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Parasha Pinchas: The Making of a Leader
by Rabbi Jack "Yaacov" Farber
The Scripture readings for the Shabbat of June 29/19 Tammuz are: Bamidbar/Numbers 25:10-30; Yermiyahu/Jeremiah 1:1-2:3; Yochanan/John 2:13-22. Bamidbar {27:15} Moshe spoke to HaSHEM, saying, {27:16} Let HaSHEM, the G-D of the spirits of all flesh, appoint an ish (man) over the congregation, {27:17} who may go out before them, and who may come in before them, and who may lead them out, and who may bring them in; that the Kahilah of HaSHEM not be as sheep which have no shepherd. {27:18} HaSHEM said to Moshe, Take Yehoshua (Joshua) the ben (son of) Nun, an ish in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him; {27:19} and set him before El'azar the cohen (priest), and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight. {27:20} You shall put of your honour on him, that all the Kahilah of the Bnei Yisrael may obey. {27:21} He shall stand before El'azar the cohen, who shall inquire for him by the mishpat judgement) of the Urim before HaSHEM: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the Bnei Yisrael (Children of Israel) with him, even all the congregation. {27:22} Moshe did as HaSHEM commanded him; and he took Yehoshua, and set him before El'azar the cohen, and before all the congregation: {27:23} and he laid his hands on him, and gave him a charge, as HaSHEM spoke by Moshe. Moshe's term in the office of leadership was about to come to a close. G-d had written his final chapter and it was time for him to pass the baton. That is what struck me this year in Parasha Pinchas; the method Moshe used to transfer leadership. Many believers are under the misconception that G-d anoints them as leaders independent of a congregation. They are under the misconception that they do not have to be trained or raised up, from the ground up, to go into leadership. Well that is not the example we are given here in Parasha Pinchas. Let us take at the Biblical example of transfer of leadership we are given. Yehoshua as we learned from Bamidbar 11:28 (Parasha Behaalotecha), was a servant of Moshe from his youth. Never once did he ever rise up against Moshe, and he was always eager to defend Moshe whenever he saw any improprieties within the camp. Yehoshua, although an independent thinker, was a team player. It does not say just how long Yehoshua served under Moshe but we can easily say it was well over four years. Remember he never questioned Moshe's ability to lead nor did he every try to usurp his authority and take over the leadership, neither by rebellion or suggestion. I believe Yehoshua was content just to be a servant and G-d recognized that in him. I think it is important for us to take these scriptures as an example. Leaders are not self made they are chosen, and the choosing is the L-rd's. But what is most important for us to recognize in all this is that the choosing was not done in this case directly between G-d and Yehoshua. You see G-d had already chosen His man to lead Bnei Yisrael, so when it came time to choose Moshe's successor it was done within the context of the congregation. Moshe recognized that a new leader needed to be chosen, he therefore sought G-d's will in who this leader should be. G-d spoke to Moshe and told him to choose Yehoshua. Moshe then consulted with the cohen who also inquired of the leadership of Yehoshua. Only then did Moshe lay hands on Yehoshua and only then was the honour of leadership passed to him. The problem with Gof HaMashiach, (the Body of Messiah) today is that we have too many self proclaimed, self appointed leaders. Men and woman who have not proved themselves as good and faithful servants within the context of a congregation. Who have not been sent out with the blessing of their leader and their congregation. In fact in many cases they do not even have a leader. Instead they choose to be rebels and anoint themselves, claiming that G-d has chosen them and they do not need the laying on of hands by man. But that is not what G-d is telling us here, nor is it what He tells us in the Brit Chadasha (Renewed Covenant). Throughout Scripture we see leaders being appointed by the laying on of hands (Acts 6:3-7), people receiving the power of the Ruach HaKodesh by the laying on of hands (Acts 8:17), and apostles sent out to minister by the laying on of hands (Acts 13:3). What conclusion can we draw from all of this? If you are not prepared to be a committed faithful servant within a congregation, then you are not leadership material!Rabbi Jack "Yaacov" Farber is the spiritual leader of Congregation Melech Yisrael in Toronto, Canada. Copyright 2002
- Romans 1:16, NIV |