Don’t Be So Quick to Judge: Leadership and Responsibility
בס”ד ה’ באייר ה’תשפ”ו
As we celebrate Israel’s Independence Day, we should pause and think about the responsibility that comes with speaking on behalf of the Jewish people. Recently, an article was published criticizing Israel after an incident in which a soldier broke a religious statue during operations. I deal with these kinds of issues regularly, and one thing needs to be said clearly: good intentions do not excuse serious mistakes in judgment.
Do Your Homework
The author of that critique wrote that if he had known the military had already dealt with the situation, he would have begun by praising them. But that is exactly the problem. Why publish before checking the facts? When you lead a community that relies on you for accurate information, it is not enough to say, “I didn’t know.”
A simple inquiry to the proper authorities would have made things clear. The matter had already been handled at the highest levels. Working in tandem with military and government oversight, the leadership ensured the situation was addressed with the gravity it deserved. The soldiers involved were immediately investigated, removed from combat, and disciplined. Furthermore, full responsibility was taken to restore the site. Had the author taken the time to check, he could have pointed to our high standards of accountability instead of giving others ammunition to use against us.
Deeds, Not Words
Real leadership isn’t measured by letters or statements to the press; it’s about working internally at the highest levels of law and ethics to make sure we do the right thing. We believe in getting things done properly rather than focusing on public optics.
These corrective actions were already in motion long before that article was printed. If the author hadn’t been so hasty, he could have praised the country for fixing its own mistakes instead of giving our enemies an excuse to attack us.
The Weight of Our Words
Once a statement appears in a major publication, it doesn’t stay local. It gets picked up, quoted, and used in wider circles, including religious and diplomatic ones. The article in question was even distributed by the Vatican. In that world, this is not seen as a healthy internal conversation—it is seen as a voice from within speaking against the nation.
At a time when hostility toward our people is already widespread, those words have consequences. They can make people around the world feel less secure, or cause them to feel more distant from their own identity.
Experience and Reality
It is a wonderful thing when leaders make aliyah and bring their talents to this land. However, there is a reality here—and a level of moral responsibility under which the army operates—that is unique. Even someone who has recently arrived cannot yet understand the true depth and dedication required to navigate these challenges.
Our Sages teach us: “Do not judge your fellow until you have reached his place” (Pirkei Avot 2:4). This is a fundamental requirement for responsible leadership. One cannot truly “reach the place” of those making life-and-death decisions under immense pressure while viewing them from a distance.
The Gemara (Chullin 63b) speaks of the ayah, a bird that can stand in Babylon and spot a carcass in the Land of Israel. To stand thousands of miles away in the Diaspora and manage only to spot the “carcasses”—the faults and mistakes—is a tragic misuse of vision. The bird sees the “dead thing,” but misses the entire living, breathing land in between.
This is why Rabbi Zeira fasted one hundred days upon moving from Babylon to Israel to forget his previous way of learning (Bava Metzia 85a). He understood that the mindsets developed abroad simply do not apply to the reality of the Land. If such a sage felt he had to “unlearn” his past to absorb the truth of this place, how can those who have only just arrived, and certainly those still living across the ocean, presume to judge our moral heartbeat? This depth of dedication cannot be fathomed from afar; it must be lived.
Think Before You Speak
Leadership means thinking about how your words will be used, not just what you intend. What you say can easily become a tool in the hands of people who do not wish us well. That is why it is vital to seek advice and check facts before making public statements of this kind.
I hope we will not see mistakes like this again. May we merit to live here in peace and to see only the good in Jerusalem.
