Moshe wanted to ensure that a new leader would be ready to step in after he died. So he requested that God choose someone with the strength to lead Bnei Yisrael. And God chose Yehoshua.
One detail in Moshe’s request to God, however, is puzzling. Moshe asks for a leader who would “go out before them and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in.” That is saying the same thing twice. If you go out before the people, you are leading them out. If you come in before the people, you are bringing them in. Why the repetition? The answer will bring us to one of the great leadership principles.
Human change is very slow, and a leader needs to know when to push people to grow, and when to be patient. Moshe had been too impatient at times. And after the episode of the spies, an entire generation lost their chance to enter Israel. They had shown that they lacked the courage and growth needed to face a prolonged struggle. Moshe was also deemed unfit to lead the people all the way. Only the younger generation, born in freedom, would live to enter the land.
On 13 September 1993, in front of the White House, Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres, and Yasser Arafat shook hands. They signed a treaty intended to carry everyone towards peace. Rabin’s body language that day made it clear that he had many qualms, but he continued to negotiate. Meanwhile, month by month, public disagreement grew within Israel. Many factions were unhappy with the proposed compromises, and civil disobedience began. In 1995 I published an article in support of Rabin and the peace process. Privately, however, I also wrote to him, urging him to spend more time winning the argument within Israel itself. From afar I saw the danger he faced, even from his people.
Then, on 4 November 1995, we heard the news that he had been assassinated. I flew to the funeral in Jerusalem. The day I returned to London I was handed me a letter. “This has just arrived for you.” It was from Yitzhak Rabin, one of his final letters. His reply was three pages long, deeply moving, an eloquent restatement of his commitment to peace. But it was too late.
When times are typical, change can come slowly. But there are situations where a leader’s job is to get people to change, which is the great difficulty. A leader who fails to work for change is not a leader. However, a leader who attempts too much change in too short a time will fail.
That is what Moshe knew when he asked God to appoint a leader “to go out before them and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in.” These were two separate requests. The first – “to go out before them and come in before them” – was for someone who would lead from the front, setting a personal example of being unafraid to face new challenges. That is the more accessible part.
The second request - for someone who would “lead them out and bring them in” - is harder. A leader can be so far out in front that no-one follows. Such a leader has gone out “before” the people but has not “led them out” for people have not followed. His courage is not in doubt. Neither is the vision. What is wrong is his sense of timing. We must be aware of when people are ready.
All too often, when leading from the front, Moshe found people not willing to follow. Realising this, he urged his successor not to make the same mistake. Leadership is a constant battle between the changes you know must be made and the changes people are willing to make. That is why the most visionary of leaders seem to have failed in their lifetime. So it was. So it always will be. But in truth, they have not failed. Their success comes when – as in the case of Moshe and Yehoshua – others complete what they began.
Around the Shabbat Table
Can you think of a time when a leader tried to change things too quickly? What happened?
How do you think Moshe’s leadership influenced the future of Bnei Yisrael?
Who are some other leaders you admire, both in the Tanach and in your life today?
Parsha in Passing
Aharon’s grandson, Pinchas, receives a Divine reward for his zealous action in slaying Zimri, a Simeonite leader and his Midianite companion. Hashem grants him a covenant of peace and priesthood.
Another census is taken, calculating all the men aged twenty to sixty: 601,730 are found to be ready to join the army. Instructions are given regarding dividing land among the Israelite tribes and families through a lottery system.
The parsha then shifts focus to the daughters of Tzelafchad, who approach Moshe with a request to inherit their father’s land portion, as he had no sons. Their appeal is granted by God, and becomes part of national inheritance law.
Moshe then begins training Yehoshua as his successor, getting him ready to guide the people into the Promised Land.
The parsha concludes with a comprehensive list of sacrificial offerings: daily offerings and additional ones for Sabbath, the start of each month, and various chaggim, including Pesach, Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Succot, and Shemini Atzeret.
Parsha People
Moshe: A leader who knew when to hand over the reins, guiding Israel through growth and growing pains.
Yehoshua: Strong in his morals, with courage his brand, chosen to blaze trails to the Promised Land.
B’not Tzelafchad: Five wise sisters who took a stand, winning the right to own their own land.
Pinchas: Pinchas’ zeal brought peace to the rabble, earning him a priesthood for all his trouble.
Parsha Practical
The story of the five daughters of Tzelafchad can give us a lot of modern-day ‘food for thought’. In their request for a portion of their father’s inheritance (something that had never been discussed in the Torah before), they weren’t just thinking about their current situation. They were laying the groundwork for generations to come.
