Leadership: Consensus or Command?
Family Edition

The Summary

This summary is adapted from this week’s main Covenant & Conversation essay by Rabbi Sacks.

A great transition is about to take place. Moshe’s career as a leader is coming to an end. Yehoshua’s leadership is about to begin. Moshe blesses his successor. Then God does. There is a tiny but very revealing difference between the words Moshe and God use. Moshe uses the verb tavo, “go with”. God uses the verb tavi, “bring.” It is the slightest of nuances, but Rashi tells us the words are worlds apart. They refer to two utterly different styles of leadership. Moshe advises Yehoshua to lead by consultation and consensus. God tells Yehoshua to lead firmly and with authority. Even if people do not agree with him, he must lead from the front. Be clear. Be decisive. Be forceful. Be strong.

Now this is a strange comment if we consider the over-arching leadership styles of God and Moshe. First of all, listen to the words used by God right before the creation of humanity. He said: “Let us make man in our image after our likeness.” To whom is God speaking and why? Rashi says that God was consulting with the angels, not because He needed their help or advice: clearly He did not. He had already resolved to create humankind. But He wanted to show them respect, and to show us – the readers – the fundamental truth that greatness goes hand in hand with humility. So God acted then according to the advice Moshe now gives Yehoshua, as Rashi explains tavo to mean, “Make sure that the elders of the generation are with you. Always act according to their opinion and advice.”

On the other hand, Moshe acted the way God advised Yehoshua to do. “If necessary, take a stick and beat them over the head.” Is that not figuratively what Moshe did at Kadesh, when he beat the people with his words and hit the rock with his staff to get water, for which he was condemned by God not to enter the Promised Land?

So God’s words seem to be more in keeping with Moshe’s style of leadership – firm, strong, decisive – and Moshe is advocating the kind of leadership that Rashi associates more with God. Why the switch-around?

Perhaps Rashi is telling us something profound. At the end of his life, Moshe recognised one great failure of his leadership. He had taken the people out of Egypt, but he hadn’t taken Egypt out of the people. He had changed his people’s fate, but he hadn’t changed their character. He now sees that for this to happen they need a different kind of leader, one that will hand back responsibility to the people as a whole, and to the elders in particular.

So long as there is a Moshe performing miracles, the people do not have to accept responsibility for themselves. In order for them to grow, Yehoshua will have to engage in participative leadership, encouraging diverse views and listening to them, even if it will mean going more slowly.

That transformative leadership requires the leader to engage in what the kabbalists called tsimtsum, self-effacement. Limiting your own power to allow for others to also play a role. Listening to the other elders, as Rashi says.

As for God, He was not changing His mind. He was not suggesting that Yehoshua should become an authoritarian leader. He was teaching Yehoshua to recognise when he would need to do this. “Be strong and courageous” He says, “for you will bring the Israelites into the land...”

Recall the episode of the spies, when the people lacked the faith and courage to enter and take possession of the land. Two men – Yehoshua and Calev – stood firm, insisting against the other 10 spies, that they could conquer the land and defeat their enemies. God was saying to Yehoshua, when you are about to cross the Jordan, the people are in danger of giving way to fear, just as they did before. You must stand firm against the majority, and lead them through. Your leadership will need firm resolve, not consultation. That is when “it will all depend on you...” Sometimes even the most consensual leaders must lead from the front and bring the people with them.

There is a time to discuss and a time to act, a time to seek agreement and a time to move ahead without waiting for agreement. That is what both God and Moshe were telling Yehoshua in their different ways. A leader must have the courage to lead, the patience to consult, and the wisdom to know when the time is right for each.

Around the Shabbat Table

1. What do you think are the main differences between the leadership styles of Moshe and Yehoshua? 
2. Why do you think the incident of the spies was so formative for Yehoshua’s leadership?
3. What are some unique traits that you embody that would contribute to strong leadership?

Parsha in Passing

This week highlights some key Jewish principles. Nitzavim begins with the unity of Israel, emphasising that all people—from leaders to labourers—stand together before God. Moshe speaks of a future redemption, where even if exiled, God will gather the Jewish People from the farthest places and bring them back to their land. The Torah is described as accessible, not distant or unreachable, but close, in our mouths and hearts, so we may live by it. Finally, the parsha highlights the importance of freedom of choice, presenting life and goodness versus death and evil, urging us to “choose life” by following God’s ways. 

