(ב) וילינו [וַיִּלּ֜וֹנוּ] כָּל־עֲדַ֧ת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל עַל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה וְעַֽל־אַהֲרֹ֖ן בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃ (ג) וַיֹּאמְר֨וּ אֲלֵהֶ֜ם בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל מִֽי־יִתֵּ֨ן מוּתֵ֤נוּ בְיַד־יְהוָה֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם בְּשִׁבְתֵּ֙נוּ֙ עַל־סִ֣יר הַבָּשָׂ֔ר בְּאָכְלֵ֥נוּ לֶ֖חֶם לָשֹׂ֑בַע כִּֽי־הוֹצֵאתֶ֤ם אֹתָ֙נוּ֙ אֶל־הַמִּדְבָּ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה לְהָמִ֛ית אֶת־כָּל־הַקָּהָ֥ל הַזֶּ֖ה בָּרָעָֽב׃ (ס)
(2) In the wilderness, the whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. (3) The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots, when we ate our fill of bread! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to starve this whole congregation to death.”
(מד) וְקִדַּשְׁתִּ֛י אֶת־אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵ֖ד וְאֶת־הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַ וְאֶת־אַהֲרֹ֧ן וְאֶת־בָּנָ֛יו אֲקַדֵּ֖שׁ לְכַהֵ֥ן לִֽי׃ (מה) וְשָׁ֣כַנְתִּ֔י בְּת֖וֹךְ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְהָיִ֥יתִי לָהֶ֖ם לֵאלֹהִֽים׃ (מו) וְיָדְע֗וּ כִּ֣י אֲנִ֤י יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹ֣הֵיהֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֨ר הוֹצֵ֧אתִי אֹתָ֛ם מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם לְשָׁכְנִ֣י בְתוֹכָ֑ם אֲנִ֖י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיהֶֽם׃ (פ)
(44) I will sanctify the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and I will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve Me as priests. (45) I will abide among the Israelites, and I will be their God. (46) And they shall know that I the LORD am their God, who brought them out from the land of Egypt that I might abide among them, I the LORD their God.
Arguably the biggest organizational change in Jewish history occurred at the Exodus, followed by a change process that lasted for forty years. In his book, The Change Problem and Its Solution, John P. Kotter outlines an eight step process of change, and the corresponding eight common errors made when instituting change:
1. Establishing a sense of urgency vs. Allowing too much complacency
2. Creating the guiding coalition vs. Failing to create a sufficiently powerful guiding coalition
3. Developing a vision and strategy vs. Underestimating the power of vision
4. Communicating the change vision vs. Undercommunicating the vision
5. Empowering broad-based action vs. Permitting obstacles to block the new vision
6. Generating short-term wins vs. Failing to create short-term wins
7. Consolidating gains and producing more change vs. Declaring victory too soon
8. Anchoring new approaches in the culture vs. Neglecting to anchor changes firmly in the corporate culture
A. Consider the story of the Exodus and wandering in the desert as a whole. How are the steps of the process of change reflected in that story, in both positive and negative ways?
B. Kotter also says that “[w]henever human communities are forced to adjust to shifting conditions, pain is ever present,” and "…People will not make sacrifices, even if they are unhappy with the status quo, unless the think the potential benefits of change are attractive and unless they really believe that a transformation is possible." What are the sources of pain in Ex. 16:2-3? Do the Israelites believe that transformation is possible?
C. Ex. 29:46 is the first mention of "I led you out of Egypt to be your God." Do you think this is God's "vision statement" for the organizational change of the Exodus? Do we think God and Moses have formed a clear enough vision and communicated it effectively to enact lasting change?
1. Establishing a sense of urgency vs. Allowing too much complacency
2. Creating the guiding coalition vs. Failing to create a sufficiently powerful guiding coalition
3. Developing a vision and strategy vs. Underestimating the power of vision
4. Communicating the change vision vs. Undercommunicating the vision
5. Empowering broad-based action vs. Permitting obstacles to block the new vision
6. Generating short-term wins vs. Failing to create short-term wins
7. Consolidating gains and producing more change vs. Declaring victory too soon
8. Anchoring new approaches in the culture vs. Neglecting to anchor changes firmly in the corporate culture
A. Consider the story of the Exodus and wandering in the desert as a whole. How are the steps of the process of change reflected in that story, in both positive and negative ways?
B. Kotter also says that “[w]henever human communities are forced to adjust to shifting conditions, pain is ever present,” and "…People will not make sacrifices, even if they are unhappy with the status quo, unless the think the potential benefits of change are attractive and unless they really believe that a transformation is possible." What are the sources of pain in Ex. 16:2-3? Do the Israelites believe that transformation is possible?
C. Ex. 29:46 is the first mention of "I led you out of Egypt to be your God." Do you think this is God's "vision statement" for the organizational change of the Exodus? Do we think God and Moses have formed a clear enough vision and communicated it effectively to enact lasting change?