Moses and Aaron, Burnt Out Leaders
(Israelnationalnews.com) Parshat Shavua, Torah Portion of the Week, Chukat (Numbers 19:1-22:1.) That was last week in Israel and half of this week's in Chutz L'Aretz, the Diaspora.
At last week's Chukat's Women's Class in my neighborhood, the rabbi, Ya'akov Cohen, asked us why Moshe was denied entrance to the Land of Israel.
è åÇéÌÄ÷ÌÇç îÉùÑÆä àÆú-äÇîÌÇèÌÆä, îÄìÌÄôÀðÅé éÀäåÈä, ëÌÇàÂùÑÆø, öÄåÌÈäåÌ. 9 And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as He commanded him. é åÇéÌÇ÷ÀäÄìåÌ îÉùÑÆä åÀàÇäÂøÉï, àÆú-äÇ÷ÌÈäÈì--àÆì-ôÌÀðÅé äÇñÌÈìÇò; åÇéÌÉàîÆø ìÈäÆí, ùÑÄîÀòåÌ-ðÈà äÇîÌÉøÄéí--äÂîÄï-äÇñÌÆìÇò äÇæÌÆä, ðåÉöÄéà ìÈëÆí îÈéÄí. 10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said unto them: 'Hear now, ye rebels; are we to bring you forth water out of this rock?' éà åÇéÌÈøÆí îÉùÑÆä àÆú-éÈãåÉ, åÇéÌÇêÀ àÆú-äÇñÌÆìÇò áÌÀîÇèÌÅäåÌ--ôÌÇòÂîÈéÄí; åÇéÌÅöÀàåÌ îÇéÄí øÇáÌÄéí, åÇúÌÅùÑÀúÌÀ äÈòÅãÈä åÌáÀòÄéøÈí. {ñ} 11 And Moses lifted up his hand, and smote the rock with his rod twice; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their cattle. {S} éá åÇéÌÉàîÆø éÀäåÈä, àÆì-îÉùÑÆä åÀàÆì-àÇäÂøÉï, éÇòÇï ìÉà-äÆàÁîÇðÀúÌÆí áÌÄé, ìÀäÇ÷ÀãÌÄéùÑÅðÄé ìÀòÅéðÅé áÌÀðÅé éÄùÒÀøÈàÅì--ìÈëÅï, ìÉà úÈáÄéàåÌ àÆú-äÇ÷ÌÈäÈì äÇæÌÆä, àÆì-äÈàÈøÆõ, àÂùÑÆø-ðÈúÇúÌÄé ìÈäÆí. 12 And the LORD said unto Moses and Aaron: 'Because ye believed not in Me, to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.'
Maybe I'm just haunted by my own ignominious end to my EFL teaching career, but all I could picture in my mind was when Moses needed help to hold his hands high during a crucial battle and his silence when Joshua and Caleb debated the other ten spies. Call it burn out!
We all know that Moshe was a very reluctant leader. He fled his people afraid of his power. G-d had to force him to return and bribe him with the promised assistance of his brother Aaron.
Parents, teachers and all others in authority know that if we speak to our charges in anger we will lose them, and their behavior will be worse. Look at the highlighted words I quoted, "you rebels." It was clear that Moshe was at the very end of his energy.
There never was much charisma. Charismatic leaders project a faith and confidence. That's the faith that G-d proclaimed was missing from Moses.
"...ye believed not in Me, to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel..."
Moses didn't state to the people that G-d was providing the water. He didn't use the event to promote faith in G-d.
A tired and bitter Moshe and a weakened Aaron would have been counter-productive and dangerous to Joshua's leadership in conquering the Promised Land. It was necessary to G-d to provide Joshua with the best conditions possible, and that's what He did.
Print