 |
|
 |
Parshat Pinchas
2006
How to be a Leader
I’ve always had a little fondness for this week’s Torah portion, Pinchas, because it is my father’s Hebrew name and because another character important to me—Joshua—makes an appearance part-way through. And both Joshua and Pinchas serve as different models of leadership. Pinchas, Aaron’s grandson, only has a small role at the beginning of the reading, but he quells G-d’s wrath by showing zealousness for Him, and is rewarded. And Joshua is appointed by G-d to succeed Moses so that the Israelites “will not be like sheep without a shepherd” as they enter the Promised Land.
Of course Moshe Rabeinu—Moses, our teacher— is the most important leader of all, but is punished and will not enter the land of Canaan. Moshe was human and made mistakes, disobeying G-d in the wilderness of Zin, by striking a rock to bring forth water, rather than speaking to it according to G-d’s instruction. Not even Moshe’s otherwise strong record of leadership will earn him a pass into the Promised Land. In fact, as the Israelites’ visible leader, he was held to a higher degree of behavior, and disobeying G-d’s directive in front of all His people would keep him from entering the Land of Milk and Honey.
Even as Moshe realizes that he will not enter the land of Canaan, he continues to think and strategize like a leader. When G-d tells Moshe that he will not live to enter Canaan, he challenges G-d saying (to paraphrase) ‘Wait. I can accept that I will not enter the land, but the people will need a leader.’ So G-d tells Moshe to appoint Joshua as his successor.
So Moshe, the present leader, is tasked with finding fresh leadership—to promote from within—who will lead the Children of Israel in actualizing part of G-d’s covenant with us: the Land of Israel. And the Torah portion dictates to us just how the land will be divided among the twelve tribes. Each tribe would receive a portion of the land, according to the population size of the tribe, counted by each male family head.
In another of Moshe’s final acts as leader, he again stops and says to G-d ‘Hold it. This land apportioning by male head of household business is a little troubling. You know, these five sisters just came to me with a question. I know what the rule is about property, but there’s no precedent for this situation to guide my interpretation, and I need your help. These sisters’ father, Zelaphechad (glad my father is named for Pinchas, not Zelaphechad), died in the desert, but was not among those who disobeyed G-d and was killed. None of these five women is married, so according to the current rule, their family will lose its portion of yerusha—inheritance land—and the daughters are asking for Zelaphechad’s portion of it. What do I tell them?’
G-d responds that their argument is just, and they should receive their father’s portion of yerusha. Moreover, He issues a new ruling, that in such future cases, where only daughters are the nearest relative to a male head-of-household, they shall receive his property (assigning a line of succession if there are no daughters).
In this parsha, the Torah speaks of eight leaders: Moshe, Joshua, and Pinchas, and Zelaphechad’s five daughters who, like few other women in the Torah are named: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. All of these leaders utilize their distinctive strengths and vision to advance the future of the people.
Moshe understands his role as a leader and how to transfer leadership into new hands. In front of all the Israelites, he invests Joshua to be his successor. Joshua’s positive attitude and contemplative nature makes him a natural candidate for the job, but will undoubtedly approach his responsibilities differently than Moshe. As one of the two scouts doing reconnaissance into Canaan, Joshua reported back to the Israelites that yes, the land was filled with “giants,” but it was also just as G-d promised us, a Land of Milk and Honey. He will not let us down; He has given us the land as part of His covenant with us, and He will guide us to inherit it. Additionally there is the intense and fast-thinking Pinchas, who assures his family’s priestly role in performing G-d’s holy duties, by demonstrating his zealousness for G-d. And lastly, Zelaphechad’s daughters, who call social injustices into question, changing a gender biased law by making a thoughtful, just, and convincing argument.
The desert census in Parshat Pinchas counts more than 600,000. Moshe and Joshua we’ve heard of; Pinchas, and Zelaphechad’s daughters have smaller parts, but play significant roles. Among the rest of the large group—of Israelites or the students with whom we work with—we share Moshe’s task to find and cultivate new leaders. It’s our job to help them emerge. As Jewish educators concerned with developing the next generation of Jewish leaders, we can examine these characters, each of whom brings exceptional qualities to the table of leaders, and glean valuable lessons for identifying and nurturing future leaders.
Written by Joshua Blumenthal, Associate Director for Campus Advancenment of Hillel's Schusterman International Center
Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Pinchas at MyJewishLearning.com.
|
 |
|
 |