Our son just returned from
participating in a Model U.N. program sponsored by Yeshiva University involving
approximately twenty Jewish Day schools from across North and South America. He
and his team had spent the past two months preparing position papers on a
variety of issues including the cannibalization of Africa’s natural resources,
concerns over water shortages, drought and immigration. The two-day convention was an exercise in the hard work of becoming a community. The process
of becoming a community occurs on the micro-level (each school/each country),
and on a macro level (building consensus among the delegates for the numerous
position papers that need to be voted upon and ratified. Whether in the micro
or macro sense, individuals have to come together for a common cause and purpose-based upon their own volition and desire.
In
this week’s Parsha, Yitro, we read two distinct narratives. In the first half
of the Parsha, Moshe brings B’nai Yisroel to Midian. While there, Moshe spends
a little time with his wife, his two sons and his father-in-law Yitro. Yitro
acknowledges that G-d has been protective of B’nai Yisroel and that the Lord is
greater than all other gods. The next day, Yitro sees Moshe sitting from
morning to night mediating all problems that arise between individuals within
the community. Yitro sees that his son-in-law is overextended and the current
method of governing is neither good for him or Amchah. Being both a Priest of
Midian as well as his father-in-law, Yitro offers advice as a father as well as
a community leader. The second part of the Parshah, from chapters 19 through 20,
tells of B’nai Yisroel’s revelation at Sinai.
The Parshah concludes with God’s declaration of the Aseret Dibrot, the
Ten Commandments.
As
Moshe’s father-in-law, as a leader of his community; Yitro makes an awe-inspiring suggestion. Because the revelation at Sinai occurs later, the
suggestion often gets overlooked yet the message goes to the fabric of the type
of community Moshe and God aspire to build. Yitro suggests to Moshe “You be a representative of God, and you convey the matters to God…you
shall make known to them the path in which they should go and deeds they should
do. You shall discern from among the entire people, men of accomplishment, men
of truth, men who despise money. You shall appoint them as leaders of
thousands…they shall judge the people at all times, and they shall bring every
major matter to you, and every minor matter they shall judge, and it will be
eased for you, and they shall bear with you. If you do this thing and God shall command you, then you will be able
to endure, and this entire people, as well, should arrive at its destination in
peace.” (Ex. 18:19-23) Yitro explains to Moshe that a community must
have a shared vision. To some degree, people need to know how to seek G-d on
their own, and how to behave within a community. Others need to know G-d’s ways
in order to inform those who need advice and adjudication. Everyone must have
access to G-d and G-d’s teaching. Only then will Moshe’s load be lightened
enough to bear. Only then will Amchah have a stake in the relationship with G-d
and enter into a partnership with God. Only then, when confronted with the
revelation at Sinai, amid the smoke and the fire and the thunder and lightning
will the nation accept God’s covenant “the entire people responded together
and said, ‘everything that God has spoken we will do!’”(Ex 19:8). Only
then will Moshe and B’nai Yisroel arrive at its destination, in peace as a
unified community. Only then can this community uphold their role as a “priest
to the nations”.
Yitro
understood and explained to his son in law, Moshe, that nature of true
leadership. True leadership, based upon the sacred, the good, and for the
public welfare is not the leadership of the despot and the dictator. True
leadership, based upon the sacred, the good and the public welfare does not
lead the people to the leader but rather towards something greater, more
important and sacred. From Yitro’s perspective, Moshe's purpose, his mission, was to create a
legal system whereby he could lead his people towards adherence to God, God’s laws,
and covenant. That system was based upon
transmitting and teaching the law, choosing judges with integrity and could not
be corrupted, and creating an environment where the law, God’s covenant was
relevant to the entire community and not to only certain members of the
community. For our son and his Model U.N. peers, they learned how and why a community
with so many divergent opinions and interests is able to come together. They
are able to come together when they recognize common needs for themselves and
their children. Those common needs have nothing to do with the leader but
rather something far greater and far more sacred
Peace,
Rav Yitz
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