Chief Criterion
Adapted by Channie Koplowitz Stein
(L'iluy nishmat my brother Shmuel ben Avraham Halevi Koplowitz who, although not in a recognized position of leadership, impacted so many others and epitomized so many of the midos highlighted in this shiur.)
Parshat Shemos traces the development of our enslavement and the beginning of our redemption through the birth of Moshe and Hashem's choosing him to be the savior of Bnei Yisroel. Hashem's first interaction with Moshe is at the phenomenon of the burning bush that was not being consumed. The Torah records that Moshe was a shepherd who led the sheep far into the wilderness when an angel of Hashem appeared to him in this strange manner. What needs to be explored, writes Siach Mordechai, Rabbi Mordechai Kokos, is why Hashem chose to wait to appear to Moshe here. After all, Moshe had already shown tremendous self sacrifice in standing up for Bnei Yisroel when he killed the Egyptian slave master and was forced to flee for his life. Why not reveal Himself to Moshe then? Why wait until now?
The verses introducing the dialogue between Hashem and Moshe raise several questions. The first is discussed quite often. Why do we find that so many of our leaders were originally shepherds? What is it about being a shepherd that prepares one for leadership? We will explore multiple approaches to answering this question. The second question is why is going to graze the sheep far into the wilderness to avoid theft, as Rashi contends, so important for proper leadership, asks Rabbi Birnbaumz”l in Bekorei Shemo?
Both Rabbi Gamliel Rabinowitz in Tiv Hatorah and Rabbi Svei z”l in Ruach Eliyahu note that being a shepherd provides time and solitude for meditation and internal contemplation, allowing one to know himself and work on perfecting his midos. In public, one may be afraid of others mocking him for trying to improve, while in solitude he is not distracted by the looks or thoughts others may direct toward him. For this reason, it is important for each of us to carve out some quiet, alone time as we go about our daily lives, adds Rabbi Svei.
But while the shepherd may be distant from human contact, he is hardly alone. He must constantly interact with his charges, the sheep. The medrash about Moshe is quite revealing. Moshe encountered the burning bush while searching for a stray sheep. He found it near some water and realized the sheep had wandered off because it was thirsty. But Moshe revealed further sensitivity and compassion when he understood that the sheep must be tired after its search. Moshe then carried the sheep back to the flock on his shoulders.
Perhaps this sensitivity had also been developed in Hevel, son of Adam and the first shepherd, in contrast to Cain, the farmer dealing with the harsh earth. This may have characterized the difference between the two brothers and influenced Hashem to accept Hevel's sacrifice while ignoring that of Cain, theorizes Rabbi Bick z”l in Chayei Moshe. Perhaps this harshness of dealing with the unresponsive earth also contributed to Cain's harsh response in killing his brother.
When one has compassion on others, one opens the gates of heaven and acts as a conduit for Hashem's compassion to flow down to Bnei Yisroel, writes Rabbi Kluger z”l, the Imrei Shefer. All it takes is one person's sensitivity. The insignificance of Moshe's sensitivity to the sheep is precisely what makes Moshe, and later King David, so fitting to be a leader and a person in power, says Rabbi Yerucham Levovits zt"l. Rabbi Pliskin urges us to observe the discomfort of others even when they do not express any need, either out of a sense of pride or perhaps out of not even understanding what they need.
The Sifsei Chaim, Rabbi Chaim Friedlander z”l, reminds us that one's public, external persona is not necessarily an accurate reflection of his inner essence. Public heroism and acts of chessed may be the result of external influences. One can truly gauge the character of another only when one catches him in the actions of his private moments, when nobody is watching. Moshe's heroism in smiting the Egyptian, although not meant to be in the public eye, was nevertheless on a public stage. But his sensitivity to an insignificant lamb in no man's land bore witness to his innate compassion. Does someone pray and observe mitzvoth with his heart, with fervor and passion or, while being meticulous in every particular of halacha, his observance is all rote. We can't minimize the importance of the small actions, whether in choosing a teacher or finding a shidduch, for it is only in the seeming insignificant and almost unobservable details that we see the true measures of a person's midos.
When tragedy strikes an individual or a family, we all become compassionate, we all give tzedakah and try to help, observes Siach Mordechai. But how many of us simply don't notice those who are struggling with personal, financial or emotional (or even spiritual) issues but who are not in the public eye and do not ask for help? How many reach out to these lonely souls or struggling poor on the fringes of society and try to help them, raise their spirits, or validate them as human beings?
Leaders often chair major campaigns. Jewish leaders often start with the small things and remain humbly in the background. A Jewish leader, writes Rabbi Zaichik z”l in Ohr Chodosh, is not afraid to admit a mistake or to ask forgiveness and take responsibility. It was this quality that Yaakov saw in Yehudah who publicly admitted that he was the father in Tamar's pregnancy. It was Yehudah who took responsibility for the sale of Yosef and then protected Binyamin. Yehudah had the qualities necessary for leadership. This was the quality Hashem saw in Moshe, a compassion for the other, whether for sheep or for people, writes Rabbi Yosef Salant z”l in Be'er Yosef.
Finally, a great Jewish leader must be careful not to usurp the property of others. That is why it was important that Moshe take the sheep far from the property of others, lest the sheep trespass, graze and "steal" the grass of another. [Moshe's painstaking honesty can be further exemplified in his accounting of every shekel donated to the Mishkan, searching for the source of a discrepancy and finding the missing silver in the silver hooks. Contrast this by observing so many modern day leaders who use their power to amass wealth and consolidate power at the expense of their constituents, usurping money meant for their benefit. CKS] The Tosher Rebbe z”l explains that one who is careful about not stealing, will recognize that Hashem is the Master of the world, and will not try and lord over others with arrogance.
In a masterful essay in Reflections of the Rav, Rabbi Besdin z”l explains that all sinning derives from a form of thievery. Everything we have, not only our possessions, but our very faculties and physical existence, are all gifts God allows us to use in His service. Every time we recite a blessing, as we do each morning for so many gifts, we acknowledge His sovereignty and "ownership" over all we are and all we have. When we transgress, we are misusing that which He has lent us, thereby "stealing" from Him and denying His sovereignty. This was the sin of Adam. Adam could accept that Hashem was the Creator, but he was unwilling to accept that God still ruled all, that he, Adam, must submit to God's will. When Adam ate of the forbidden fruit, he committed the first sin ofgezel/thievery. It was this sin that sealed his fate, as well as the fate of the generation of the flood, and would have sealed the fate of the residents of Nineveh, had they not repented.
Rabbi Birnbaum provides us with simple examples of how careful we must be with the property of others. Are we wasteful of the paper towels provided at different facilities? Are we careful not to abuse the supplies at our place of employment? Equally important, are we using the opportunities presented to us to help others and inspire others as parents or as teachers to the extent that we are able, asks the Tosher Rebbe z”l. If we fail to prepare our lessons adequately and take our responsibilities seriously, we are stealing this teachable moment from our children or from our students. This moment will never come again.
We are all leaders in some way with the ability to help and to influence others, whether within a small or a large circle. We must learn from our great role models of leadership to interact with others with sensitivity, humility, and absolute honesty, for if we do not, we are stealing the great blessings and gifts Hashem has bestowed upon us.