Reptiles on your back – Shof’tim
Why do we blame our leaders when things go wrong?
Look at the end of the sidra. A dead man is found. No-one knows who has slain him. Officials measure the distance to the nearest town.
Whatever town is nearest to the body, its elders have to wash their hands and say, “Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it done. O God, absolve Your people Israel, and let not guilt for innocent blood remain among Your people Israel.”
The natural response of the reader is, “But why do the elders need to be so apologetic? If a murder occurs, surely it is some criminal element amongst the people that is responsible. Why suspect the leaders?”
The commentators explain: “Perhaps the man who was later found dead had asked for hospitality, and the elders refused to help. Perhaps he sought food, and they left him hungry. Perhaps he was in pain, and they did not want to hear his cry!”
The problem is so modern. Today one of the gravest challenges to society is the widespread disillusionment with leaders. We live in an instant information era; all that a leader does is seen, scrutinised and debated, almost before it happens.
No-one can expect unquestioning applause or adulation just because they hold an office or bear a title. People power will not allow it. It makes life harder for leaders, but it makes for better leadership.
The Torah describes the way Moses consecrated Aaron and his sons to the priesthood. Taking drops of sacrificial blood, Moses “put it on the tip of Aaron’s right ear and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot” (Lev. 8:23).
Of all the parts of the body, why were ear, hand and foot singled out for this ritual?
The first answer that springs to mind is that the kohen’s ears must hear the commands of the Almighty, his hands carry out the Divine will, and his feet walk in God’s ways.
Another insight is offered by the Baal Had’rash V’ha’iyyun who suggests that in putting drops of blood, the symbol of life and vitality, upon the ear, hand and foot, Moses was indicating the qualities required by a good leader.
With an attentive ear, he must be aware of the needs of his people and generation. With an energetic hand, he must act in the people’s interests and dedicate himself to their welfare.
And his foot, the representation of movement, must never stand still but ensure he moves along the path of personal and professional growth and progress.
People power increasingly imposes standards on leaders and insists on knowing why some of those in the public eye fall short of the appropriate standards. It also takes for granted that whatever goes wrong in society, the leader cannot be absolved from blame.
True, it is often unfair to expect the leader to see everything and know how to fix it, but if all the leader can do is to throw up his or her hands in despair and look for excuses elsewhere, that’s not leadership.
Leadership, to adapt a rabbinic phrase, is a basket of reptiles on your back. You may not have put them there yourself, but you cannot merely wait for the basket to slide off of its own accord.
Leadership requires that you use your ear, hand and foot to recognise problems and be capable of initiatives to find a solution.
