Spark of Jewish Experience

‘You may set a king over yourselves’ (Devarim 17:15), G-d told Moshe. Take Yehoshua the son of Nun, a man of spirit’. Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz teaches us in the book, Sichot Mussar, the Torah is pinpointing the particular quality, which determined the selection of Yehoshua as the leader of the Jewish people, who would bring them into the land of Israel. We know that Moshe was denied entrance into the chosen land and therefore his replacement would have a crucial and monumental task in this pilgrimage. The leader after Moshe would have huge shoes to fill knowing that Moshe was considered the greatest leader we ever had. Although in hindsight, Yehoshua was an excellent leader, why was he chosen to take over for Moshe? There were far greater men than Yehoshua. In fact, the Baal Haturim, in his analogy of the Torah text, determines that there were thousands greater then him.

The Torah defines Yehoshua’s attitude for leadership as ‘a man of spirit’. What is the quality of ‘spirit’ that makes it the key qualification in assuming the mantle of leadership of Israel? Rashi, one of the main commentaries on the Chumash, defines it as: he is capable of adopting himself to each person in accordance with his personality. This was the intent of Moshe’s request. ‘Master of the Universe, each person’s disposition is manifest to You and they are not similar. Appoint a leader who will be able to tolerate each one according to his disposition. (Rashi, Bamidbar 27:16)

If one notices, this is a quality that many politicians seek to emulate. All too often we see presidential candidates set up a cameo scenario where they go to a blue color fast food restaurant, in the heart of America, jacket off and rolled-up sleeve and no utensils, having a hamburger with big Jim. The camera catches the candidates joking, schmoozing and knee-slapping, having a good time, like good old buddies. The candidate is painting a picture of ‘a man of spirit’; showing the voters that he can mingle with anybody.

Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz teaches us that one can achieve this leadership quality by mastering tolerance. Apparently, it is difficult to wear many different hats; one has to have patience and tolerate many difficult personalities as well as different social levels which can contradict your style of living. Then, after mastering tolerance (like a parent), he will be able to make the adjustment and achieve ‘spirit’, by having the ability to transform himself temporarily into that kind of social level. Perhaps then, it will be easy to ‘switch gears’ and even speak and act like the person whom he’s trying to accommodate.

Yehoshua was a master in his ability to accommodate each individual to his social needs. All of the Israelites felt comfortable with Yehoshuah bin Nun believing he’s their own kind, a man of spirit.

           Can you believe the summer is coming to an end? It went so fast! It was just yesterday that I wrote about the excitement of anticipating having Marino’s Ices during those long summer hot days. I’ve been pushing off mentioning this fond memory, but does anybody remember Howard Johnson’s ice cream? My parents and I would walk on a warm evening to HoJo’s and meet others from our small close knit community and have pistachio ice cream. Back then, Queens was more suburbia and the white building with the red roof, which Howard Johnson’s was known for, like many stores like it, was a block long, situated around a beautiful landscape. Today they would never allow such valuable real estate to be wasted on a one-floor ice cream parlor; they would carve up the space into a ten-story office building and have a couple of flower plants at the front entrance. The past is a memory; summers come and go and time doesn’t wait; it just marches on.

Rabbi Avi Matmon