Born a Leader

G-d’s first encounter with Moses at the burning bush occurred when he was grazing the sheep of his father-in- law Jethro. According to the Midrash, this was G-d’s final test to determine Moses qualification for the job of leader. By showing how he was concerned with every little lamb, giving it what it needed and not only caring for the flock as a whole, he demonstrated the crucial ingredient of a true leader who is concerned for every individual member of the community not just the community at large. But, even that was not sufficient to place Moses in the leadership role. The final step seems to be his humility and reluctance to accept this tremendous responsibility.

Moses Sheltered?

Moses is raised by Pharaoh and his daughter Bitya in the cloistered environment of Pharaoh’s palace. And while we can assume that Moses knew that he was a member of the Hebrews, it is somewhat surprising, however, that on Moses’ first occasion to venture into the outside, he observes how a Jewish slave is beaten by an Egyptian taskmaster. Moses then proceeds to kill the Egyptian, for which reason he was compelled to flee.

The fact that Moses—who was sheltered from his people— put his own life on the limb for the mistreatment of his brethren teaches us that Moses’ leadership talents were already blossoming at a very young age.

Indeed, as a careful overview of this week’s parsha will demonstrate, Moses did not just assume the mantle of leadership out of the blue. Neither did he seek it and strive for it. It was a process that began at birth and manifested itself at different key points in Moses’ life.

“Moses was Good”

In truth, leadership is not something that can be learned; one must be born with the innate quality of leadership. And more than any other leader, the Torah highlights his uniqueness at the time of his birth. When he was born, the Torah says, they “saw that he was good.”

The obvious question that arises here is that every newborn child is good, especially in the eyes of its mother. What does the Torah mean when it singles out Moses for distinction as a good child?

One of the answers the Talmud provides is that when he was born he illuminated the entire house. Moses’ goodness expressed itself in the light hat he radiated.

However, this answer itself begs for clarification. First of all, the Torah says that he was “good” and not that he was light. Granted, the first entity that was ever declared to be good was the creation of light, when the Torah said “And G-d saw that the light was good,” hence the association between goodness and light. The question remains, nevertheless, why doesn’t the Torah simply say that when he was born, he illuminated the entire house?

To answer this question we should focus our attention on another question. What does the Torah mean when it says that “G-d saw that it was good?” How could G-d’s creation not be good?

Definition of Good

The answer is that “good” in the context of creation as well as the birth of Moses does not simply mean that it was not bad, but rather that when it was created it already possessed the potential to realize the purpose for which it was created. Good must thus be understood to mean that what G-d created was created with all the potential power to realize G-d’s purpose.

Hence when the Torah tells us that Moses was good at the time of his birth, it means that even at the time of birth not only did he possess the potential for which purpose his soul came into the world, it was clearly visible to all that saw him. His ultimate mission to bring light, hope and comfort to the Jewish people of that generation and for all future generations was evident at the very moment he was born.

In other words, while most people might be destined for leadership positions, that potential is not necessarily defined until a much later stage in life. With regard to Moses, however, at the time of his birth it was clear as to what was going to be his mission.

However, even Moses did not just seamlessly grow into his position of leadership. He had to display some rare moment of dedication to the people he was going to lead; prepared to even risk his own future, and perhaps life, to defend them.

Thus, the Torah relates how he was so indignant and pained by the suffering of his brethren that he reacted in the most drastic manner. This was not some impulsive reaction, but the fire of his soul that was emerging. While other adolescents exhibit various signs of development that point to their attainment of certain biological milestones, Moses entry into that age was marked by his mature and sophisticated sense of concern for others.

Moses Third Step of Development: A Shepherd

But even this act of zealousness in defense of his fellow Jew was not yet enough to make him ready for his role as liberator and leader of the Jewish nation.

The third step, according to the Midrash, was his role as a shepherd. The Torah makes a point that G-d’s first encounter to with Moses at the burning bush occurred when he was grazing the sheep of his father-in-law Jethro. According to the Midrash, this was G-d’s final test to determine Moses qualification for the job of leader. By showing how he was concerned with every little lamb, giving it what it needed and not only caring for the flock as a whole, he demonstrated the crucial ingredient of a true leader who is concerned for every individual member of the community not just the community at large.

But, even that was not sufficient to place Moses in the leadership role. The final step seems to be his humility and reluctance to accept this tremendous responsibility.

To summarize:

Jewish leadership, is something one is born with, and the signs of which are already apparent at a tender age. Nevertheless, a true leader must demonstrate his “fanatical” concern for the suffering of his brethren even when it involves personal risk. In addition, this zealousness must be complemented with the nurturing and warm feeling for every individual, no matter how insignificant that individual may appear. And finally, a true leader must be imbued with profound humility, who seeks not the glory.

All of these qualities that were exhibited by Moses were also the hallmark of all great future leaders of the Jewish people. However, of all the greatest Jewish leaders, the person who is designated as Moshiach will be the ultimate heir to the legacy of Moses

From the book Light from the Future: Parshas Shmos by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.