Lesson #1: A True leader acts by example
R' Yisrael of Ruzhin said:
When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world.
I found it was difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation.
When I found I couldn't change the nation, I began to focus on my town.
I couldn't change the town and as an older man, I tried to change my family.
Now, as an old man, I realize the only thing I can change is myself, and suddenly I realize that if long ago I had changed myself, I could have made an impact on my family.
My family and I could have made an impact on our town.
Their impact could have changed the nation and I could indeed have changed the world.”
(א) פרק ג: בביאור חלקי הזהירות --
(ז) והבן כמה נפלא המאמר האמיתי הזה למי שמעמיק להבין בו. כי הנה חושך הלילה שני מיני טעיות אפשר לו שיגרום לעין האדם: או יכסה את העין עד שלא יראה מה שלפניו כלל, או שיטעה אותו עד שיראה עמוד כאילו הוא אדם, ואדם כאילו הוא עמוד כן חומריות וגשמיות העולם הזה, הנה הוא חושך הלילה לעין השכל, וגורם לו שתי טעויות: האחת אינו מניח לו שיראה המכשולות שבדרכי העולם, ונמצאים הפתאים הולכים לבטח ונופלים ואובדים מבלי שהגיעם פחד תחלה. והוא מה שאמר הכתוב (משלי ד): דרך רשעים כאפלה לא ידעו במה יכשלו, ואומר (שם כב): ערום ראה רעה ונסתר ופתיים עברו ונענשו, ואומר (שם יד): וכסיל מתעבר ובוטח, כי לבם בריא להם כאולם, ונופלים טרם ידעו מהמכשול כלל. והטעות השניה והיא קשה מן הראשונה היא שמטעה ראייתם עד שרואים הרע כאלו הוא ממש טוב, והטוב כאילו הוא רע, ומתוך כך מתחזקים ומחזיקים מעשיהם הרעים. כי אין די שחסרה מהם ראיית האמת לראות הרעה אשר נגד פניהם, אלא שנראה להם למצוא ראיות גדולות ונסיונות מוכיחים לסברותיהם הרעות ולדעותיהם הכוזבות, וזאת היא הרעה הגדולה המלפפתם ומביאתם אל באר שחת. והוא מה שאמר הכתוב (ישעיה ו): השמן לב העם הזה ואזניו הכבד ועיניו השע פן וגו', וכל זה מפני היותם תחת החושך וכבושים המה תחת ממשלת יצרם. אך אותם שכבר יצאו מן המאסר הזה, הם רואים האמת לאמיתו ויכולים ליעץ שאר בני אדם עליו.
(ח) הא למה זה דומה? לגן המבוכה, הוא הגן הנטוע לצחוק, הידוע אצל השרים, שהנטיעות עשויות כתלים כתלים, וביניהם שבילים רבים נבוכים ומעורבים, כולם דומים זה לזה, והתכלית בם הוא להגיע אל אכסדרה אחת שבאמצעם. ואמנם השבילים האלה מהם ישרים ומגיעים באמת אל האכסדרה, ומהם משגים את האדם ומרחיקים אותו ממנה. ואמנם ההולך בין השבילים הוא לא יוכל לראות ולדעת כלל אם הוא בשביל האמיתי או בכוזב, כי כולם שוים ואין הפרש ביניהם לעין הרואה אותם, אם לא שידע הדרך בבקיאות וטביעות עין שכבר נכנס בם והגיע אל התכלית שהוא האכסדרה. והנה העומד כבר על האכסדרה הוא רואה כל הדרכים לפניו ומבחין בין האמתיים והכוזבים, והוא יוכל להזהיר את ההולכים בם, לומר: זה הדרך לכו בו! והנה, מי שירצה להאמין לו, יגיע למקום המיועד. ומי שלא ירצה להאמין וירצה ללכת אחר עיניו, ודאי שישאר אובד ולא יגיע אליו.
(ט) כן הדבר הזה: מי שעדיין לא משל ביצרו, הוא בתוך השבילים, לא יוכל להבחין ביניהם. אך המושלים ביצרם שכבר הגיעו אל האכסדרה, שכבר יצאו מן השבילים וראו כל הדרכים לעיניהם בברור, הם יכולים ליעץ למי שירצה לשמוע, ואליהם צריכים אנו להאמין.
(י) ואמנם מה היא העצה שהם נותנים לנו? בואו חשבון, בואו ונחשב חשבונו של עולם, כי כבר הם ניסו וראו וידעו שזה לבדו הוא הדרך האמיתי להגיע האדם אל הטובה אשר הוא מבקש ולא זולת זה.