Fast forward to today. The principle of fighting for your future still holds. Think about it. Those sisters didn’t just change their fortunes - they believed in a future where their family line would survive and thrive. And they weren’t afraid to stand up for that vision.
Today, our modern-day fight for the future is about Jewish sovereignty in the land of Israel, it’s about maintaining our deep-rooted traditions and customs, and it’s about making sure that our actions are both for all Jews today, and also for the sake of our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, ensuring that they have a beautiful future ahead of them.
What are some ways you can solidify your Jewish foundation today, in order to create a bright future for your descendants?
Parsha Playoff
Let’s play “Follow the Leader Freeze”. Choose one person to act as leader and perform a series of actions, such as jumping, spinning, or dancing, which the rest of the group must follow. At random intervals, the leader shouts, “Freeze!” everyone must immediately stop moving. Anyone who moves after the “Freeze” command and before the new Action command is out of the game.
Being able to respond quickly is an important part of staying in the game! As for the leader, the challenge is to spot when the followers are best at listening.
Parsha Philosophy
To be an effective leader, one must strike an intricate balance. Rabbi Sacks emphasises that while leaders must have the vision and courage to initiate necessary changes, they must also be attuned to the readiness and willingness of the people they lead. This balance is crucial to ensuring that the changes are successfully adopted without causing discord or rebellion.
Here’s another quote from Rabbi Sacks: “Moshe thought further ahead than anyone else. He knew that real change in human behaviour is the work of many generations. Therefore we must place as our highest priority educating our children in our ideals, so that what we begin they will continue. Until the world changes because we have changed.”
Can you think of any modern-day scenarios where leaders have been too resistant to change?
Parsha Parable
To Act or to Wait?
Not too long ago, there lived a remarkable woman named Golda Meir. She wasn’t born in Israel but she loved the country so much that she moved her life there, and then she became its Prime Minister! Now, Golda was known for her wisdom and her ability to make tough decisions at just the right moment. This skill was put to the ultimate test during a very important time in the Jewish and national calendar: Yom Kippur 1973.
On this day, when most people in Israel were fasting and praying, Golda received some alarming news. The countries surrounding Israel were planning a surprise attack!
Many of her advisors were unsure what to do. Should they warn everyone, in the midst of Yom Kippur, and risk causing widespread panic on the holiest day of the year? Or should they wait a little longer, to first see what might happen next?
Golda knew that sometimes, waiting can be dangerous. She understood that this was a moment when she had to act fast. Even though it was difficult, she ordered the army to prepare immediately. And they did.
Her quick thinking saved many lives. When the attack came, Israel was prepared. It was a hard fight, but because of Golda’s strategy, Israel was able defend itself, and its people, which led to victory.
Good leaders need to know when it’s time to act. Often waiting seems easier and safer, but if a leader has good instincts, courage, and the ability to make tough choices, she will guide her people safely through many challenges.
Parsha Puzzle
Question: Which Kohanim were born to non-Kohen fathers?
Answer: Aharon, the first Kohen, (and first Kohen Gadol) was born to a Levi. His four sons were all born to a Levi also, and only later were all five anointed as Kohanim. Their sons were therefore destined to forever be born Kohanim, sons of Kohanim. But Pinchas, son of Elazar was also already born by this time, so he was specially appointed as a Kohen as a reward for ending the plague.
This question has been adapted from Torah IQ by David Woolf, a collection of 1,500 Torah riddles, available on Amazon.
Parsha Ponderings
What Would You Do?
A new, innovative idea has been proposed to significantly improve your community. But it requires a major change from the current way of doing things and many people are resistant, expressing concerns about the risks. Imagine you are the community leader. How would you approach introducing this idea and gaining the people’s support while also ensuring the community remains unified?
Written as an accompaniment to Rabbi Sacks’ weekly Covenant & Conversation essay, the
Family Edition
is aimed at connecting teenagers with his ideas and thoughts on the parsha.
With thanks to the Schimmel Family for their generous sponsorship of Covenant &
Conversation, dedicated in loving memory of Harry (Chaim) Schimmel.
