Ron

Shalom dear friends,

Every year, when preparing the “Hin’ni”(“Here I am”) prayer, I admit I feel a little silly.  Rosh Hashanah is the Day of Judgement, and obviously a sincere Jewish congregation wants for its Shliach Tzibbur (“Emissary of the Congregation”) to be an Anav…..someone who is humble. This make sense….and then it is followed by me theatrically walking up from the back of a gorgeous sanctuary, in ancient-looking ritual garb, and singing as beautifully and as polished as possible. I emphasize: I don’t believe that this theatricality is insincere….as a matter of fact, what it does do, is it highlights the idea of Jewish leadership that our Sages have so impressed upon us to aim for.

With permission from my dear friend, mentor, and colleague, Rabbi Morrison, I would like to quote a contraversial Talmudic quote: Ethics of the Fathers (Pirke Avot) says: "Usna et HaRabbanut" - "Hate/Despise the Rabbinate." What?! What a strange thing for our Rabbis to write for posterity! It’s surprising that this isn’t discussed so much! Why in the world would our Sages encourage us to hate Jewish leadership? Don’t we venerate Kings David and Solmon, and all of the great Rabbis of past and present?

Let’s look into this….

1. We are opposed to Authority for Authority’s sake

This line from our Rabbis wasn’t meant to insult our vital leaders – religious or secular. Rather, it’s a warning about seeking power merely for power’s sake. Our modern world is more self-obsessed, and disconnected from the Divine than ever before, and it seems that all we see on media are narcissists stomping all over each other for control over others. The Torah reminds us that genuine leadership is not about power, nor is it about craving control over others’ lives, but it is about servicing our communities’ many needs. Becoming a leader is a calling to elevate others, and not an opportunity to gratify one’s own selfish desires. If a person craves political leadership for the sake of honor, or for controlling over others, the very purpose of the role is tragically diminished.

2. Anivut – Leaders should possess humility

Moshe Rabbeinu, our greatest teacher, and the father of all prophets before and after him, was described as the most humble person on the face of the earth. He did not lead us, the people of Israel, because he sought honor, power, money, or other trappings of authority, but rather, because he felt a divine calling….first on an instinctive level, when he rescued a Jewish slave from an Egyptian, and later, prophetically, after the Almighty chose him to lead us out from slavery, and then again, chose him to give us the Torah. Moshe’s leadership was rooted in humility, understanding that his role was not above the people... but amongst them.

In hating the accoutrements of leadership, we are encouraged to seek leaders who lead with humility, to find within ourselves, such potential. We see those who recognize that they serve a purpose higher than themselves.

3. Authenticity in Our Journey

When our Sages warn us against pursuing leadership for the external accoutrements, we are reminded to be authentic in our spiritual journey. In much the same way that we ought not practice mitzvot only for others to see, and praise us, leaders should accordingly lead us not only to be praised. Our sages don’t only teach us to “Hate the Rabbinate/leadership”….elsewhere in Ethics of the Fathers, they teach us that “the reward for a mitzvah is the mitzvah”. Spiritually speaking, the greatest reward for true leadership is the positive impact it has on others, and the ripple effect that it has through our world, and the generations to come.

4. The True Measure of Leadership

The Talmud frequently discusses great Rabbis who were actively involved in the quotidian dealings of their kehillot: even though on paper, they are officially remembered most for their overwhelming knowledge of Torah, and having achieved lofty spiritual heights. They were not removed from the every day “Joys” and “Oys” of their people, and they were actively a part of every life cycle.

Our tradition teaches that a leader's true measure is not by the impressiveness of his title but by the depth of his involvement with Klal Yisrael. Every Shabbat, we recite the Yekum Purkan prayer at the beginning of Musaf, taking the moment to acknowledge those who occupy themselves in communal life in Judaism.

5. Honesty (to oneself and to others), Integrity and Responsibility:

Own ought to own up to one’s errors. When Israel’s sons went down to Egypt, and did not know they were talking with their brother Joseph, Joseph demanded that he take his brother Benjamin as a hostage. Judah immediately offered himself to take Benjamin’s place. He knew well that he might die, or might never see his family again. However, he knew how devastated his father was losing Joseph years before, and he knew that more than this, all of his brothers’ lives were in danger. Earlier, Judah shockingly had a relationship with his former daughter-in-law Tamar, not knowing who she was at the time. As she was being led to execution by Judah, she could have easily screamed at Judah that he was a terrible deadbeat, but she knew that it’s wrong to cause so much public shame to another person. Judah, upon seeing evidence that Tamar gently gave him, immediately owned up to his terrible actions, admitting that it was HE who slept with Tamar. The Tanakh goes as far as saying that “leadership will never depart from Judah”. This is strange according to modern “cancel culture”….why is Judah being lionized, when he did a terrible thing? Being a Responsible leader doesn’t mean “higher than thou”; it means shouldering the burden of one’s terrible mistakes, that have devastated one’s brothers, other family and community members. Shoulder the burden and accept responsibilty for what one has done. For this reason, Judah is considered the “lion”, and the official leader of all Israel, through his progeny from Tamar.

The ability to own up, and shoulder the burdens of one’s mistakes, in order to right wrongs, is the ultimate quality that we look for in leaders….not a “cancel culture” microscopic rehashing of sins past, with no room for forgiveness and moving on. More than this, this quality is so valuable, as found in both Judah and Tamar, that their very scandalous union became the foundation of King David, King Solomon, and eventually the Moshiach himself.

Conclusion:

So, when our Sages teach us "Usna et HaRabbanut," it serves as a profound reminder. Let us not be blinded by the allure of titles or positions. Let us value humility, authenticity, and deep, genuine connection. Let us remember that genuine leadership in the Jewish tradition is about serving Hashem and serving the community, without getting lost in the external trappings of honor.

It’s appropriate at this time to reflect on the incredible staff, religious and lay, that we have here at our holy BEBY congregation. The commitment to a Torah way of life, to being genuine Jewish leaders, in the example set by our forebears, is remarkable, and it serves as a blessing to us all. May we(our local Jewish community, and Klal Yisrael in general) continue to be blessed more and more with leaders who embody these values. May each of us, in our own way, lead with humility and authenticity in our journey with Hashem.

Gmar Chatima Tova,

Cantor Ron Donenfeld