Tetzaveh
Exodus 27:20-30:10
Deuteronomy 25:17-19
I Samuel 15:2-34
At the time of the signing of the 1995 Israeli-PLO accords (Oslo II), Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres pointed to one dilemma of successful leadership: following the will of the majority or doing what is right. He somberly remarked:
“I don’t know what would have happened if a public opinion poll was taken when Moses left Egypt. My impression is that he may not have enjoyed a majority … Shall we go after the Golden Calf because it is the will of the majority, or should we go to the Promised Land because that is our destiny?”
This week’s Torah portion offers an opportunity to examine what constitutes successful leadership, specifically through the example of Aaron, anointed the first lawful high priest (Ex. 29:9).
A leader must:
1. Step up to difficult tasks: Aaron became the spokesman for Moses and stood by him, holding up Moses’ arms when Moses became exhausted during the battle to defeat Amalek (Ex. 17:10-12).
2. Be held accountable: Aaron offered sacrifices to God before entering the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement in order to demonstrate that people must be held responsible for their sins (Ex. 30:10).
3. Be well connected: Aaron’s marriage to Elisheva daughter of Amminadab (Ex. 6:23) and brother of Nahshon, chieftain of the tribe of Judah (Num. 1:7; 2:3; 7:12,17; 10:14), allied him with the most distinguished Israelite families, the ancestral houses of Aaron and David.
4. Be prepared to do unpleasant things: Aaron executed five of the 10 plagues: blood, frogs, lice, boils and locusts (Ex. 7:19ff, 8:1, 12ff, 9:8; 10:3-6).
5. Communicate in a language that will be understood by others: Aaron and Pharaoh’s courtiers cast their rods to the ground that were transformed into serpents. Although Pharaoh’s courtiers were able to duplicate this tactic, Aaron’s serpents swallowed the serpents of Pharaoh’s courtiers (Ex. 7:8ff). The power of Aaron’s staff is further demonstrated when rods from each of the eleven tribes were laid out over night in the Tabernacle along with that of Aaron’s. The next day, his staff blossomed with flowers, leaves and ripe almonds, confirming his leadership (Num. 17:16ff).
6. Be strong: Aaron demonstrated great courage following the mysterious and untimely death of his sons, Nadab and Abihu. Although filled with grief, Aaron was stoic and continued to fulfill his responsibilities (Lev. 10:1-3).
7. Be willing to take responsibility for errors: the Golden Calf is the most problematic episode in Aaron’s life (Ex. 32ff) because he made no attempt to dissuade the Israelites from building this idol, but instead, fashioned it and proclaimed a religious festival (Ex. 32:5-6). Nevertheless, rabbinic literature heaped praise on Aaron, and poetic portions of the Bible (Psalms 106:19-22; Neh. 9:18-19) played down his role in this event.
8. Shoulder responsibility: Aaron wore the priestly ephod, a short, close-fitting coat that bore two stones with the names the tribes of Israel inscribed on them, in order that “Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord upon his shoulders as a remembrance” (Ex. 28:12). This garment provides a metaphor indicating that leadership requires backbone and strength.
9. Be a peacemaker: Moses is portrayed in rabbinic literature as stern and uncompromising, whereas Aaron is viewed as a reconciler and peacemaker. Because the priestly benediction (Num 6:24-26) was recited by Aaron, he was accorded the role of peacemaker by the rabbinic tradition: “Be of the disciples of Aaron, loving peace and pursuing peace, loving thy fellow creatures and drawing them near to the rule of law (Torah)” (Avot 1:12).
In addition, Aaron was portrayed as having engaged in white lies for the sake of peace, telling each party to a dispute that the other side offered favorable comments about the opposing side (Sanhedrin 6b).
When reading Tetzaveh as well as other sections of the Torah, ancient Israelite leaders provide students of the Torah with a clear model of how to lead responsibly, utilizing compassion, thought and strength.
Stephen S. Pearce is senior rabbi at the Reform Congregation Emanu-El in San Francisco.