english VAYAKHEL PEKUDEI 2013
VOICES OF A LEADER
Andrius Caesar, of Rome, once challenged Rabbi Yehoshua, son of Hannanyah, a very wise rabbi who was close to him: “I am better than Moshe, your teacher and leader, for I am alive, and he is dead. And it says in your Torah, in Kohelet כי לכלב חי הוא טוב מן האריה המת – A live dog is better than a dead lion. (Kohelet 9 ; 4) R’ Yehoshua asked the Caesar in return , “If you were to decree that your people light no fire for three days, would they obey?” The Caesar responded – “Yes, of course”. And so he decreed.
The first night after his decree , they both climbed up to the rooftop of the Roman castle. They looked around Rome, as far as the eye could see, and there was no light. Then, suddenly, they saw smoke in the distance. R’ Yehoshua asked the Caesar, “What is this smoke coming up out of that chimney in the distance?” The Caesar answered, “The general of the city fell ill, and the doctor went to examine him. The doctor said that this general needs to drink hot water to get better. They lit fire to heat up the water.” R’ Yehoshua answered the Caesar, “Even while you are still alive, your people do not keep your decrees. They disobey your command even for reasons that are not פיקוח נפש , not a life and death issue. Even on the first day of your decree, one of your generals has disobeyed your words. From the time that Moshe, my leader and teacher, taught us in his Torah לא תבערו אש בכל משבתיכם ביום השבת “a fire shall not burn in your dwellings on the day of Shabbat”, (Shemot 35 ;3) no Jew, during his whole life, lights a fire on Shabbat. Moshe’s decree was not annulled. How do you say, then, that you are better than him? (Kohelet Rabbah 9; 3)
Just a few questions here. First, Caesar’s argument was based on Kohelet. If he is alive, he is better than Moshe, who is dead. How did R’ Yehoshua refute this? Second, were there no non-observant Jews who did not keep Shabbat over the years and did not listen to Moshe? And finally, why did R’ Yehoshua pick this law, specifically, out of all the laws that Moshe gave his people in order to prove his point?
The answers can be understood on two levels. The first level is the basic difference between Moshe and Caesar’s roles as leaders. The difference between Moshe’s rule and the Caesar’s rule is that in addition to Moshe having been our leader, he was also our beloved teacher. Caesar was just a leader in the form of a dictator who gave orders. Moshe’s teachings are eternal, he is still our leader and teacher, and therefore, he is still alive in the minds of his people. The words of Moshe are taken very seriously, and his words still echo in the thoughts of the nation, as they have done for thousands of years, because Moshe knew how to be the greatest leader ever. Once a week Moshe’s people hear him say, just as he did thousands of years ago; “A fire shall not burn in your dwellings on the day of Shabbat.” The reason why R’ Yehoshua specifically chose this law regarding fire on Shabbat is because this law is one of the most inconvenient laws to live by; it effects our lives the most. For instance, lighting up a dark room, heating our homes in the winter, cooking… . Even today, electricity, the modern day “fire”, is forbidden on Shabbat, for it falls under the category of burning an actual fire. Not lighting fire on Shabbat makes it obvious to all the nations of the world that we still adhere to Moshe’s teachings. Although not all of the Jews keep all of the laws, it is about the significant number of Jews who do take the “trouble” to keep Shabbat. So, R’ Yehoshua explained to the Caesar, Moshe is still alive: people are still listening to his voice. Your voice, your command, is disobeyed for the slightest inconvenience.
The deeper answer to the questions asked above is really in the way we understand how one hears the words of a leader. People go through their entire lives “hearing” voices of authority figures, leaders, in their heads, in their subconscious. Voices that they no longer hear in the literal sense, but still feel obligated to obey. These are the voices of our parents and mentors, those who imprinted in us our morals and values. It is they who told us what is important in life, and how important it is. These voices are so strong that people feel an obligation to heed their words, long after those who first spoke those words are gone.
So, can we say that all those who have been in a position of authority over us have this effect on us? Absolutely not. This is where the type of leader plays a crucial role in the degree to which one heeds his words, and for how long. The stronger the trust and love of the leader/parent is for the subject/child, the stronger the impact of the voice, and the stronger the feeling that one must adhere to, or “hear” the words that were spoken.
