It's not Easy Being the Leader

If you never believed practice makes perfect, would you believe a 120 year old stuttering man would deliver the longest and greatest soliloquy in history?

Orators of days past would love to have the ability to sway a group in such a way.

But who would have guessed he had it in him? Who am I talking about? Moshe.

Chapter 1

1. These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel on that side of the Jordan in the desert, in the plain opposite the Red Sea, between Paran and Tofel and Lavan and Hazeroth and Di Zahav.

א. אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר משֶׁה אֶל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן בַּמִּדְבָּר בָּעֲרָבָה מוֹל סוּף בֵּין פָּארָן וּבֵין תֹּפֶל וְלָבָן וַחֲצֵרֹת וְדִי זָהָב:

This week's parsha starts the farewell speech of Moshe. It will continue on until the end of the Book of Devarim. Lot of words for a man that suggests he has issues speaking. And yet he perseveres up until his death.

You can overcome your fate. Look at his story:

1. Should have drowned as a baby
2. Saved by a Princess
3. Does not know his family for nearly 80 years
4. Raised in the palace
5. Commits a murder
6. Hunted down by the palace
7. Escapes the police to live in exile
8. Gets Married
9. Sees a Flaming Bush that does not burn
10. Speaks to God and God speaks back to him and he lived
11. Told to go save the slaves in the country he fled
12. Finds out at 80 years old, he has a brother who will help him on this journey
13. Puts his trust in God and goes back to the country where he is wanted for murder
14. Demands from the ruler to let an estimated 2million slaves leave
15. Brings 10 plagues on the country and it's people
16. Leaves with the slaves and most of the metals, food, precious gems and other items of value
17. Crosses a river that miraculously splits for him
18. Receives the 10 commandments...twice
19. Watches a golden calf get created and destroyed
20. Wanders around int he desert for 40 years because after 2 years they can not put their trust in him or God
21. And through the next 38 years he puts up with nagging, arguments, civil unrest and demands for food and water
22. Battles numerous giants, nations, people and wins all the ones he took part in
23. Survives a curse by a necromancer
24. Lastly, because he hits a rock instead of speaking to it, gets to die on a mountain top vista overlooking the one goal he had for 40 years

You think you work hard? He had no life balance he was 100% a 24x7 leader...for 40 years.

You may not have all the "luck" Moshe had, but you may live and work long into your later years and you may find there is a better goal in mind in the end than what you started with back when you were young.

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Parsha Devarim in the book of Devarim, Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22
It is said that the Torah or Bible could be interpreted in over 70 ways. More likely these days 100's of ways. In light of this idea, I am writing some posts that bring a business sense to what we can learn on a weekly basis. Enjoy, Shabbat Shalom

Make Your Choice or Have One Chosen For You

Welcome to the anniversary of this blog. It has not quite been a whole year, but the 1st post of this series started with this parsha. As I started to write this one I realized I was focused on the same topic as last year. But there is always something new to find.


All of us at one time or another in business had to go out against all odds and face the wrath of an executive. Sometimes because we are asked, sometime because we are forced.

When God asked Moshe to go to Pharaoh, you know that was not what he wanted. After all, Moshe was wanted for murder and was not really what the palace wanted to see or hear about.

3:10. So now come, and I will send you to Pharaoh, and take My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt."

י. וְעַתָּה לְכָה וְאֶשְׁלָחֲךָ אֶל פַּרְעֹה וְהוֹצֵא אֶת עַמִּי בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרָיִם:

And yet he went, took some coaxing of course, God does have his means. But Moshe tried hard to get out of it. But real leaders face their challenges and take their orders. They try to minimize the problems in advance but they find the strength to carry on.

The executive will succeed but will they be as triumphant as Moshe was when he left Egypt with Bnei Israel?

Some of us live for these moments, others dread them. Make the choices early on or have them made for you. Moshe was on a predefined course few of us will ever reach. Those among us that have planned so much and live for each day knowing what they want to accomplish are few. 

Maybe you will get called to do your duty for your company, maybe not, but keep in mind, your job can't be harder than Moshe's was when you think about it.
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Parsha Shemot in the book of Shemot, 1:1-6:1 It is said that the Torah or Bible
could be interpreted in over 70 ways. More likely these days 100's of ways. In light of this idea, I am writing some posts that bring business sense to what we can learn on a weekly basis. Enjoy, Shabbat Shalom

Mistake? What mistake?

Humbleness in our leaders, of industry or government, is rare. Getting any CEO or executive to EVER admit they made a mistake is pretty rare. Look at all the CEO's that helped kill the company they worked for and walked away with tons of money for doing so. They won't take the blame, but will reap their rewards, deserved or not.

Many people look at Moses as this great leader. Personally I have my doubts many times about this and will eventually write about that more at some point, but for right now he is THE leader.

In what may very well be the shortest Aliyah or section where someone is called up to the Torah reading, 10:16-20, Moses is shown by his underlings, and brother, that even he, the great leader can make a mistake. And how does he accept it?

10:20 - Moses heard [this], and it pleased him. וַיִּשְׁמַע מֹשֶׁה וַיִּיטַב בְּעֵינָיו:

But the translation here is not complete. The Hebrew actually says: "And Moses heard/listened, and it was good in his eyes."

Similar meanings but big differences when thinking about how executives see the world. It does please people when their subordinates shine, but the Torah is telling us the greatness of Moshe to recognize his mistake and humble him, but he saw it was good in his eyes. So we get to see a little bit of the man, the leader.

And so it is in business, sometimes leaders don't see or care what anyone says, their word is the only way. Other times the executive listens to others and concedes their input is better and that is what we all should be striving to do at work and at home.
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Parsha Shemini in the book of Vayikra Leviticus 9:1 - 11:47

It is said that the Torah or Bible could be interpreted in over 70 ways. More likely these days 100's of ways. In light of this idea, I am writing some posts that bring a business sense to what we can learn on a weekly basis. Enjoy, Shabbat Shalom