Parshat Pinchas

This week’s Parasha is Parshat Chukat 📖

Hashem is getting Moshe for his end and asks him to prepare a new leader. So Moshe starts training Yehoshua, gives him smicha and transfers the Ruach HaKodesh on to him. Why did Hashem pick Yehoshua?

Ramban writes that Yehoshua wasn’t necessarily the greatest leader of the generation (parashat Shelach). When the spies were sent to scout out Eretz Yisrael, they were listed in order of their greatness and Kalev was written before Yehoshua. So it’s possible Kalev was greater, and yet Hashem still chose the next leader to be Yehoshua, because he is a man with Ruach – spirit. Why? What is this spirit?

Our sages write that this is exactly what Moshe Rabanu asked of Hashem. For a leader!
A leader knows that every person is different. Their perspectives are different, their ideologies, their middot. A leader is someone who knows how to guide a Nation collectively but also relative to each person’s nature and character.

So when Moshe asked Hashem to find him a leader, Moshe needed one who could deal with all the complainers as well as the tzaddikim. So Hashem said “Take Yehoshua, Ish Asher Ruach – a man who has spirit” He’s the kind of man who is able to lead every person according to his own level.

Any leader of Am Yisrael must have an element of the fatherly connection to Am Yisrael and Moshe Rabanu was the master of that.

Moshe told Hashem that he couldn’t deal with their complaints anymore, “I’ve been carrying them like a baby until now”. He understood that you don’t just get rid of a child who rebels against your teachings, even if they are rebellious they are still your child, and every child is different, a whole world in themselves.

Shmuel HaMelech writes, “Educate each child according to his way”. One way doesn’t always work for every child, you have to find a way that works for him, personally.

That is the real sign of a leader, the most important part. The way to be able to connect to every member of the kehillah on his own level.
And we can relate to this as a Jew alone. Every Jew has exposure to other Jews. We can’t deal with every friend, family member or college in the same way. Everything has to be tailor made and catered to that specific individual.
Everyone is a leader in some way.

✨ *Shabbat Shalom* ✨