On Leadership

ByAJWS Staff

AJWS On1Foot

Netivot Shalom, Lech Lecha

Translation	Original
No person is like another. From the day of the creation of Adam and onward, no person can fix this world what is the responsibility of another to fix. Everyone has his or her destiny and assignment in life. [Translated by Rabbis for Human Rights, www.rhr-na.org]	.אינו דומה אדם לאדם מיום בריאת אדם והלאה ואין אדם אחד יכול לתקן מה שעל חברו לתקן היינו שלכל אדם יש לא יעודו ותפקידו אותו ירד לעולם לתקנו כידוע

Suggested Discussion Questions

1. What are the social justice implications of this text?
2. How does this text differ from other texts about social responsibility?
3. Do you relate to this text? Why or why not?

Midrash Tanhuma, Mishpatim 2

Translation	Original
If a person of learning participates in public affairs and serves as judge or arbiter, that person gives stability to the land... But if a person sits in their home and says to themselves, “What have the affairs of society to do with me?... Why should I trouble myself with the people’s voices of protest? Let my soul dwell in peace!”—if one does this, they overthrow the world. [translation by Hazon]	מַלְכָּהּ שֶׁל תּוֹרָה, בְּמִשְׁפָּט שֶׁהוּא עוֹשֵׂה, מַעֲמִיד אֶת הָאָרֶץ... אִם מֵשִׂים אָדָם עַצְמוֹ כִּתְרוּמָה הַזּוּ שְׁמוּשְׁלֶכֵת בְּזָוִיוֹת הַבָּיִת וְאוֹמֵר: מָה לִי בְּטוֹרַח הַצִּבּוּר ?מָה לִי בְּדִינֵיהֶם? מָה לִי לִשְׁמוֹעַ קוֹלָם? שָׁלוֹם עָלֶיךָ נַפְשִׁי! הֲרֵי זֶה מַחֲרִיב אֶת הָעוֹלָם.

Translation

Original

If a person of learning participates in public affairs and serves as judge or arbiter, that person gives stability to the land... But if a person sits in their home and says to themselves, “What have the affairs of society to do with me?... Why should I trouble myself with the people’s voices of protest? Let my soul dwell in peace!”—if one does this, they overthrow the world. [translation by Hazon]

מַלְכָּהּ שֶׁל תּוֹרָה, בְּמִשְׁפָּט שֶׁהוּא עוֹשֵׂה, מַעֲמִיד אֶת הָאָרֶץ... אִם מֵשִׂים אָדָם עַצְמוֹ כִּתְרוּמָה הַזּוּ שְׁמוּשְׁלֶכֵת בְּזָוִיוֹת הַבָּיִת וְאוֹמֵר: מָה לִי בְּטוֹרַח הַצִּבּוּר ?מָה לִי בְּדִינֵיהֶם? מָה לִי לִשְׁמוֹעַ קוֹלָם? שָׁלוֹם עָלֶיךָ נַפְשִׁי! הֲרֵי זֶה מַחֲרִיב אֶת הָעוֹלָם.

Suggested Discussion Questions

1. When do you sit at home when you might stand up and make a difference? Why is it often easier to do so?
2. What does this text say about the relationship between power and responsibility?
3. “Person of learning” refers to those in society who have training, a higher profession, or power of some other kind. This text is specifically speaking to those who are in power in society – and who still have responsibility to act for others. In today’s society, who would you replace “person of learning” with?

"Why We Went," a statement from prison signed by rabbis and Jewish lay leaders, St. Augustine, Florida,1964.

Original
We came because we could not stand idly by our brother’s blood. We had done that too many times before. We have been vocal in our exhortation of others but the idleness of our hands too often revealed an inner silence...we came as Jews who remember the millions of faceless people who stood quietly, watching the smoke rise from Hitler’s crematoria. We came because we know that second only to silence, the greatest danger to man is loss of faith in man’s capacity to act.

Original

We came because we could not stand idly by our brother’s blood. We had done that too many times before. We have been vocal in our exhortation of others but the idleness of our hands too often revealed an inner silence...we came as Jews who remember the millions of faceless people who stood quietly, watching the smoke rise from Hitler’s crematoria. We came because we know that second only to silence, the greatest danger to man is loss of faith in man’s capacity to act.

Suggested Discussion Questions

1. In what way is losing faith in our capacity to act the greatest danger?
2. In what ways are we still standing idly by? In what ways have we done great acts of justice?

"Darkhei Moshe", Parashat Shemot, Rabbi Moshe Chalphon HaCohen, Rabbi of Djerba, Tunis

Translation
MOSHE'S MORAL BRAVERY \| RABBI MOSHE CHALPHON HACOHEN The four actions of Moshe our Leader inform us of his greatness of spirit: full of divine courage, distinguished, who could not bear to see persecution and oppression, and who did all he could to save and redeem others: When he was in the royal palace Moshe went to see with his own eyes the situation of our brothers the house of Israel, And his beating the Egyptian who beat one of our fellow Hebrews, And his rebuke to the evil Hebrew who beat his fellow man, And his saving the seven daughters of the Midianite priest, Yitro (Jethro), from the hand of shepherds and robbers. And from this must every person of wide heart and holy spirit learn to take a stand and save his brothers and sisters from the hand of those who exploit them, especially in those places where our brothers are oppressed and tormented by those of no covenant. Moreover when one of our fellow Jews is exploiting someone else – one cannot turn a blind eye and action must be taken to help and rescue the oppressed. Even when the oppressed person is not of our faith, it is proper that even in such a situation one stand in support of those that are being persecuted, because any oppressor is repulsive to God (Deut. 25:16). And from this we must learn that even when a person is in serenity and security, in peace and comfort in his home, wealth and honor surround him, and his requests are heard by the local government – even then he must not think "Here, I have peace in my home, and what do I care about my brothers or my sisters or indeed the whole world…" A person must also not think to himself: "Perhaps by attending to someone else's issues I will suffer some physical harm or monetary loss, or my status will fall in the eyes of the local government", even quoting the Rabbinical rule that "Your lost object and your peer's lost object – your lost object takes precedence" etc., for only someone who is of an unclean spirit would say such things, firstly because if he does not act to help and save the poor and impoverished – tomorrow or the day after the persecution will arrive at his door – and then it will indeed be his own affliction. And moreover in issues that regard the rule of the land – it is an obligation and a commandment for every person to protest, thus fulfilling the verse: "And you shall purge the evil from your midst" (Deut. 13:6). And whoever turns away from such situations is a despicable lost wretch. In truth, many of our fellow Jews are good-hearted, holy spirits, that will rescue an exploited person from his abuser – but due to our sins we also have no lack of people that only see themselves and their own profit, completely ignoring that which happens to others – as long as they themselves are in peace, while if the issue was relevant to them even by a hairbreadth, they would turn worlds... Rabbi Moshe Chalphon HaCohen, 1874-1950,"Darkhei Moshe", Djerba, Tunis, 19th C [translation by Mishael Zion]

Translation

MOSHE'S MORAL BRAVERY | RABBI MOSHE CHALPHON HACOHEN The four actions of Moshe our Leader inform us of his greatness of spirit: full of divine courage, distinguished, who could not bear to see persecution and oppression, and who did all he could to save and redeem others: When he was in the royal palace Moshe went to see with his own eyes the situation of our brothers the house of Israel, And his beating the Egyptian who beat one of our fellow Hebrews, And his rebuke to the evil Hebrew who beat his fellow man, And his saving the seven daughters of the Midianite priest, Yitro (Jethro), from the hand of shepherds and robbers. And from this must every person of wide heart and holy spirit learn to take a stand and save his brothers and sisters from the hand of those who exploit them, especially in those places where our brothers are oppressed and tormented by those of no covenant. Moreover when one of our fellow Jews is exploiting someone else – one cannot turn a blind eye and action must be taken to help and rescue the oppressed. Even when the oppressed person is not of our faith, it is proper that even in such a situation one stand in support of those that are being persecuted, because any oppressor is repulsive to God (Deut. 25:16). And from this we must learn that even when a person is in serenity and security, in peace and comfort in his home, wealth and honor surround him, and his requests are heard by the local government – even then he must not think "Here, I have peace in my home, and what do I care about my brothers or my sisters or indeed the whole world…" A person must also not think to himself: "Perhaps by attending to someone else's issues I will suffer some physical harm or monetary loss, or my status will fall in the eyes of the local government", even quoting the Rabbinical rule that "Your lost object and your peer's lost object – your lost object takes precedence" etc., for only someone who is of an unclean spirit would say such things, firstly because if he does not act to help and save the poor and impoverished – tomorrow or the day after the persecution will arrive at his door – and then it will indeed be his own affliction. And moreover in issues that regard the rule of the land – it is an obligation and a commandment for every person to protest, thus fulfilling the verse: "And you shall purge the evil from your midst" (Deut. 13:6). And whoever turns away from such situations is a despicable lost wretch. In truth, many of our fellow Jews are good-hearted, holy spirits, that will rescue an exploited person from his abuser – but due to our sins we also have no lack of people that only see themselves and their own profit, completely ignoring that which happens to others – as long as they themselves are in peace, while if the issue was relevant to them even by a hairbreadth, they would turn worlds... Rabbi Moshe Chalphon HaCohen, 1874-1950,"Darkhei Moshe", Djerba, Tunis, 19th C [translation by Mishael Zion]

Golda Meir, Leadership

Original
A leader who doesn't hesitate before sending their nation into battle is not fit to be a leader.

Suggested Discussion Questions

1. Why should a leader hesitate before sending their nation into battle?
2. What qualities are demonstrated by this hesitation? Why are they required for proper leadership?