Rabbi's Musings

On this election day it is useful to consider the Jewish view of leadership. The basic takeaway is that being a leader is not an enviable position. Joseph in Egypt died before his older brothers and his position as second in command probably had something to do with this fate. This view may explain why Jewish tradition counsels at first saying no when asked to assume a leadership position. Think about Moses, trying to talk God into asking someone else for the role of leading the Israelites to freedom.

During the Roman period, the ancient rabbis cautioned against the ruling authorities, presumably Rome, but maybe their own leaders as well. Leaders are necessary of course, but the best are the ones who don’t want the job.

As the years passed and the Jewish communities were led by the parnas, or community leader, they developed the saying that a community gets the leader it deserves, which can be understood in many ways.

Whether the leader was a king, priest, prophet, rabbi, or businessperson, this general rule of perspective applies: Jewish leaders serve God and their communities.

The prophet Jeremiah (9:23-24) defined this perspective thus:
This is what the Eternal says:

“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom
or the strong boast of their strength
or the rich boast of their riches,
but let the one who boasts boast about this:
that they have the understanding to know Me,
that I am the Eternal, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight,”
declares the Eternal.

Personally, I believe that all of us can exercise leadership in how we think, behave, and the attitude of cautious optimism that can make even politics still be the art of the possible.