(יא) כללו של דבר, צריך האדם להיות מתבונן בשכלו תמיד בכל זמן ובזמן קבוע לו בהתבודדו, מה הוא הדרך האמיתי לפי חק התורה שהאדם צריך לילך בו. ואחר כך יבוא להתבונן על מעשיו אם הם על הדרך הזה אם לא, כי על ידי זה ודאי שיהיה לו נקל לטהר מכל רע וליישר כל דרכיו. וכמו שהכתוב אומר (משלי ד): פלס מעגל רגליך וכל דרכיך יכונו, ואומר (איכה ג): נחפשה דרכינו ונחקורה ונשובה עד ה'.
CHAPTER III: CONCERNING THE DIVISIONS OF WATCHFULNESS --
(7) For the darkness of night can cause two types of errors in relation to a man's eye: it may either cover his eye so that he does not see what is before him at all, or it may deceive him so that a pillar appears to him as a man, or a man as a pillar...
(8) To what is this analogous? To a garden-maze, a type of garden common among the ruling class, which is planted for the sake of amusement. The plants there are arranged in walls between which are found many confusing and interlacing paths, all similar to one another, the purpose of the whole being to challenge one to reach a portico in their midst. Some of the paths are straight ones which lead directly to the portico, but some cause one to stray, and to wander from it. The walker between the paths has no way of seeing or knowing whether he is on the true or the false path; for they are all similar, presenting no difference whatsoever to the observing eye. He will not reach his goal unless he has perfect familiarity and visual acquaintance with the paths through his having traversed them and reached the portico. He who occupies a commanding position in the portico, however, sees all of the paths before him and can discriminate between the true and the false ones. He is in a position to warn those who walk upon them and to tell them, "This is the path; take it!" He who is willing to believe him will reach the designated spot; but he who is not willing to believe him, but would rather trust to his eyes, will certainly remain lost and fail to reach it.
Towards a Meaningful Life- Chapter 20- Leadeership
A true leader must be a living example of his teaching. When we see that a leader's personal life embodies his philosophy, we too are inspired to learn and practice that philosophy. Conversely, if we see that a leader does not live by his own words, we cannot trust him.
It is useless for a leader to be a visionary in the abstract. He must be a successful communicator whose vision can be translated into specific applicable principles not knowledge for the sake of knowledge but knowledge that can actually help improve the world
University of Cincinnati President Santa Ono has once again turned down his yearly bonus, this time asking that his $200,000 bonus instead be given to 14 scholarships and charities. Ono, who has been president since late 2012, has rejected his annual bonus each of the three full years that he's led the school. This year, he asked that $10,000 be given to the family of Cincinnati Police Officer Sony Kim, who was shot and killed last week in the line of duty."
This may sound crazy, but it's hard for us when someone turns down a raise," Board President Tom Humes said. "But we've learned that the way to satisfy President Ono is to give him the ability to help others. It's not to help him. We heartily endorse his decision."
Lesson #2- A leader helps us believe
Napolean Bonaparte
A true leader is a dealer of hope
Towards a Meaningful Life- Chapter 20- Leadership
A true leader shakes people from the reverie and tells them "No, you don't need to live a life of desperation and confusion. Yes you do have the ability to find meaning in your life and the unique skills to fulfill that meaning. You are an important link in the chain of generationa path. You have a legacy worth preserving and a future worth fighting for"
Lesson #3: Leadership is earned, no bought
Towards a Meaningful Life- Chapter 20- Leadership
A true leader does not seek followers; he want to teach others how to be leaders. He does not want control, he wants the truth. He does not impose his leadership on others; nor does he take anyone else's autonomy. He inspires by love not coercion; when it comes time to take credit, he makes himself invisible but is the first to arrive at a time of need and he will never shrink away in fear. He is so passionate about your welfare that when you consult him for guidance, is like coming face to face with yourself for the first time.
אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק למה נמשלו דברי תורה כעץ שנאמר (משלי ג, יח) עץ חיים היא למחזיקים בה לומר לך מה עץ קטן מדליק את הגדול אף תלמידי חכמים קטנים מחדדים את הגדולים והיינו דאמר ר' חנינא הרבה למדתי מרבותי ומחבירי יותר מרבותי ומתלמידי יותר מכולן
I have learned a lot from my teachers, and even more. from my friends. But from my students I have learned the most
(א) בן זומא אומר:איזהו מכֻבד? המכבד את הבריות, שנאמר: (שמואל א ב ל): "כי מכבדי אכבד ובזי יקלו".
