Parashat Beshalach 5771 - English

BESHALACH 5771

Rabbi Gustavo Kraselnik

Congregacion Kol Shearith Israel - Panama

Less than a century ago, the outstanding German sociologist Max Weber identified three types of leaders – charismatic, rational-legal, and traditional – thus giving rise to plentiful literature dealing with leadership, which crams the library shelves today.

The abundance of material testifies to the importance given to this subject, both on the part of researchers, who publish their studies, analyses and reflections, as well as on the part of readers, eager to find guidance and direction about a vital issue to their lives, personally and professionally.

Interestingly, Parashat Beshalach offers us some valuable examples of leadership, which may help us to learn the attributes and qualities that a positive leader should possess.

Lesson 1: Joseph’s bones

At the beginning of the parashah, when the Israelites are getting ready to leave Egypt, Moses takes Joseph’s bones (Ex. 13:19) in order to fulfill his dying wish: “God will surely remember you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence” (Gen. 50:25). The Midrash shrewdly comments on this passage: “to prove Moses’ wisdom and piety, while the children of Israel were packing Moses was fulfilling the promise concerning Joseph’s bones” (Mekilta ad loc). First lesson: A good leader, besides honoring the promises acquired (in the case of our contemporaries that includes campaign promises), must have the ability to see beyond the immediate, and even at exultant times must know what the priorities are and act in accordance.

Lesson 2: Not the right moment to pray

Pharaoh suffers a change of heart and goes in pursuit of his slaves. The Israelites, trapped between the Sea of Reeds and the Egyptian army, complain to Moses, who then turns to God.  

The divine answer is forceful: “Wherefore criest thou unto Me? Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward” (Ex. 14:15). The Midrash clears it up even more, in the words of Rabbi Eliezer: “Thus did God speak unto Moses: ‘Moses, my children are in great distress; they are hemmed in by the sea on one side and the pursuing enemy on the other. And yet you stand and indulge in prolonged prayer?’” (Mekilta ad loc). Second lesson on leadership (courtesy of God to Moses): a good leader should know when to talk and when to act. We all know the reflection in Kohelet (Ec. 3:1): “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven”. The key is doing what is appropriate at each given time.

Lesson 3: Help miracles come true

According to the Talmud (Sotah 37a), when the order to march was given, the waters of the Sea of Reeds had not yet opened. The tribes fought among themselves, since not one of them wanted to be the first to try to cross. Then Nachshon ben-Aminadav, head of Judah’s tribe, started to walk into the sea, and just when the waters were almost to his head, they began to open so that the Israelites walked on dry land. The Talmudic story has a clear message. It was Nachshon’s conviction, his determination and his acts, what allowed the miracle to happen. Thus we learn our third lesson towards being a good leader: miracles don’t happen by themselves. Part of your responsibility is creating the opportunities for them to happen.

Lesson 4: Miriam’s song

After the miraculous crossing of the Sea of Reeds, Moses chanted a beautiful song of praise to God (Ex. 15:1-18), which we repeat every day in the morning service. The Torah (20-21) tells us that Miriam also sang: “And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. And Miriam sang unto them: ‘Sing ye to the Lord, for He is highly exalted: the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the sea.’”

The difference between the two chants not only lies in the length but rather, and essentially, in the position taken by the leader before the people. Professor Tovah Cohen, of the Bar-Ilan University ((http://www.biu.ac.il/JH/Parasha/eng/beshalah/co1.html) affirms that it is very likely that the lofty language of Moses’ song, which enhances the strength of his person, his prophecy and his poetry, was misunderstood by the masses passively observing the chanting. Miriam, on her part, with a much shorter version (possibly the chorus of Moses’ song) clearly directed to her audience, manages to involve the women, who participate in the religious experience with tambourines and dances.

The fourth lesson on leadership offered by our parashah aims to promote group work, in trying to motivate and involve the entire people in order to achieve the goal. In Professor Cohen’s words: “Miriam’s leadership was driven not to the end of strengthening her individuality, separating her “Self” from her surroundings, but rather to the building of a web of human relations.”

Beautiful teachings granted by Parashat Beshalach.

Each week, new books on leadership are published, bringing new approaches and perspectives. However, there’s nothing like returning to the classics.

Shabbat Shalom,

Gustavo