“I have loved the Torah of R’ Chaim Schimmel ever since I first encountered it. It
strives to be not just about truth on the surface but also its connection to a
deeper truth beneath. Together with Anna, his remarkable wife of 60 years, they
built a life dedicated to love of family, community, and Torah. An extraordinary
couple who have moved me beyond measure by the example of their lives.” — Rabbi
Sacks
The Parsha in a Nutshell Despite escaping Bilam’s curses in last week’s parsha, the Israelites bring disaster on themselves anyway when Moabite women convince some…
The Parsha in a Nutshell Parshat Pinchas completes the episode which began in Parshat Balak: Pinchas had ended the plague that was devastating the Israelites…
Pacing Change
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The Summary
This summary is adapted from this week’s main Covenant & Conversation essay by Rabbi Sacks.
Moshe wanted to ensure that a new leader would be ready to step in after he died. So he requested that God choose someone with the strength to lead Bnei Yisrael. And God chose Yehoshua.
One detail in Moshe’s request to God, however, is puzzling. Moshe asks for a leader who would “go out before them and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in.” That is saying the same thing twice. If you go out before the people, you are leading them out. If you come in before the people, you are bringing them in. Why the repetition? The answer will bring us to one of the great leadership principles.
Human change is very slow, and a leader needs to know when to push people to grow, and when to be patient. Moshe had been too impatient at times. And after the episode of the spies, an entire generation lost their chance to enter Israel. They had shown that they lacked the courage and growth needed to face a prolonged struggle. Moshe was also deemed unfit to lead the people all the way. Only the younger generation, born in freedom, would live to enter the land.
On 13 September 1993, in front of the White House, Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres, and Yasser Arafat shook hands. They signed a treaty intended to carry everyone towards peace. Rabin’s body language that day made it clear that he had many qualms, but he continued to negotiate. Meanwhile, month by month, public disagreement grew within Israel. Many factions were unhappy with the proposed compromises, and civil disobedience began. In 1995 I published an article in support of Rabin and the peace process. Privately, however, I also wrote to him, urging him to spend more time winning the argument within Israel itself. From afar I saw the danger he faced, even from his people.
Then, on 4 November 1995, we heard the news that he had been assassinated. I flew to the funeral in Jerusalem. The day I returned to London I was handed me a letter. “This has just arrived for you.” It was from Yitzhak Rabin, one of his final letters. His reply was three pages long, deeply moving, an eloquent restatement of his commitment to peace. But it was too late.
When times are typical, change can come slowly. But there are situations where a leader’s job is to get people to change, which is the great difficulty. A leader who fails to work for change is not a leader. However, a leader who attempts too much change in too short a time will fail.
That is what Moshe knew when he asked God to appoint a leader “to go out before them and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in.” These were two separate requests. The first – “to go out before them and come in before them” – was for someone who would lead from the front, setting a personal example of being unafraid to face new challenges. That is the more accessible part.
The second request - for someone who would “lead them out and bring them in” - is harder. A leader can be so far out in front that no-one follows. Such a leader has gone out “before” the people but has not “led them out” for people have not followed. His courage is not in doubt. Neither is the vision. What is wrong is his sense of timing. We must be aware of when people are ready.
All too often, when leading from the front, Moshe found people not willing to follow. Realising this, he urged his successor not to make the same mistake. Leadership is a constant battle between the changes you know must be made and the changes people are willing to make. That is why the most visionary of leaders seem to have failed in their lifetime. So it was. So it always will be. But in truth, they have not failed. Their success comes when – as in the case of Moshe and Yehoshua – others complete what they began.
Around the Shabbat Table
Parsha in Passing
Aharon’s grandson, Pinchas, receives a Divine reward for his zealous action in slaying Zimri, a Simeonite leader and his Midianite companion. Hashem grants him a covenant of peace and priesthood.
Another census is taken, calculating all the men aged twenty to sixty: 601,730 are found to be ready to join the army. Instructions are given regarding dividing land among the Israelite tribes and families through a lottery system.
The parsha then shifts focus to the daughters of Tzelafchad, who approach Moshe with a request to inherit their father’s land portion, as he had no sons. Their appeal is granted by God, and becomes part of national inheritance law.
Moshe then begins training Yehoshua as his successor, getting him ready to guide the people into the Promised Land.
The parsha concludes with a comprehensive list of sacrificial offerings: daily offerings and additional ones for Sabbath, the start of each month, and various chaggim, including Pesach, Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Succot, and Shemini Atzeret.
Parsha People
Moshe: A leader who knew when to hand over the reins, guiding Israel through growth and growing pains.
Yehoshua: Strong in his morals, with courage his brand, chosen to blaze trails to the Promised Land.
B’not Tzelafchad: Five wise sisters who took a stand, winning the right to own their own land.
