Parashat Tetzaveh
March 5, 2020
Seth Pertain, High School Judaic Studies Teacher
Leadership is complicated. And in Judaism, it is multivocal. This week, we will read about the commandment to create the role of the priest within our tradition, including the special vestments they are to wear and the role that they should play in society. There is grandeur, pomp and circumstance in everything, ranging from the manner in which their clothes must be fashioned to their inauguration. Eighty-nine verses are dedicated to the topic with only 11 verses touching on other topics. The priests are to be in charge of all religious practices; they are to be the judges; and the people are to use them as resources for understanding what to do whenever questions arise.
However, the irony will appear greatest in this week’s Haftarah. The Shabbat prior to Purim has a special Haftarah that is designed to correspond to the upcoming festival as opposed to relating to the weekly Torah portion. While its content focuses around Haman’s ancestor – Agag – the Haftarah ends up challenging our Torah reading. It starts with Samuel reminding Saul that God had sent him as a prophet to anoint Saul so that he could follow the ways of the Lord. Within the first verse, we are told about two different types of leaders in addition to the one explained in Parashat Tetzaveh – the “prophet” and the “king.” While the Torah originally explains that we should fight the concept of having a king, it concedes that someday the people will want one and God will acquiesce and let a king be appointed. Saul, our first king, is corrupt, ignores God’s will, and in this Haftarah discovers that his failures will imminently lead to his demise. Even though the people wanted a political leader to make them feel secure, our first “political” leader fails.
In his book, Lessons in Leadership, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks points out that “the keywords for the priests were tahor, tamei, kodesh, and chol – ‘pure,’ ‘impure,’ ‘sacred,’ and ‘secular.’ The keywords for the prophets were tzedek, mishpat, chesed, and rachamim – ‘righteousness,’ ‘justice,’ ‘love,’ and ‘compassion.’” The prophet is designed to be the moral compass of the Jewish people. While we read a section of the “Law” every week, we follow it with a selection about our ethics from the prophets.
The three types of leaders in Judaism demonstrate to us just how difficult it is to lead. If we focus only on one aspect of leadership, we are condemned to fail. Saul could only be successful if he listened to Samuel. Neither of them could do their own jobs while also tending to the religious needs of the people. The priests’ power ultimately led to that entire institution becoming corrupt. It is only when our leaders collaborate and share their strengths that we are effective as a people.
Shabbat Shalom.
However, the irony will appear greatest in this week’s Haftarah. The Shabbat prior to Purim has a special Haftarah that is designed to correspond to the upcoming festival as opposed to relating to the weekly Torah portion. While its content focuses around Haman’s ancestor – Agag – the Haftarah ends up challenging our Torah reading. It starts with Samuel reminding Saul that God had sent him as a prophet to anoint Saul so that he could follow the ways of the Lord. Within the first verse, we are told about two different types of leaders in addition to the one explained in Parashat Tetzaveh – the “prophet” and the “king.” While the Torah originally explains that we should fight the concept of having a king, it concedes that someday the people will want one and God will acquiesce and let a king be appointed. Saul, our first king, is corrupt, ignores God’s will, and in this Haftarah discovers that his failures will imminently lead to his demise. Even though the people wanted a political leader to make them feel secure, our first “political” leader fails.
In his book, Lessons in Leadership, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks points out that “the keywords for the priests were tahor, tamei, kodesh, and chol – ‘pure,’ ‘impure,’ ‘sacred,’ and ‘secular.’ The keywords for the prophets were tzedek, mishpat, chesed, and rachamim – ‘righteousness,’ ‘justice,’ ‘love,’ and ‘compassion.’” The prophet is designed to be the moral compass of the Jewish people. While we read a section of the “Law” every week, we follow it with a selection about our ethics from the prophets.
The three types of leaders in Judaism demonstrate to us just how difficult it is to lead. If we focus only on one aspect of leadership, we are condemned to fail. Saul could only be successful if he listened to Samuel. Neither of them could do their own jobs while also tending to the religious needs of the people. The priests’ power ultimately led to that entire institution becoming corrupt. It is only when our leaders collaborate and share their strengths that we are effective as a people.
Shabbat Shalom.