First of all, let me highlight the honor it is for me to be the first to be part of this series of Parashah comments. It is an admirable initiative that I am sure will teach us a lot.
This week's Parashah is called Shemot. It's literally the first few minutes of 'The Prince of Egypt': Moses' mother places her son in a basket and leaves him in the river. Little Moses is found by the daughter of the Pharaoh, who decides to raise him as her own son.
The Parashah tells how a few years later, witnessing an Egyptian mistreating a Hebrew, Moses kills the Egyptian. Frightened, he flees to the desert and stays to live there. However, God appears to him in the form of a burning bush and instructs him that he is responsible for liberating his people from the Pharaoh. Moses is compelled to return to fulfill his mission.
There are many lessons, questions, and debates that can be drawn from this story. However, I want to focus on Moses' mission. He is the one who has to save the Hebrew people. Even if he doesn't want to, even if he tries to escape to the desert, he is the leader who has to set them free. And that made me think that one does not always choose to be a leader. Sometimes one does everything possible to become one, but other times one is thrust into the role unwillingly. Similar to Jack Shepard in LOST, who doesn't want to lead the group, but the group appoints him as the leader.
This reminded me of a session I participated in this summer, where we had to discuss Jewish values that identify us. It was a kind of card game in which we had to convince our peers of a specific value. For this mission, a card caught my attention, it said: "In a place where there is no Mensch... Be the Mensch!" In Yiddish, a Mensch is a good, just person. And that seemed very interesting to me. In other words, if we find ourselves in an unjust situation, we have to be the ones to speak up.
This made me think. I've thought about it many times since this summer. Even if one doesn't always want to be the leader, even if one doesn't want to be the one to speak up; if we don't do it, no one else will.
So, this Shabbat, I invite you to reflect on this. To be leaders when it is necessary. And to let others lead when needed. So, be a Mensch when there is no one else.
Shabbat Shalom!
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