(1) Ben Zoma says: Who is honored? He who honors the created beings, as it says, "For those who honor Me, I will honor; and those who despise Me will be held in little esteem" (I Samuel 2:30).
Rabbi Jacob ben Asher, the Baal HaTurim (Spain, 1269-1340)
Why is Moses' name absent from Parshat Tezave. The Ba'al Haturim gives two possible explanations. The first one is:
In next week’s parsha, when the Children of Israel worship the golden calf and God is so angry he wants to destroy them, Moses comes to their defense and says that if God won’t forgive their sin, “then erase me, please, from this book which You’ve written.” (Ex. 32:32) Well, God does forgive them, but he erases Moses’ name from our parsha anyway, as a punishment, to teach Moses that you shouldn’t curse yourself - because it might just work!
Lesson #4: Every Jew a General- A Leader Makes Leaders
Rabbi Noach Weinberg
In the fall of 2001, when violence erupted after the Palestinian abandonment of the Oslo peace process, Israel found itself facing a terror war at home and a propaganda war abroad. The front lines of this vicious battle for the public mind were, in many instances, university campuses. Witnessing firsthand the violence on the Temple Mount from the Aish HaTorah yeshiva in the Old City of Jerusalem, the Rosh Yeshiva urged his students to put aside a portion of time each day to think about what they could do to help Israel and the Jewish people.
This was the inspiration for the creation of the Hasbara Fellowships, an Israel activism training program for North American university students, started in 2001 by Rabbi Elliot Mathias, a student of the Rosh Yeshiva.
While varied in their means and goals, each movement was united by a single principle: the Jewish people have a responsibility to be a light unto the nations and, nowadays, a light unto ourselves.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe
in 1950, the first talk he gave upon assuming leadership of the lubavitcher movement, the Rebbe address the very issue of his leadership: '"our faith demands that everyone must do good on his own and not depend on his Rebbe. Don't deceive yourselves into thinking that I will lead and you engage only in singing songs and toasting l'chaim and that that will be enough. Each of you has your own load, your own battle. I do not decline from helping but nothing even heaven can replace personal responsibility
Lessons on Leadership from Rabbi Noach Weinberg
1. There is no hierarchy to taking responsibility.
2. To truly make a difference, you need to care. That means you need to cry.
3. Nothing can be accomplished without God's help. But we need to take responsibility in order to get God's help.
Lesson #5- The Leader Cares About Each Individual
אמר הקדוש ברוך הוא: יש לך רחמים לנהוג צאנו של בשר ודם, כך, חייך! אתה תרעה צאני ישראל. הוי, ומשה היה רועה:
Our teachers have said: Once, while Moses our Teacher was tending [his father-in-law] Yitro’s sheep, one of the sheep ran away. Moses ran after it until it reached a small, shaded place. There, the lamb came across a pool and began to drink. As Moses approached the lamb, he said, “I did not know you ran away because you were thirsty. You are so exhausted!” He then put the lamb on his shoulders and carried him back. The Holy One said, “Since you tend the sheep of human beings with such overwhelming love - by your life, I swear you shall be the shepherd of My sheep, Israel.”...
Lesson #6: Lead
באתר דלית גבר תמן הוי גבר
In a place where there is no leader, strive to be a leader.
Towards a Meaningful Life- Chapter 20- Leadership
It is true that not everyone can be a leader like Moses. But every person no matter how uneducated or poor has something to teach the wisest and richest among no one is incapable of being a leader
In some way and no one is exempt from this responsibility; you may think that you a not a "born leader", but why, then, were you created. Each of us has been given unique strength and ability; we have the choice to use them selfishly or to share them with others.
whatever you have learned, whatever you have been touched by, you must share with others. You cannot waste time wondering if you're truly equipped to help your fellow man. When someone is drowning, you don't take a life-saving course, you jump in the water and save a life.
So examine the areas in your life where people look to you as a leader- within your family, in your class, at school, at work or at play- ask yourself are you doing everything you can to influence them positively? Are you using all your abilities to inspire them intellectually, emotionally and spiritually? Are you helping them live up to their true potential so they can become leaders in their own right?
One leader creates another and another ad infinitum, just as one candle flame lights another and another until the once impenetrable darkness has turned to brilliant light