְּמוֹ שֶׁעָשִׂיתִי אֲנִי, ... יוֹצֵא בָּרֹאשׁ וְנִכְנָס בָּרֹאשׁ "not as is the way of the kings of the nations who sit at home and send their armies to battle, but as “I” have done… went out at their head, and came in at their head" (Rashi ibid).

In a short sentence, Moshe folded some leadership qualities needed to deal with the expected leadership challenges. The first one should be a leader who unlike the 'kings who sit at home' and are only preoccupied with themselves and are removed from their people, does 'come out at front' together with the people and is connected to them all the time. And even in difficult times of war he is there with the people, with the same difficulties. And thus, he also feels them, their hardships, distresses and does not ignore them. A leader who is up front and outlines the direction. And knows how to look out to the future and understand where to lead the ship. He is not only a 'paddle' that gives the people the means to act but in times of unknown challenges he is a 'compass' that steers the ship in the right direction. אִ֖ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־ר֣וּחַ בּ֑וֹ an inspired man (Bamidbar 27:18). כַּאֲשֶׁר שָׁאַלְתָּ, שֶׁיּוּכַל לַהֲלֹךְ כְּנֶגֶד רוּחוֹ שֶׁל כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד A man in whom there is spirit — As you requested; someone able to deal with the character of each one. (Rashi ibid) שיהא הולך עם הקפדנים כפי דעתן ועם המתונים כפי דעתן A man who goes in opinion with the stricter as well as with the more moderate. (Sifri Zuta Piska 27)

In one of the lamentations on the 9th of Av, we lament the destruction of the Torah leadership during the destruction of the Temple: תּוֹרָה תּוֹרָה חִגְרִי שַׂק וְהִתְפַּלְּשִׁי בֲַּפָרִים אֵבֶל יָחִיד עֲשִׂי לָךְ מִסְפַּד תַּמְרוּרִים עַל תּוֹפְשֵׂי מָשׁוֹטַּיִךְ וּפוֹרְשֵׂי מִכְמוֹרִים מַלָּחַיִךְ וְחוֹבְלַיִךְ בְּמַיִם אַדִּירִים עוֹרְכֵי מַעֲרָכֵךְ מְיַשְּׁרֵי הֲדוּרִים מְפַעְנחֵי צְפוּנַיִךְ וּמְגַלֵּי מִסְתּוֹרִים "Torah, Torah, put on sackcloth and strew dust on yourselves! Mourn, as for an only child. Those holding oars and spread out meshes, your sailors and your captains in the majestic waters. For the making valuations, to those straightening hills, decipher treasures which are concealed and uncover hideaways". About leaders who are like oars and those who are sailors who have the 'compass' who led the ship in 'majestic waters' and sea crises.

The change in the entry into the Land of Israel also requires a change in the hierarchy of the leadership. The camp in Israel in the desert was concentrated in a limited area: מַחֲנֵה יִשְׂרָאֵל כַּמָּה הָוֵי — תְּלָתָא פַּרְסֵי "How large is the camp of Israel? It is three parasangs." (Berakhot 54b) Its size was three Parasa (parasang) by three - (aprox. twelve kilometers by only twelve kilometers). In such a deployment it is still possible to maintain a centralized leadership that gives its place to the heads of the tribes. However, when the people of Israel settle in the Land of Israel and are spread out and scattered among the tribes over a vast area, it will not be possible to lead them centrally and it will be necessary to lead them in a distributed format. The sub-leaders - the heads of the tribes will have a very important role there. We are amid change towards an unknown future, because of the Corona crisis. Yesterday's leaders are dealing with 'paddles'. The public longs for the 'tomorrow' leaders who 'come out up front, with a 'compass', who know how to foresee the future and chart the direction. Ethical leaders who live with the public and know its hardships.