A True Leader Can't Have His Head In The Clouds

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In this week's parsha, Shelach, Moshe sends spies into Canaan, and it says that "He called Hosheah the son of Nuun, Yehoshua," Moshe changed his name. On this verse the Talmud tells us that he prayed for Yehoshua, "G-d should save you from the advice of the spies."

The spies were all righteous at the time, otherwise Moshe wouldn't have sent them. It begs the question. Why did he feel the need to pray for Yehoshua, "G-d should save you from the advice of the spies."? And if he had a feeling that something bad was going to happen, why did he only pray for Yehoshua, why not pray for all of the spies?

Love for your fellow is one of the greatest Mitzvos, and it is the foundation of all the Mitzvos, as the Talmud Yerushalmi tells us that Rabbi Akiva said, "this is a great rule of the Torah."

About the love for your fellow, the Talmud tells us a story that convert came before Shamai and said, "teach me the whole Torah (while standing) on one foot." Shamai chased him out with a measuring stick. Then he came before Hillel said the same thing, "teach me the whole Torah (while standing) on one foot." Hillel said, "What is hateful to you, don't do to your friend, everything else is an explanation."

We have to understand that because Hillel gave him this answer, it means that it is true, so why didn't Shamai respond the same way?

Shamai was a tzadik and commonly by tzadikim they are not of this world, they are here, but they are drawn to the above, and really don't want anything to do with this world. Therefore they are very strict and measured in the way they do everything, not wanting to partake in even the simplest pleasure. And they often don't understand why a person would want to work, do business or for that matter, have anything to do with this world other than serving Hashem. Shamai was very strict and measured, and didn't see why everyone else shouldn't be the same, he didn't see that the average person is not able to be like him, so strict and measured, that is symbolized by him chasing him out with a measuring stick. His students, Beis Shamai, were the same, they were tzadikim that didn't relate to the average person, that is why the law doesn't follow their ruling in most cases.

Hillel, on the other hand, was the leader of his generation and the leader of a generation has to relate to the average person. The same is with his students, Beis Hillel, they were also tzadikim, but they were able to relate to the average person, that is why the law follows their ruling in most cases.

The Zohar tells us that three tzadikim were in a generation that were not up to par, Noach, Avraham and Moshe.

Noach didn't go out to the people of his generation to teach them the right way, only when they came to him and asked him why he is building the ark, did he tell them that Hashem was going to send a flood to destroy them, because they are wicked and perhaps they should change their ways.

Avraham went out to the people of his generation and taught them about Hashem, but he was only interested in turning them into tzadikim, otherwise they weren't good enough. As we see how he pleaded with Hashem to save Sodom and Amora, " perhaps there are ten tzadikim," otherwise they weren't worth saving.

Moshe, on the other hand, was the first faithful shepherd of the Jewish people, and he lead the generation of the desert, whom he took out of Egypt and when they did the sin of the golden calf, he asked for everyone to be forgiven, and if not, "erase me from your book." And the Midrash tells us that one of the reasons that he didn't enter the Holy Land is so he would remain with his generation, of which Rabbi Akiva, the great lover of the Jewish people, said, "the generation of the desert has no portion in the world to come," Moshe stayed with them so that he could fight for them to receive a portion in the world to come. He was a faithful shepherd to the end and he still is.

The spies were tzadikim, they were above, strict and measured, they didn't want to deal with the physical world. When they saw the land they realized that in order to succeed in this land, they would have to plow, sow, reap and harvest. They couldn't understand why anyone would want to do that when they could live in the utopia that they had in the desert, where they had manna from heaven to eat, water from the well of Miriam to drink, their clothes grew with them and were kept clean automatically and they could serve Hashem without worry. That is what they wanted, they couldn't relate to the average person.

Moshe knew that Yehoshua was going to be the next leader of the Jewish people, he couldn't be like the other spies, he had to relate to the people of his generation and he had to lead them with their mission in mind that they should make a home for Hashem in the physical world. How can they do that if not by engaging in the physical world, plowing, sowing, reaping, and harvesting, to name a few. So that is why he prayed for Yehoshua and not the others, because he had to be more than the other tzadikim, he had to be the leader of a generation, he had to feel the needs of the people and the mission they have to accomplish.

The lesson here is clear, we should be like Beis Hillel, feel the needs of our brothers and sisters, and step up the mitzvah of loving your fellow, especially now when Moshiach is almost here. We can bring it ever closer, especially through this mitzvah. May he come soon. 

Dedicated in honor of the Rebbe, whose yortziet is this coming week. A true leader of our generation, a faithful shepherd.