Vayelech describes Moshe’s final day of life. At 120 years old, he tells the people he can no longer lead them and hands over leadership to Yehoshua. Moshe completes the writing of the Torah and entrusts the scroll to the Leviim for safekeeping in the Aron. The mitzvah of hakhel is introduced: every seven years, during Succot, all of Israel must gather at the Beit HaMikdash to hear the king read from the Torah. The parsha ends with a warning that Israel will stray from God and promises that the Torah will never be forgotten by their descendants.

Parsha People

Moshe: Our greatest teacher paved the way, his final words a guiding ray.

Yehoshua: ‘Shua’s way was bold and clear, he led with courage, never fear.

Hakhel: A law that gathers one and
all, to hear the Torah and stand up tall.

The King: Each king of Israel would read out loud, with regal voice he lifts the crowd.

Parsha Practical

A very practical mitzva that comes from this double parsha is the idea of hakhel, which commands all the people from the entire community of Israel to gather together once every seven years to hear the Torah being publicly read out land. 

Nowadays we no longer have a Beit Hamikdash or a king of Israel to lead the reading. So how can we still take practical steps that honour this mitzvah? 

There are many ways that we can create moments of communal gathering to study Torah, share ideas, and strengthen our values. In fact, this is something we already have embedded into our routine every Shabbat!  

• What role might a leader play in organising such a gathering? What are things that leaders need to consider when gathering a community together?

Parsha Playoff

Let’s play Leader Charades! One person takes on the role of the leader and acts out various actions or mimics animals without speaking, while the rest of the group guesses what they are doing. For example, the leader might pretend to swim, jump like a frog, or fly like a bird, and everyone tries to follow or guess the action. After a few rounds, the next person becomes the leader and continues with new actions.

This game combines the fun of charades with the elements of leadership and following directions, making it a lively and engaging way to practice teamwork and communication.

Parsha Philosophy

What traits make the best type of leader? That is the question that we open up this week’s essay with. And it seems like we have two different leadership styles to consider.

Moshe encourages Yehoshua to lead by involving others and listening to their opinions, while God tells Yehoshua to be strong and lead with authority when necessary. Effective leadership involves both approaches: knowing when to listen and consult with others, and when to make firm decisions on your own.

Moshe realised, toward the end of his life, that to truly change his people, they needed to take responsibility for themselves. God’s message to Yehoshua was that, in certain moments, like entering Israel, a leader must be decisive and lead with strength, even against opposition. True leadership is balancing consultation with decisive action.

• What kind of leadership style do you prefer? Which style do you tend towards when you lead others?

Parsha Parable

New Leader, New Direction

A few years ago, a man named Satya Nadella became the new leader of a big tech company called Microsoft. Microsoft was going through a tough time and desperately needed some fresh ideas and a new kind of leader. Satya knew he had a big job ahead of him.

First, Satya decided to listen to everyone at Microsoft. He talked to people who worked there and asked them what they thought could be improved. He knew it was important to begin by listening to their ideas and discovering what they were worried about. The people in the team saw from his behaviour that he cared about their opinions, and felt heard. 

It was a similar approach to how Moshe wanted Yehoshua lead when he became the leader of Bnei Yisrael, including others and listening to the people. 

But Satya also had some important decisions to make. He decided that Microsoft should focus on new technologies like cloud computing, which helps people store and use their information online. He worked hard to change the company’s direction and make sure everyone knew where they were going. And it worked! 

Satya’s story teaches us that being a great leader means listening to others and also making clear decisions when needed. This is not always an easy thing to do. But with this dual approach, he helped the become team happy again, and Microsoft flourish.

Parsha Puzzle

Question:
What does parshat Vayelech have in common with Bereishit, Lech Lecha, Metzora, Pinchas and Chukat?

Answer: These six parshiyot are the only ones that contain positive mitzvot, but no negative mitzvot. Bereishit and Lech Lecha have one mitzva each, Metzora has eleven, Chukat has three, Pinchas has six, and Vayelech has two.

Parsha Ponderings

What Would You Do?

Your school announces a new rule that some students don’t like. As a student leader, how would you address the concerns of your peers while supporting the school’s decision?

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