Breaking News: G-d Told Him to Step Down!

This week, G-d A-lmighty himself came to him and said: “The era of your leadership is over! It’s time for you to go and pass the torch to the next generation.”

Wait… why do I feel like you are giving me these strange looks? Oh my goodness! Do you think I am about to discuss politics? Of course not! I am just talking about this week’s Parsha!!

The “Alter Rebbe,” Rabbi Schneur Zalman, the founder of Chabad Chassidism, suggested that we “live” with the weekly Parsha. Every week, we should study and pay attention to the Torah portion of that week, as if it was breaking news. And by pure divine providence, this week we learn in the Parsha about the change of leadership —from Moshe (Moses) to Yehoshua (Joshua).

So yes, reading the breaking news about the leadership changes in the world’s largest democracy, made me think about this week’s Parsha. And no, I am not about to discuss politics whatsoever, only to focus on the Parsha and the lessons we can apply in our lives.

When I think of Moshe, “servant leadership” comes to mind. As the Harvard website explains, “Servant leadership theory, which dates to the 1970s, argues that leaders have a duty to focus primarily on meeting their subordinates’ needs rather than on their own or those of the organization.”

Thousands of years before the servant leadership theory, Moshe was a perfect example of a servant leader. He always prioritized his people over himself. Even a quick look at our Parsha, describing what Moshe was occupied with in his last days on earth, tells you that story.

“Go up to Mount Abarim,” G-d is instructing Moshe, as this is going to be his last destination and his resting place as well. Moshe is acutely aware that these are his last days, but before he goes, he has one final request from G-d:

Take good care of my people.

“Let the L-rd, the G-d of spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation! (May it be a devoted person) who will go forth before them and come before them, who will lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the L-rd will not be like sheep without a shepherd!”

In response, G-d is commanding Moshe to appoint Yehoshua as the next leader of the Jewish people.

The Torah is filled with many other similar examples. Time and again, Moshe cares for his flock, and when needed he is willing to risk his legacy to save the Jewish people.

But Moshe had another element that the servant leadership theory neglects to focus on: he was not only a servant of his people, but he was called—by G-d himself!—a “servant of G-d.” We can easily see how the two are connected: being a totally-devoted servant of G-d had a direct impact on him being a totally-devoted servant of the people.

Because he loved G-d, and he loved the people that G-d created.

Now, the question is: can we be like Moshe? Can we strive to reach the level of his devotion to G-d and his people? Can we be servant leaders?

To answer that, let me quote another profound saying by the first Rebbe of Chabad:

“Everyone has some of Moshe inside them.”