~Thoughts on The Parsha~
Parshas Nitzavim-Vayeilech
Following the Leader
By: Daniel Listhaus
אַתֶּם נִצָּבִים הַיּוֹם כֻּלְּכֶם לִפְנֵי ה' אֱלֹקיכֶם רָאשֵׁיכֶם שִׁבְטֵיכֶם זִקְנֵיכֶם וְשֹׁטְרֵיכֶם כֹּל אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל: טַפְּכֶם נְשֵׁיכֶם וְגֵרְךָ אֲשֶׁר בְּקֶרֶב מַחֲנֶיךָ מֵחֹטֵב עֵצֶיךָ עַד שֹׁאֵב מֵימֶיךָ:
“You are standing today, all of you, before Hashem, your G-d; Your heads, your tribes, your elders, and your officers – all the men of Israel; your small children, your women, and your convert who is in the midst of your camp, from the hewer of your wood to the drawer of your water.”
-Nitzavim 29:9-10
Rashi[1] writes that on the day of his death, Moshe rabbeinu gathered all of B’nei Yisroel before Hashem in order to enter them into the bris (covenant) between them and Hashem. Every single member of K’lal Yisroel was present and Moshe addressed them as a nation. Indeed the Torah itself records Moshe’s speech to B’nei Yisroel. However, the question which begs to be asked is why the Torah felt it necessary to record Moshe’s opening line. In his opening sentence, Moshe seems to start the same way that a speaker would start at a graduation. “You are standing here today: Heads of tribes, elders, officers, and everyone of K’lal Yisroel…” sounds quite similar to, “Esteemed teachers, parents, families, friends, and my fellow graduates…” Why is it that Moshe felt it necessary to single out specific ranks and professions within B’nei Yisroel as opposed to just saying, “Thank you everyone for coming, we are gathered here today…”? And if the reason he did so was just some sort of formality as a way of opening his speech then why does the Torah feel it necessary to record it?
The Gemara[2] states that one who has the ability to stop an aveirah in his house but does not do so bears responsibility for not doing so and will be punished. Similarly, one who has the ability to protest against the actions of a city but fails to do so is culpable for the actions of the city. And one with the ability to effectively speak out against the world’s behavior but refrains from doing so is liable for the consequences he could have prevented. Based on this Gemara, the Ohr Ha’Chaim[3] suggests that this was the deeper message that Moshe rabbeinu was conveying in his opening statement – that the leaders of K’lal Yisroel are responsible for the entire K’lal, the heads of tribes are responsible for their tribes, that the elders are responsible as heads of their generations of family, while each member of B’nei Yisroel is responsible held accountable for what goes on in their respective homes and circles of influence.
This lesson is not one to be taken lightly. Sometimes when we think of leaders we think of outstanding or outspoken individuals set to make a difference in the world or community. However, the term leader is much broader than that. As a matter of fact, although there may be important qualifications for one to be a good leader,[4] there is really only one requirement to be a leader and that is to simply have a follower. Many people have others who they openly look up to – whether public influencers, close friends, or teachers – and across many different categories, from culture and behavior to spirituality and life structure. Many of us, though, have mentors who we secretly admire as well. Perhaps a peer or sibling who does a particular thing in a way you look up to, or perhaps a random person you met once in a park or walking down the street with a particular middah you liked and decided to adopt even though you will never see him again. However we must keep in mind that just as we have people who we openly and secretly respect, others do as well; and for all you know it may be you who someone looks up to and respects. If we are expected to protest and speak out against our spheres of influence, then we are certainly expected to speak out and protest and to think for ourselves before doing things because even if we don’t think that others look up to us, the truth is that there are people who do and besides for the responsibility we have for ourselves we are responsible for those we have influence over as well.
The Gemara[5] relates that Hashem commands us to recite Malchiyos on Rosh Hashanah in order that we should crown Hashem as King over us. Just as it was Adom Ha’rishon who first proclaimed Hashem as King, so too we affirm this year after year on Rosh Hashanah, the birthday of the world and mankind. The interesting paradox of leaders and followers is that although a follower is someone who follows a leader, it is the follower himself who validates the leader as such. So, in a way, a follower is really a leader in his own right. When Hashem created the world He was a Creator, Controller, and Owner, but was not a King until Adom Ha’rishon proclaimed him as such. This is something we allude to in Adon Olam, “Adon Olam asher malach b’terem kol y’tzir nivra. L’eis na’asah b’cheftzo kol, azai melech shemo nikra…” “Master of the Universe Who reigned before any form was created. At the time when His will created all things, then as “King” His name was proclaimed…” A King needs subjects, a leader needs followers. It is the validation of the King by His subjects that He becomes a King and it is the follower’s validation of the leader which allows him to obtain that title.
We must always keep these ideas in mind. One, that each of us is a leader whether we like it or not and whether we are aware of it or not. Just as we secretly look up to people and will imitate the good behaviors of some or perhaps rationalize our bad behaviors because of peer pressure or what we see our influencers doing, so too others look at us – some picking out a good middah we have and learning from it and others rationalizing their behaviors based on what they see us do. Therefore extreme care must be taken to be cognizant of the fact that we have followers and that we are responsible for the way we portray ourselves and the influence we have over them.
Second, we must recognize that even if we lived in a complete bubble and were absolutely certain that we did not have followers, still by choosing to follow a certain leader or starting to do a certain thing validates it and gives it the strength to be a leader or influencer; and we are responsible for that as well. If someone is doing something inappropriate and we follow suit then we may bear the responsibility of validating his actions and if by extension others are influenced, we will have to answer for those consequences.
This is the scary but vital lesson that Moshe opened with when entering K’lal Yisroel into a bris with Hashem. Whether it be speaking out against someone doing something improper, or us controlling ourselves in order to guide our followers and make sure not to validate bad leaders, we are accountable for our spheres of influence. We bear the responsibility of consequences that we could have been prevented.
May Hashem help us always be cognizant of acting in His ways so that we could be proper mentors and leaders for our followers, as well as proper followers who validate the right leaders. In this zechus (merit) may He turn to us with favorable k’siva v’chasima tovah as we stand before Him on Rosh Hashanah and declare Him as King and we His servants.
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