J3: Leadership

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Introduction

A group needs a leadership as much as a head needs a body. Just as the head, which houses the brain and four of the five senses, is the source of human awareness, identity and guidance, so must leaders be for their people. Through their long history, the Jewish people have had many different leaders and many forms of leadership. Each gave direction and inspiration to another generation and each can be studied in order to learn more about what it means to be a leader.

Every Jew is a leader

Leadership is built into the very heart of Judaism. The reason God chose to start the Jewish people with Abraham was because of his leadership abilities. (see JPB II:4) Each one of us is Abraham's descendent and we are encouraged to learn from and emulate him: "Look to the rock you were hewn from... look back to Abraham" (Isaiah 51:1,2) Also, at Mt. Sinai, when the Jewish people were about to receive the Torah, God called them: "a kingdom of priests" (Exodus 19:6) God likened every single Jew to a king and a priest, two classic forms of Jewish leadership. Thus every Jew is molded to be a leader.

Every Jew is a follower

"Get yourself a guide" (Ethics of the Fathers 1:17) The Sages expect all of us to find someone to look up to. We must all learn to be followers, to be led. This is not as simple as it sounds. Accepting a leader means admitting that we need to learn from other people. It involves respecting their opinions and accepting their guidance. Cynical comments and petty insults can bring down a leader and reveal the inability some to bow their heads and accept another person's judgment. If you can't accept criticism you can never become a follower.

Lead and follow

By every Jew becoming a leader and a follower, we can learn to appreciate the importance of being both. Only when you yourself know how hard it is to lead, can you learn to appreciate the leadership of others. Also, performing both roles means that you will never become too much of either. An obsessive leader can become arrogant and think themselves superior to others, while an obsessive follower can lose all self confidence, give up their own opinions and ideals, and become an empty vessel that just does what it is told.

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