89/929 The Great Delegator

Every great leader must delegate, but not every one who delegates is a great leader. Some people delegate out of laziness, or a desire to avoid less desirable jobs. You can recognize them easily, they’re the type of people much less likely to delegate the easiest tasks that get the most press and glory.

A true leader delegates not out of greed, but out of humility, the recognition that there are people who can better do the job. This is the kind of delegating we’ve seen God instruct Moshe over the course of the construction of the Mishkan. For the first 6 chapters of describing the Mishkan, it seems like it will be a one-man show, but gradually, God adds more players- Betzalel, Oholiav, and a whole team of artisans, each of whom contribute their unique talents, using raw materials donated by the entire nation. By the end, the delegating is so thorough that the Torah attests that is Bnei Yisrael as a whole who create the Mishkan, and present it to Moshe…who has ended up not yet doing anything at all!

Now, if Moshe had been the first kind of delegater, he wouldn’t have minded. But he isn’t, so we can imagine that it’s hard for him not to feel left out of this momentous project. According to the Midrash, God steps in with a solution, telling Moshe that if he begins trying to lift the impossibly heavy beams, He’ll make sure the rest takes care of itself. God teaches us a third model of delegating- not out of an inability to do it, but out of the desire to allow space to empower the other. This model of delegating characterizes much of God’s relationship to us, beginning with the invitation to build the Mishkan as an abode for God, and continuing through to the day, 67 years and 1 day ago, that the Jewish people once again rose to accomplish the impossible task of creating a throne for the Almighty in this world.

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This is my own little insight about the 929 chapter of the day, in 300 words or so. But i get extra words for special days…  I’d love to hear your comments and start a conversation

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