Comparison of Moshe Aharon and Nachshon

1. Echoes of Eden
Rabbi Ari Kahn
Parashat Vera 5775
Lessons in Leadership
As we endure yet another election season, leaders and leadership are on
our minds – as they have been since the birth of our nation.
Of all the leaders the Jewish People has enjoyed or endured, Moshe was
one of the greatest, and one of the most reluctant. From the outset,
Moshe doubted both his suitability and his ability to speak for the
people, or to the people. Words did not come easily to him. What sort of
leader would he be without eloquence and elocution? God had to cajole
and practically plead with Moshe, and to appoint his brother Aharon as
his assistant, to convince Moshe to accept the job. Even so, Moshe
continued to question his own leadership, and occasionally tried to
return his mandate.
As the story of the exodus unfolds, we might wonder if Moshe actually
had “the right stuff” for the job: As he feared, upon arriving in Egypt, the
Israelites rejected him, and Moshe questioned how he would manage to
sway Pharaoh if he was unable to convince even the Israelites. (6:12)
Perhaps Aharon, the older brother, the man who spoke the language of
the people and to whom they turned for counsel and comfort, would have
been a better choice? Apparently not: When push finally came to shove
and Aharon was forced to take the reins
in Moshe’s absence – the result was the
Golden Calf. Aharon had charisma,
eloquence and the common touch, but
he could not stare down an angry mob.
There is, however, a third leadership
model to be found in this week’s Torah
portion; mentioned in passing, it slips by
almost unnoticed. In the midst of
Moshe’s repeated attempts to demur
(6:12 and 6:30) we find a short, select
1
Aharon
had
charisma,
eloquence
and
the
common
touch,
but
he
could
not
stare
down
an
angry
mob

2. genealogy of those destined to leave Egypt, culminating in Aharon’s
nuclear family. This genealogy is intended to establish Aharon’s
credentials, but the list is not what we would have expected. Describing
Aharon’s family, a unique formulation is used: Not only is Aharon’s wife
Elisheva mentioned, which is somewhat out of the ordinary, but so is her
father, and, most unusual of all, her brother:
Aharon married Nachshon's sister, Elisheva daughter of Aminadav.
She bore him Nadav, Avihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. [6:23]
Noting this anomalous formulation, Rashi explains that Elisheva’s
brother Nachshon is included in order to teach us a life lesson: When
choosing a spouse, bear in mind that the children will inherit personality
traits from their mother’s brothers.
What do we know about Elisheva’s brother Nachshon? He, too, was a
leader, but his leadership differed from that of Moshe or Aharon: While
Moshe was reticent, Nachshon was a descendant of the charismatic
Judah, known for being direct, even impetuous. While Aharon led with
words, Nachshon led with deeds: He was the first of the tribal leaders to
bring an offering the day the Tabernacle was consecrated, because, the
Midrash tells us, he had been the first to leap into the sea. Pursued by
the Egyptians, with their backs to the water, Nachshon was the first to
take a leap of faith, leading the Israelites into the Red Sea before it split
to clear a pathway for their escape. (Bamidbar Rabbah 13:7) Nachshon is
the prototype for commanders who lead by example, jump first into the
fray and cry, “aharai!” - “Follow me!”
For his bravery and faith, for leading by example, Nachshon was
rewarded the day the Tabernacle was consecrated. Once again, he was
first.
But something else happened on that day: Two of Aharon’s sons were
consumed by a heavenly fire. Without waiting for instructions or
permission, they brought an unsanctioned offering. When viewed
through the prism of Rashi’s haunting comments, we begin to see their
impetuous behavior from a new perspective: They had, indeed, inherited
their uncle Nachshon’s personality traits, but unlike him, they had
misused their gifts. To be sure, there is a time and a place for this type of
Echoes of Eden

3. leadership, but Nadav and Avihu were
led astray by this same impetuousness,
and were consumed by their own desire
to blaze new trails. On the very same
day Nachshon was rewarded, his
impressionable nephews followed his
example, leaping forward – with
disastrous results.
This, then, is the third model of
leadership in Parashat Va’era: Nachshon
was charismatic, idealistic, strong and
brave, but lacked self-restraint. His style
of leadership was exciting, energizing – and somewhat dangerous.
Aharon was eloquent and popular, but he was also non-confrontational,
and lacked the strength to lead. In the final analysis, Moshe’s hesitation
and humility make him more attractive as a leader. He was never
interested in the spotlight or the trappings of leadership; he assumed the
role thrust upon him out of a sense of responsibility. He was convinced,
after some effort on God’s part, that no one else could get the job done.
Moshe made up in competence what he lacked in charisma.
This
essay
originally
appeared
in
The
Jerusalem
Report
January
26th
2015
For
a
more
in-­‐depth
analysis
see:
http://arikahn.blogspot.co.il/2015/01/audio-­‐and-­‐essays-­‐parashat-­‐vaera.html
Echoes of Eden
Nadav
and
Avihu
were
led
astray
by
this
same
impetuousness,
and
were
consumed
by
their
own
desire
to
blaze
new
trails.