Now, there are two types of authority figures/parents. There are those who are dictators, and there are those who are leaders. A leader’s voice is truly heard: it echoes in those who follow him. Of course, the greatest leader ever was Moshe, and that’s why his voice keeps echoing in Jewish hearts. If we just pay attention, we can learn all of the qualities that make one a good leader from almost every story we know about Moshe. To mention a few of these qualities; Trust: Moshe gave an exact account of funds received, down to the last shekel that he collected, avoiding any distrust amongst his followers. Open communication: Moshe was willing to hear and discuss whatever was important to his people; if it was important to them, it was important to him. They felt comfortable talking to Moshe about every last detail. Moshe preferred one-on-one communication, and was easily approachable. (Once he realized that he would become worn out by continuing this way, and it would have a bad effect on his leadership he followed Yitro’s advice to delegate certain positions.) On our level, we can understand that leadership requires a person to be emotionally intelligent, aware of his own feelings and those of the people around him. This enables us to prepare for expected situations and reactions. (Moshe was sensitive to the fact that his older brother, Aharon, would logically be the one to lead and take the Jews out of Egypt.) Knowing when and how to give criticism: Moshe was careful not to criticize the Jewish nation until the end of his life. Moshe went out to his people, to be part of them and be “hands on” when they were still in slavery. Moshe displayed compassion by running after the sheep, which was one of the prime reasons he was chosen to be a leader. Immediately, he was appointed by G-d at the Burning Bush. Moshe defended his people, and he was able to understand their feelings… There is no end to how one can learn leadership qualities from Moshe.
As parents and role models, we must be aware of whether we are leading or dictating. We must learn from Moshe Rabbeinu what needs to be done in order to lead. We must decide whether we want to be heard for a moment, like a dictator, or if we want to be heard for generations, and have our voices echo for years to come, like true leaders.
JEWISH REMEDY FOR RELAXATION
“ששת ימים תעשה מלאכה וביום השביעי …שבת שבתון Six days your work shall be done and on the seventh day…rest” (Exodus 35:2).In this passuk, there seem to be two commandments: to rest on the seventh day, and to work the other six days. But is there really a mitzvah to work six days a week? Also, the words “your work shall be done,” are surprisingly passive. It would seem the Torah should have commanded to “do your work” instead.
On Shabbat, many have the custom to eat fish. There is an interesting phenomenon about fish. If one were to open the belly of a large fish shortly after it has consumed a smaller fish, he would find the small fish facing the tail of its predator. Judging from its position, one can deduce that the big fish’s “fish-food” was not the one he had chased to near death, but rather another fish, one that swam straight into its mouth. This is the lesson of the Shabbat as we shall soon see.
Rabbeinu Bachye in Chovot Halevavot mentions a fundamental concept of Jewish belief that may be confusing at times. A person must realize that the effort he puts into something is not the cause of his success. (Bitachon Chap. 4) Success is delivered by G-d, in His infinite, unfathomable ways. It is incumbent upon each man to do his utmost to make a living; G-d does not want us to rely upon miracles. It is for this reason that the passuk specifically commands each person “six days your work shall be done”. We are commanded to do our part by putting in our effort and working on the other six days of the week. However, we are also expected to realize that, essentially, we are just going through the motions. Ultimately, success rests in the hands of Hashem alone. This is why our pasuk says “your work shall be done” as opposed to “Do your work”.
Rav Wolbe explains (Alei Shor 2; Bitachon VeHishtadlut), that this can be a very difficult concept. For example, a farmer is commanded to do all his many, diverse jobs in order to prepare and sow his field, yet he must still believe that his toil was not needed by G-d in order to provide his sustenance. He toils only because that is the manner in which G-d commanded that he behave when He created the world.
The Torah gives us one day a week to change perspective and internalize this belief. The world on Shabbat is a time when money has no value, and no bearing whatsoever on our lives. Chazal explain that, on Rosh Hashana, each person is allotted a certain amount of money for the whole year, and any Shabbat expenses are separate from that allotment, not diminishing the original year’s sum in the least. The fact that our livelihood comes from G-d is clearer to us on Shabbat, but, of course, holds true in the same measure during the week, even though we are required to invest our efforts in work. We demonstrate our recognition of this principle by eating fish on Shabbat: just as the large fish had to toil for its meal by chasing a smaller one, its actual sustenance came from a totally different fish!
