La parashá Vayelej presenta uno de los momentos más agridulces de la historia de la Torá: la despedida de Moshé del pueblo judío. Por un lado, estamos a punto de entrar en la tierra de Israel, algo más que increíblemente importante y especial en nuestra existencia como pueblo judío. Por otro lado, nuestro líder de toda la vida, Moshé, nos abandona y pasa el testigo a Josué. Además de enseñarnos sobre la emuná, o fe en D-s, a través de las consecuencias del incidente de Moshé con la roca, esta transición contiene una lección muy importante sobre el liderazgo.

As Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks points out, Moshe stresses the importance of consistently having the support and the backing of the people. Moshe himself, suffered several times throughout his life from not having the support of all his people. This was especially true when Korach led a rebellion against Moshe. As Joshua was set to take over the mantle of leadership, this was to be a crucial lesson for Joshua and any future leader in whatever setting; to remember that a leader is nothing without those they lead, and that having the popular consent or respect is crucial. As any BBYO teen on a board will tell you, being elected to serve requires trust in you from your peers, and it is only fair that an elected leader works to best help those who entrusted them with the duty, something Moshe teaches Joshua, and a lesson that we can all carry on in our day-to-day leadership.

While to Moshe, this was the most essential key to being a successful leader, G-d, however, has a different lesson for Joshua. G-d took the more assertive route, assuring Joshua that people often disagreed and caused unnecessary problems. G-d reinforced the idea of strong leadership, reminding Joshua that as a leader, he need not always consult the people. After all, people often lack awareness, as seen in the incident with the golden calf. In BBYO terms, always deferring to your peers instead of taking an assertive stance yourself is sometimes a recipe for disaster, as there will be times when you need to make unpopular or difficult decisions, often without the support of everyone.

Aunque se trata de estilos de liderazgo muy diferentes, pueden y deben coexistir. Dejarse guiar por estos fundamentos complementarios del liderazgo y su relación de tipo yin-yang es la forma más eficaz de convertirse en un líder versátil y poderoso. Los líderes deben dar un paso al frente en el momento oportuno con firmeza y autoridad, pero también deben consultar con sus pares para asegurarse de contar con el consentimiento y el apoyo de aquellos a quienes representan o gobiernan. Incorporar un equilibrio entre el control y la consulta no solo te convertirá en un líder como nunca antes, sino que también es una habilidad crucial para tener éxito en la vida.

Shabat Shalom,

Luiz Gandelman

99th Grand Aleph Mazkir, Miami