From its very foundation, the Israeli nation emerged in a uniquely special way. A collection of people from various nations gathered around an idea, as Maimonides describes in The Book of Knowledge. They learned from Abraham how to connect with one another through kindness and love in order to align themselves with the unity of nature, the single force operating throughout creation. From this spiritual leader onward, leadership was illuminated by love.
Over time, Abraham’s group of students developed. The leaders who followed taught how to deal with the ego, which by nature continually grows and creates distance and rejection between people. On a deeper level, the story of the Egyptian exile symbolizes such a state. The children of Israel became alienated from one another, and when they realized they had to unite, they saw that each person’s ego confined them within themselves. It would not allow connection.
Moses, who spent forty years in Pharaoh’s house and another forty years with Jethro, the priest of Midian, was chosen to free the people from their bondage to narrow egoism. In the language of the Bible, this egoistic force is called “Pharaoh.”
The Midrash tells that while Moses was tending Jethro’s flock in the wilderness, one young goat wandered away to drink from a spring. When Moses saw that the exhausted animal was unable to return to the flock, he carried it on his shoulders and brought it back. In the same way, Moses led the people with compassion and thus earned the title “the faithful shepherd.”
“Let my people go,” he demanded of Pharaoh without fear. He gave everything for the people and fought for their freedom. He understood clearly that as long as they remained under the rule of the ego, they would have no possibility of connecting with one another or with the one force governing reality.
The Torah states: “Now the man Moses was very humble, more than any person on the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3). Moses felt himself small before nature. He sought to learn the laws of perfection embedded in the system of creation and to pass them on to the people of Israel.
Out of that humility, Moses did not see himself as superior to the people or as one who ruled over them by force. Instead, he saw himself as their servant. He lowered himself beneath everyone else so that he could truly feel them. Like loving parents who educate their children with great sensitivity, he guided them with both embrace and restraint, striving to help them grow and develop.
The purpose of a leader is to bring peace to the individual, peace to the nation, and peace to the world. This follows the general law of development discovered by Abraham, a law that leads to connection and completion among all people. Therefore, a leader was also a scholar and a judge. He would guide the people according to both justice and mercy. These two lines of judgment and compassion were always before his eyes, and he would consult with other wise individuals in order to reach the right decisions together.
One who enters a position of such leadership is warned “not to become haughty over his brethren” (Deuteronomy 17:20). A leader must not become proud. They need to remain connected to all the people and work for their unity. A leader whose purpose is to unite everyone does not feel elevated above the people. Such is the nature of connection. It places everyone on equal footing.
Moses was slow of speech and tongue. Unlike leaders whose charisma is expressed through stirring speeches, Moses focused on actions. The lesson is that a leader is measured not by beautiful words, but by deeds.
Moses thought perhaps he was not the right person for leadership, and the same was true of King Saul after him. This characteristic stems from the fact that a true leader is constantly examining himself: “Perhaps there is someone who can perform this task better than I can. I would gladly make room for them.” What matters to him is only the well-being and peace of the people; he has no personal agenda.
Based on “New Life 180 – Leadership, Part 1” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.