Why I Love The Jewish Concept of Leadership

Why I Love The Jewish Concept of Leadership

I have spoken about this before, but in my daily Gemara learning, I found this pearl of wisdom in Masechet Chulin 4b:

The ruler who listens to and responds to false words and ideas (or others or his or her own); his supporters and followers will be evil; the ruler who listens to truth, his supporters and followers will be righteous.

It’s all about role models! And here we find ourselves in a time of history where our technological and scientific know how is so advanced and our human actions are being continually diminished and compromised in increasingly horrifying ways. So, we look to our leaders….

When those leaders teach that they can circumvent the consequences of the law they are elected and vow to uphold, what do we expect from those who serve and support them? When our leaders speak using offensive language, maligning entire groups of people, and showing blatant disrespect and disregard for the humanity of others, what do we expect from those who agree with them? Worse, what are our children witnessing as “acceptable behavior” and even admirable behavior in getting ahead in this world? What does this dangerous “new norm” look like? Not that it is in fact new, it’s just that those leaders we have looked to in the past for some integrity and some standards of correctitude have joined those we spoke against in circumventing the very parameters of the law and standards of conduct which make these countries, including the United States of America and Israel so special. I am particularly saddened by one leader, for whom I once had great respect and who has done so much in the past for humanity and for a special country based on the foundational teachings of its law – and the more recent actions of that particular leader.

This embracing of power for power’s sake is having an impact that is changing the tone of our own country to be sure, and is contributing to the malaise and complete dejection of an entire generation of young adults who themselves are being validated for not listening or seeing those around them and allowing self-absorption to take over and blind self-awareness. In so doing they are acting no less “appropriate” than what they see on any news feed available 24/7 regarding real time behavior of present leadership in too many instances.

In Jewish law there are many correctives to avoid this from happening. Teachers are responsible for what they misteach to their students and actions that result from such; leaders are to exemplify the behavior they are instructed to display given God’s instructions; and the King is actually instructed in Devarim/Deuteronomy (chapter 17) to write a Torah and keep it by his side. That law is to be read constantly in looped formation annually to the entire assemblage and the leader is as responsible to its dictates as the rank and file of the population. Why?

Because, as we learn in Masechet Chulin, evil and misguided leaders will be followed by and responsible for creating the same amongst their followers. Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks teaches that a leader is as great as those who follow that leader and do what that leader exemplifies in their actions. It works both ways, thus good leaders will inspire good people and vice versa. Sadly, it is this second option so operative in our times.

I continue to be baffled and try not to get too dejected by the irresponsible behavior in broad daylight by those who are looked to as examples. It used to be that we worried about the entertainment or sports figures that our children wanted to emulate who showed poor judgement and lack of respect for others at least and absolute abuse and disregard at worst. Now, we see this in our heads of state, our lawyers, our clergy, and others – just too many of those in front of whom a microphone is placed or who have an audience. They outshout, they use inappropriate language, they are smug, they completely disregard law, moral standards, and simply display the worst degree of narcissistic behavior – in short, behaving evil and modelling it for all to see. No wonder too many of our young adults are in such crisis.

For those of us who agree in communal accountability, in acting according to the notion that God created all of us, and that there is a shared responsibility for our planet, for each other, for those less fortunate in our society and that we are all here only because of those who have tried to preserve, to honor and to respect, let us commit to understand that OUR ACTIONS MATTER. OUR WORDS MATTER. And further, we need to show by example, that we are holding those who act otherwise, accountable and that these actions in broad daylight or otherwise simply ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE by any standards.