Chumash Devarim starts with Moshe Rabeinu’s speech(es) to his people, as he prepares to hand over the leadership to Jehoshua, his long-time main assistant.
He mentions how, in the distant past he already suggested decentralized leadership for Am Yisrael. We read tomorrow in the first chapter, verse 13:
יג. הָב֣וּ לָ֠כֶ֠ם אֲנָשִׁ֨ים חֲכָמִ֧ים וּנְבֹנִ֛ים וִֽידֻעִ֖ים לְשִׁבְטֵיכֶ֑ם וַֽאֲשִׂימֵ֖ם בְּרָֽאשֵׁיכֶֽם
I have seen three translations of the verse above:
1. Prepare yourselves to appoint men who are wise, understanding, and known among your tribes. I will appoint them as your heads.
2. Pick from each of your tribes individuals who are wise, discerning, and experienced, and I will appoint them as your heads.
3. Get you, from each one of your tribes, wise men, and understanding, and full of knowledge, and I will make them heads over you..
Perhaps we can read here something we notice quite often: Wisdom doesn’t always go together with (human) understanding….
Moshe Rabeinu describes the leadership qualification as wise & understanding. This is extremely important and often overlooked (even where leaders are elected democratically)
Some of the world leaders are wise – but miss basic understanding of their people’s needs. Others are understanding but fail the wisdom test… (Not to mention world leaders who fail on both criteria….)
This applies to any position we hold. In any position we hold—family, community, or otherwise—we must try to maintain a balance of using wisdom & understanding – in order to succeed.
Good Shabbos
Rabbi Chaim Michael Biberfeld shelito
