Rabbi Silvestri's Round Up: 09/29/2022

The תנ״ך, made up of Torah, the Prophets and Writings, is full of models and images of great Jewish leaders. Leaders that uplifted their communities and inspired their armies, leaders who fought against the prevailing aristocracy in order to realign the Jewish people with Hashem and His ways. When we search for the paradigm of Jewish leadership - the model that all others are based on - we think of Moshe. Well, maybe not after this week’s פרשה, parsha. 

In פרשת וילך, Parshat Vayelech, we find Moshe beginning to prepare his successor, Yehoshua, for the role of leader. Moshe, following the direction of Hashem, explains to Yehoshua his ultimate goal to bring the Jewish people into the Land of Canaan and to establish the Jewish homeland therein. Yet, Moshe adds one final notion that seems out of line with the rest of his message. 

כִּֽי־אֲבִיאֶ֜נּוּ אֶֽל־הָאֲדָמָ֣ה ׀ אֲשֶׁר־נִשְׁבַּ֣עְתִּי לַאֲבֹתָ֗יו זָבַ֤ת חָלָב֙ וּדְבַ֔שׁ וְאָכַ֥ל וְשָׂבַ֖ע וְדָשֵׁ֑ן וּפָנָ֞ה אֶל־אֱלֹהִ֤ים אֲחֵרִים֙ וַעֲבָד֔וּם וְנִ֣אֲצ֔וּנִי וְהֵפֵ֖ר אֶת־בְּרִיתִֽי (דברים לא:ב)

[Hashem explains to Yehoshua] that when I bring them to the land that I promised, flowing with milk and honey, having grown satisfied from its fruit will turn away, serving other gods and dissolving the covenant we share - Devarim 31:20

For 40 years Moshe was preparing them to undo the harm their ancestors did at the חטא המרגלים, the sin of the spies, and earn entrance into the land. That did not go as planned. 

I am not sure what is worse. That Moshe is telling Yehoshua his leadership is doomed before it begins or acknowledging that the work he dedicated much of his adult life too seemed an abject failure. Perhaps we should stop choosing Moshe as the model we use to teach the tenets of leadership to our youth? 

What makes matters worse is that none of that which Moshe relates over to Yehoshua ever takes place in his lifetime. 

לֹא־יִתְיַצֵּ֥ב אִישׁ֙ לְפָנֶ֔יךָ כֹּ֖ל יְמֵ֣י חַיֶּ֑יךָ כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר הָיִ֤יתִי עִם־מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶהְיֶ֣ה עִמָּ֔ךְ לֹ֥א אַרְפְּךָ֖ וְלֹ֥א אֶעֶזְבֶֽךָּ (יהושע א:ה)

No person shall be able to stand before me, as I was during the days of Moshe, so shall I be now. I will not forsake you, (Hashem) - Yehoshua 1:5

The Abarbanel [Isaac ben Yehuda Abarbanel was a Portuguese Biblical scholar writing on the first books of Prophets] explains that Yehoshua places the fear of Hashem upon the people making a lasting impact that no one veered off during his reign. This sentiment is repeated time and time again during the entire book. What then was Moshe referring to in our Torah reading? 

Four years ago, I found myself completing the prayer of כל נדרי, the opening tefillah of יום כפור, Yom Kippur, when a close friend and mentor introduced me to a recent song by Ishay Ribo tilted אלול תשע״ט, Elul 2019. I had never heard of the song nor the singer. Yet, in that moment I connected to the lyrics and the message meant to be shared: