55/929 When A Leader Must Stand Alone

So deeply does Moshe internalize God’s message of accountability to the people from last chapter that he actually takes God to task at the end of chapter 5 for being the cause of their suffering. But here the Torah is sounding an important note of counterbalance to that message.

As the chapter opens, Rashi points out that Moshe and Aharon, who had been surrounded by all of the community elders, now walk alone to stand before Pharaoh. This, too, is a necessary element of leadership. Being too sensitive to the people’s pain can lead to a loss of priorities. The immediacy of suffering blurs long-distance vision, focusing one’s sight short-range, on the fastest, most direct way to stop it. This attitude is exactly what every despot is aiming at and counting on.

“Why should Moshe and Aharon disturb the people from their work? Go back to your suffering!”

Why capitulate to Pharaoh? Because at a certain point of exhaustion, the pain is so great that Pharaoh’s solution becomes a twisted kind of win-win. Everyone gets what they want- we stop hurting, and Pharaoh gets his slaves.

This voice of exhaustion can be heard in the throats of good, normal, people who just want to live good lives, in the midst of every extended conflict. And it can be heard from the great leaders who most deeply feel the pain of their people, as do the Jewish officers in Egypt who are beaten defending Jewish slaves.

There will come a time when their sacrifice will be rewarded and their brand of leadership will be needed. But when the conditions for peace and quiet are defined by an oppressive leader, giving in to those conditions is in reality serving him, not serving the people. This is the point at which a leader needs to be willing to stand alone, even against his own people, on their behalf.

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My own little daily 929 insight, in 300 words or so. What’s 929? A near-impossible challenge of consistency. A song of Jewish unity. A beautiful project worth checking out. Learn more at 929.org.il