It is easy to judge others. We say to ourselves (and to others), if I were in that situation, I would have done that differently. While hindsight is 20/20, we still believe that our way would have been the right way. Yet, when deciding what the right way really is, we must keep in mind that person’s role in the situation.
Leaders are often judged the most—did they or didn’t they do the right thing? But how would we fare if we were in their shoes?
In this week’s Torah portion, Shemini, we learn a true lesson in leadership from Aaron, the High Priest.
Aaron, immediately after bringing the offerings on the special day of consecrating the Mishkan, watches as right in front of his eyes a G-dly fire descends from the heavens and consumes his offerings. This is not only the first time that this has happened; it is much more than that. This is a sign to him personally, and to the Jewish people as a whole, that G-d has forgiven them for the sin of the Golden Calf. Aaron, himself, was (partially) a party to this sin. You can just imagine the sighs of relief and the jubilant cries of “wow, we made it!” that followed. We are finally forgiven and absolved from our sin.
At this critical moment, Aaron doesn’t turn to G-d—he turns to the Jewish people and blesses them.
His blessing is not used as an opportunity to regain his personal popularity or to establish his position as the Kohen Gadol, the High Priest. In that case, he would be able to take all the credit for being the one who pulled the Jews out of the slump and brought G-d’s presence back to the Jewish people. Instead, he diverts attention away from himself and directs the Jewish people’s attention toward G-d when he says, “Let G-d bless the Jewish people and elevate them to a higher spiritual status.”
This is the sign of a true leader. He did not take advantage of this opportunity for his own benefit; rather, he utilized the moment to bring all the Jews closer to G-d.