Comments on: Leading From Behind http://www.cross-currents.com/archives/2007/12/19/leading-from-behind/ A Journal of Jewish Thought and Opinion Sun, 20 Jul 2008 01:21:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Baruch Horowitz http://www.cross-currents.com/archives/2007/12/19/leading-from-behind/#comment-352058 Baruch Horowitz Fri, 21 Dec 2007 06:01:24 +0000 http://www.cross-currents.com/archives/2007/12/19/leading-from-behind/#comment-352058 "Sometimes the demands made by the leadership (whether it be in life-goals, stringent application of halachah, or other areas of Jewish life), cannot be met by every member of the community.... Perhaps the Jewish world would profit from a few more ‘Dans’ to gather the strugglers and bring them home..." Rabbi Emanuel Feldman in “Tales Out of Shul” makes a somewhat similar contrast between leaders in the Torah, but his contrast is regarding the leadership styles of Moshe and Aaron, and concludes that a contemporary rabbi needs to fuse both aspects of leadership. I would also add that Moshe prayed that Hashem appoint a successor who will be able to understand the different needs of each person. Regarding the current gap between leaders and followers which exists for some, it’s a problem which needs to be dealt with, although I’m not sure how. It’s true that humans naturally value personal autonomy, but not every problem in this regard can be completely attributed to the Korach paradigm(speaking again of Biblical models). “Sometimes the demands made by the leadership (whether it be in life-goals, stringent application of halachah, or other areas of Jewish life), cannot be met by every member of the community…. Perhaps the Jewish world would profit from a few more ‘Dans’ to gather the strugglers and bring them home…”

Rabbi Emanuel Feldman in “Tales Out of Shul” makes a somewhat similar contrast between leaders in the Torah, but his contrast is regarding the leadership styles of Moshe and Aaron, and concludes that a contemporary rabbi needs to fuse both aspects of leadership. I would also add that Moshe prayed that Hashem appoint a successor who will be able to understand the different needs of each person.

Regarding the current gap between leaders and followers which exists for some, it’s a problem which needs to be dealt with, although I’m not sure how. It’s true that humans naturally value personal autonomy, but not every problem in this regard can be completely attributed to the Korach paradigm(speaking again of Biblical models).

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