Shabbat Shalom!
This week we read from the portion Va’eira, the second portion in the book of Exodus.
His people faced destruction. They sent out a baby boy, placing him in a box, to ensure his survival. He grew up to be a hero, a savior, able to achieve feats that no ordinary man could do.
He had powers and a “connection” that none that preceded him had. Was this Moses… or Superman? It could be either. Superman was drawn by two Jewish boys, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, who based the character on Moses.
They wanted to portray the “ultimate” hero. A hero represents the qualities that people admire and aspire towards. A hero is the kind of person that people want to look up to and respect as a leader. If we look at the heroes and superheroes of different cultures, we can learn much about those cultures.
An outsider, looking in might see that the ultimate hero today is the athlete. Let’s take the modern American superhero. S/He is tall, handsome, physically powerful, and s/he possesses outstanding fighting skills. The current form of superhero is his/her own boss. S/He radiates tremendous power and presence. On occasion, s/he even possesses superpowers. And even his/her alter-ego that conceals the secret identity is impressive. S/He is always financially comfortable and pursues a fairly high-powered career.
While this is taken to an extreme for children’s superheroes, it is also true in the adult world. Franklin Roosevelt was never photographed in a wheelchair. Many a politician’s success can certainly be attributed in part to his great physical presence.
(In a Dilbert cartoon, the boss introduces a new employee with the words, “He possesses no qualifications or training, but he’s very tall, so we know he’ll go far. He also has executive-style hair; we think it will turn silver.”)
Nowadays, presidential campaigns are very much showmanship. The candidates must be good-looking, well spoken, and have a commanding presence. And their alter-egos—their lives before they became president—must also be impressive, involving high-powered careers, affluence, and preferably a famous family.
Is Judaism entirely different? Actually, no. But it is subtly different, and that subtle difference is profound. There are four types of hero or leadership positions in Judaism: the king, the members of the Sanhedrin (council of sages), the high priest, and the prophet.
The Talmud (Tractate Nedarim 38a) states that the Divine spirit only rests on a person who is powerful, wealthy, wise, and humble. We can appreciate the importance of wisdom and humility in a prophet, but why does he have to be powerful and wealthy?
Maimonides, one of the leading Torah scholars of the Middle Ages, explains this with a principle discussed in a Mishnah which states, “Who is mighty? He that subdues his evil inclination. Who is wealthy? He that is satisfied with his lot.”
The power and wealth spoken of are internal, spiritual attributes, rather than brute strength and heaps of money. However, this explanation does not appear to be the straightforward meaning of the Talmud’s list of requirements. We are still faced with the question of why physical power and material wealth are prerequisites for becoming a prophet.
Unfortunately, human nature seems to dictate that Anyone who is sick, or poor, or generally looked down upon by society would lack credibility as a prophet. Perhaps he’s pretending to do it out of insanity or to gain attention—after all, he’s got nothing to lose. While I have great difficulty with this sentiment – we must remember the day and age in which it was penned. The requirement for a prophet to be healthy and wealthy is simply to ensure that people take him seriously as a person of stature.
A similar reason applies to the laws of appointing a king. Maimonides rules that one may not appoint a butcher, hairdresser, bathhouse attendant or the like as a king. (for all those now excluded – I apologize!) This is not because such people are innately unsuitable for the task; Judaism cares more for internal qualities than superficial prestige. However, since the work of such people is not prestigious, the public will not take them seriously and their authority will be compromised. The requirement is based on a pragmatic outlook, rather than being an attestation to the importance of a high-powered career.
Yet, arguably the greatest leader of all time, indeed the greatest person, the real superman, was Moses. It’s interesting that his title is very different from that of other great men. There was Richard the Lionheart, William the Conqueror, and Conan the Destroyer. But Moses is called “Moshe Rabbeinu—Moses, our Teacher.”
His greatness, aside from his humility, is reflected in his teaching wisdom to his people. Yet Moses himself lacked what is perhaps the most important quality for a leadership candidate today: good oratory skills. The Bible tells us that he had a speech impediment! This would be devastating to anyone trying to run for the presidency today. But with Moses, it ensured that he would be followed on the basis of the truth of his words, rather than the panache with which he said them.
In today’s age of mass media, image is all-important. Judaism, too, sees it as important; but only insofar as a concession to human shortsightedness. Let us try never to forget that it is inner spiritual qualities that are the real superpowers.
Our greatest heroes are, like Moses – our teachers – that includes those who instruct us in our formative years – it also includes our parents, grandparents and the leaders of our people over history. “The students and the teachers of Torah bring peace to the world” -
Shabbat Shalom!
Tonight, at your Shabbat Table, ask each other the following:
- What are the qualities of a “good leader?”
- Name some “leaders” in history or in the life of your kids that they admire and consider to be good “role models.”
- How can we each be a bit more like “Moses” in our day to day lives?
