Who will lead?

Passover is a holiday of leadership. Yes, to themes of redemption, freedom, matzo and springtime. At this time in history, the story is most important as a tale of leadership of Moses bringing the people out of Egypt, through the sea and onward to Sinai. The story continues to be about whether the people would learn to put their faith in God or in men. This is a perfect time for us to learn the lessons of leadership and faith.

Despite Moses’ unprecedented leadership skills, Moses balks time and again. The first time was at the burning bush. Another time was  at Sinai. It was after the debacle of the golden calf and after Moses smashed the first tablets. To retrieve a second set Moses ascends the mountain again. There, Moses asks God to take the lead (sort of like Carrie Underwood’s song “Jesus Take the Wheel”). God replied, “I will go in the lead and I will lighten your burden.”

Not yet satisfied, Moses asks to see God. That request is denied, but for a fleeting glance of God’s back/essence passing by. But, of course!  If God takes the lead, then the best we will see of God is God’s posterior. Some understand this as God’s goodness.

In a fascinating parallel, when Moses descended Sinai his skin was radiant. He spoke to the leaders and the people and then draped a veil over his face. The radiance was so bright as to be frightening. From then on, only when alone and speaking directly to God did Moses remove the veil allowing his radiance to shine. Moses’s leadership, like God’s was obscured.

Lessons for the leadership of today abound.  Stated simply:

1.            Be humble like Moses; don’t presume you have all the skills necessary to lead.

2.            Accept responsibility when you fail to control your own emotions – if you smash tablets when upset be prepared to humble yourself.

3.            Have faith. God leads us from far ahead, representing the infinite possibility of what may be.

4.            Notice the goodness left in God’s wake, along with the painful and the shattered.

5.            Successful leadership is not required to show their face except when they are in true pursuit of goodness. Otherwise the face of leadership is blemished by vanity.

In a time of pandemic, just as in plagues, wars and disasters of the past, endurance requires moral guidance and divine encouragement. A pandemic is precisely the time to have faith. If we have no faith, then we are merely living in shadows rather than in the light. Faithless leadership darkens our future.

We are living in a time of faithless and failed leadership. Our coinage says, “in God we trust” because Americans should have a government guided by godly principles of honesty, decency, humility, caring and hope. Make this Passover a holiday of dedication – to securing leadership that serves the principles we learn from Torah.

R’ Evan J. Krame