Pinchas: Pinchas’ zeal brought peace to the rabble, earning him a priesthood for all his trouble.
Parsha Practical
The story of the five daughters of Tzelafchad can give us a lot of modern-day ‘food for thought’. In their request for a portion of their father’s inheritance (something that had never been discussed in the Torah before), they weren’t just thinking about their current situation. They were laying the groundwork for generations to come.
Fast forward to today. The principle of fighting for your future still holds. Think about it. Those sisters didn’t just change their fortunes - they believed in a future where their family line would survive and thrive. And they weren’t afraid to stand up for that vision.
Today, our modern-day fight for the future is about Jewish sovereignty in the land of Israel, it’s about maintaining our deep-rooted traditions and customs, and it’s about making sure that our actions are both for all Jews today, and also for the sake of our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, ensuring that they have a beautiful future ahead of them.
Parsha Playoff
Let’s play “Follow the Leader Freeze”. Choose one person to act as leader and perform a series of actions, such as jumping, spinning, or dancing, which the rest of the group must follow. At random intervals, the leader shouts, “Freeze!” everyone must immediately stop moving. Anyone who moves after the “Freeze” command and before the new Action command is out of the game.
Being able to respond quickly is an important part of staying in the game! As for the leader, the challenge is to spot when the followers are best at listening.
Parsha Philosophy
To be an effective leader, one must strike an intricate balance. Rabbi Sacks emphasises that while leaders must have the vision and courage to initiate necessary changes, they must also be attuned to the readiness and willingness of the people they lead. This balance is crucial to ensuring that the changes are successfully adopted without causing discord or rebellion.
Here’s another quote from Rabbi Sacks: “Moshe thought further ahead than anyone else. He knew that real change in human behaviour is the work of many generations. Therefore we must place as our highest priority educating our children in our ideals, so that what we begin they will continue. Until the world changes because we have changed.”
Parsha Parable
To Act or to Wait?
Not too long ago, there lived a remarkable woman named Golda Meir. She wasn’t born in Israel but she loved the country so much that she moved her life there, and then she became its Prime Minister! Now, Golda was known for her wisdom and her ability to make tough decisions at just the right moment. This skill was put to the ultimate test during a very important time in the Jewish and national calendar: Yom Kippur 1973.
On this day, when most people in Israel were fasting and praying, Golda received some alarming news. The countries surrounding Israel were planning a surprise attack!
Many of her advisors were unsure what to do. Should they warn everyone, in the midst of Yom Kippur, and risk causing widespread panic on the holiest day of the year? Or should they wait a little longer, to first see what might happen next?
Golda knew that sometimes, waiting can be dangerous. She understood that this was a moment when she had to act fast. Even though it was difficult, she ordered the army to prepare immediately. And they did.
Her quick thinking saved many lives. When the attack came, Israel was prepared. It was a hard fight, but because of Golda’s strategy, Israel was able defend itself, and its people, which led to victory.
Good leaders need to know when it’s time to act. Often waiting seems easier and safer, but if a leader has good instincts, courage, and the ability to make tough choices, she will guide her people safely through many challenges.
Parsha Puzzle
Question: Which Kohanim were born to non-Kohen fathers?
Answer: Aharon, the first Kohen, (and first Kohen Gadol) was born to a Levi. His four sons were all born to a Levi also, and only later were all five anointed as Kohanim. Their sons were therefore destined to forever be born Kohanim, sons of Kohanim. But Pinchas, son of Elazar was also already born by this time, so he was specially appointed as a Kohen as a reward for ending the plague.
This question has been adapted from Torah IQ by David Woolf, a collection of 1,500 Torah riddles, available on Amazon.
Parsha Ponderings
What Would You Do?
A new, innovative idea has been proposed to significantly improve your community. But it requires a major change from the current way of doing things and many people are resistant, expressing concerns about the risks. Imagine you are the community leader. How would you approach introducing this idea and gaining the people’s support while also ensuring the community remains unified?
DOWNLOAD AND PRINT THE FAMILY EDITION >
Written as an accompaniment to Rabbi Sacks’ weekly Covenant & Conversation essay, the Family Edition is aimed at connecting teenagers with his ideas and thoughts on the parsha.
With thanks to the Schimmel Family for their generous sponsorship of Covenant & Conversation, dedicated in loving memory of Harry (Chaim) Schimmel.
More on Pinchas
Moshe’s Disappointment
Moral vs. Political Decisions
The Crown All Can Wear