One can truly rest on Shabbat only if one feels that ‘his efforts are his responsibility- but his successes are not in his control’. By internalizing this concept, one can experience true relaxation on Shabbat. It is for this reason that there is really no point in working to an extreme degree. A workaholic, by definition, thinks his level of success is determined through his own efforts, as opposed to being granted by G-d. Tension and stress come when one feels the loss of a control that he thought he once had. But when we can internalize the fact that G-d was (and is) really in control all the time, then, we can experience a truly restful state.
BUILDING TRUST
“אלה פקודי המשכן משכן העדות אשר פוקד על פי משה”… – These are the calculations of the Mishkan…which were accounted for by the command of Moshe. (Shemot 38:21)
In this week’s parsha, the Torah makes an accounting of where all the gold and silver that Klal Yisrael donated for the building of the Mishkan went. Why did Moshe feel the need to make this calculation and report to Klal Yisrael about how he had used these donations?
The Midrash explains that after the construction of the Mishkan, Moshe overheard a fellow Jew poking fun at his wide neck and knees, suggesting that Moshe was gaining weight – possibly because he’d been dining a bit more lately.
A second “mocker” joined in and said, “What do you expect? I’m sure the man who took charge of building the Mishkan pocketed some of the donations for himself!”
Upon hearing this, Moshe told them, “I promise you, when we finish the Mishkan I will give you a detailed summary of every last penny!” And so he did, in this week’s parsha.
Why was Moshe so concerned with what these “mockers” thought? And if they were interested in finding flaws in their leader, wouldn’t they soon find something else to complain about even if Moshe appeased them now? After Moshe had been Hashem’s messenger to bring the ten plagues, bring the Jews out of Egypt and split the sea, hadn’t he already established himself as a man of integrity who kept his word?
The answer to these questions is simple, yet powerful. We are all familiar with how our bank account works – if you want to take money out, you need to first put money in. In any relationship, we must consider a different type of bank account – our “emotional bank account.” Relationships are built on honesty, kindness and integrity; for a relationship to succeed, one’s “bank account” must be filled with actions which demonstrate these traits. If you make a deposit in the emotional bank account through honesty, kindness and integrity, you build up your credit, and trust is built.
Conversely, when one shows dishonesty, ignores others or acts selfishly, he is making “withdrawals” from this account, and eventually the emotional account is overdrawn.
Every relationship has its rocky moments – these moments are like applying for a loan. If one invested enough into his account, at these moments he can use the credit from this account to save the relationship. If the account is empty and one is in “debt,” however, his dubious credit history makes fixing the relationship difficult.
The sad reality is that while it might take a lot of time and effort to build this credit, it is very easy to overdraw the account with a few careless mistakes.
Consider parenting, for example. Parents who show their children that they are concerned with the children’s best interests will have “credit” available when their children grow into teenagers. If the parents did not inculcate this feeling into the children, however, when the teenage years arrive the children probably will not consult with their parents even if the parents plead and promise the children that now they are interested in the children’s well-being.
Moshe Rabbeinu knew the importance of building trust. Moshe knew that someday, these “mockers” would rear their heads again and question Moshe and the Torah, and he would need credit in the bank. Additionally, Moshe knew that building trust would help ensure that when he said something, Klal Yisrael would know that Moshe was saying it for their best interests, not his own.
Trust between parents and children is especially important in Torah families. One of our strongest resources for emunah – faith in G-d – is the mesora that is passed down from parent to child. Judaism is unique in its claim that over 600,000 witnesses experienced G-d speaking to His nation at Mount Sinai. This testimony has been passed from parent to child ever since then. A child is naturally receptive to this testimony and believes his parents, and is sure that a parent would never lie about such a central life issue.
Unfortunately, sometimes children lose faith in their parents, and the child is ‘at risk’. Throughout childhood, a parent must treat his or her child with the respect due to a person, as opposed to the respect one shows to an e-mail that he can ignore until he is interested at looking at and dealing with it.
