When Leaders Err

The Torah’s wording in describing the sin offering to be brought by a leader indicates that it is inevitable that leaders will make mistakes, and we are fortunate when we have leaders who take accountability for them.

In this week’s parsha, we learn about the sin offering, which was brought only in the case of inadvertent sins. The Torah uses the word eem, to say that “if” the Kohen Gadol, a single individual, or the Sanhedrin sin accidentally they must bring a sin offering.

In describing the sin offering of the nasi, the leader of the people, the Torah uses the word asher to say that “when” a leader sins, he must bring a sin offering. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks wrote that inadvertent sinning is possible for the Kohen Gadol, the Sanhedrin, or a single individual. It is inevitable for a leader.

Rashi explains the word asher in the context of the sin offering of the nasi as ashrei – fortunate. “Fortunate is the generation whose ruler sets his heart to bring atonement for his unintentional sin, all the more so that he has regrets over his intentional sins.”

Why is it inevitable that leaders will sin and that we are fortunate when they take accountability for their mistakes?

The decisions facing a leader are often difficult. They can have very positive results for some people and very negative ones for others. The impact of those decisions can be felt for years to come.

The current Israeli government has to decide whether to agree to a cease fire with Hamas and to exchange imprisoned Palestinian terrorists for the hostages.

Many of the families of the hostages and much of the population is understandably demanding that the government agree to such a deal claiming, quite possibly correctly, that failure to do so would be a death sentence for the remaining hostages. It is the responsibility of the government to do what must be done to bring the hostages home.

But the government has a responsibility to the people of Israel as a whole. A cease fire would leave a weakened but still formidable Hamas in power in Gaza. The release of hundreds of mass murderers will endanger the public. Success in securing the release of their comrades can encourage Hamas to take more hostages. A deal may save the hostages today, but it can set the stage for future October 7 style massacres in the future.

I recently attended a convention where a leading Rabbi was asked whether the government, from a halachic perspective, should agree to a hostage deal. He replied by presenting both sides of the argument and saying that he would like to add another blessing to the Birkhot Hashachar, thanking G-d for not making him Prime Minister.

It is because the decisions leaders make are difficult and their consequences can be long lasting and devastating that it is important for leaders take accountability for and correct their mistakes.

Simchat Torah 5784 – October 7, 2023, was one of the worst days in the modern history of the Jewish people. It was a massive failure of the government, national security, and intelligence authorities.

Following the Bay of Pigs, a failed attempt by American backed rebels to overthrow the Cuban government of Fidel Castro, President John F. Kennedy said, “victory has a thousand fathers, defeat is an orphan.” Had the operation been successful there would have been no end to the number of people taking credit. When it failed, President Kennedy took full responsibility. By doing so he got the American people to rally around him. When the far more serious confrontation with the Soviet Union over Cuba, the Cuban Missile Crisis, took place, President Kennedy managed it with great success. Taking responsibility for failures and changing the course when necessary are keys to successful leadership.

There are many people who failed in the upper echelons of the Israeli government and national security authorities. The signs that Hamas was up to something were clearly visible. They were ignored, as the government took its eye off the ball, while promoting a controversial judicial reform proposal. Benjamin Netanyahu is the Prime Minister. The buck stops with him. To regain the confidence of the Israeli people he needed to hold himself accountable. Till this day, he has failed to do so.

But Netanyahu is far from the only politician who has failed to take accountability. Opposition leaders, particularly Yair Lapid, incited much of the public, by not only opposing the policies of the government but by proclaiming that the government was illegitimate. This helped lead to “demonstrations,” where traffic was blocked, fires were set, and property was vandalized. Reservists in the IDF threatened not to report for reserve duty.

Sadly, some of our Rabbinical leaders have also failed. By demonizing the very government that exempts their followers from military service, while funding their institutions, and subsidizing their families, they have been tone deaf to the Chilul Hashem they have caused. The spectacle of supposed Bnei Torah vandalizing public property was a disgrace. Our Rabbinical leaders need to make clear that such behavior is unacceptable and that those who engage in it will face consequences.

Captured documents show that Hamas saw the internal strife in Israel, decided that Israel was coming apart at the seams and that the time was ripe for them to attack.

In the wake of the October 7 massacre, Israel came together. It was in many ways our finest hour. But over the last few weeks, the hateful rhetoric and violence have returned. Everyone has the right to demonstrate. No one has the right to block traffic, set fires, vandalize property, or bang drums at midnight in a residential neighborhood.

Both the Gemara and the historian Josephus wrote that internecine fighting in our own ranks caused the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash and the Diaspora.

In a few days we will once again relive the experience of the Exodus from Egypt by celebrating Pesach. Shortly after the Exodus, Amalek attacked us at Rephidim. In his commentary, the Kli Yakar wrote that when there was peace among the people of Israel Amalek was powerless. Fighting in our own ranks created the opportunity for Amalek to attack.

As we face the Amalek of today, we need to realize that fighting among ourselves empowers our enemies. Our leaders need to take accountability for their mistakes, tone down their rhetoric, and work together for the common good. So do the rest of us.