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

Retaining Key Employees

Did you ever work for a company you hated to leave? You liked the people, the location maybe even the coffee shop down the road. But somehow all that familiarity that binds you to them does not make you want to stay when a better deal comes along of a monetary or management type role.

Most likely you were well liked and undoubtedly management would like to keep you, especially in this age. One way they could go about this discussion is the way Moshe did it in this week's parsha. Chapter 10:29-32

29. Then Moses said to Chobav the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses's father-in-law, We are traveling to the place about which the Lord said, I will give it to you. Come with us and we will be good to you, for the Lord has spoken of good fortune for Israel.		כט. וַיֹּאמֶר משֶׁה לְחֹבָב בֶּן רְעוּאֵל הַמִּדְיָנִי חֹתֵן משֶׁה נֹסְעִים | אֲנַחְנוּ אֶל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר אָמַר יְהֹוָה אֹתוֹ אֶתֵּן לָכֶם לְכָה אִתָּנוּ וְהֵטַבְנוּ לָךְ כִּי יְהֹוָה דִּבֶּר טוֹב עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל:
30. He said to him, I won't go, for I will go to my land and my birthplace.		ל. וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו לֹא אֵלֵךְ כִּי אִם אֶל אַרְצִי וְאֶל מוֹלַדְתִּי אֵלֵךְ:
31. He said, Please don't leave us, for because you are familiar with our encampments in the desert and you will be our guide.		לא. וַיֹּאמֶר אַל נָא תַּעֲזֹב אֹתָנוּ כִּי | עַל כֵּן יָדַעְתָּ חֲנֹתֵנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר וְהָיִיתָ לָּנוּ לְעֵינָיִם:
32. And if you go with us, then we will bestow on you the good which God grants us.		לב. וְהָיָה כִּי תֵלֵךְ עִמָּנוּ וְהָיָה | הַטּוֹב הַהוּא אֲשֶׁר יֵיטִיב יְהֹוָה עִמָּנוּ וְהֵטַבְנוּ לָךְ:

Moshe invites his father along for the journey of a lifetime. Moshe promises it will be good for his father in law because God has said so. Chobab replies, nah, you go, I'm going to go home and get some sleep.

Moshe then lays out the problem with Chobab leaving could be seen as a benefit to marauders because Chobab knows the encampments. And then Moshe tries again with God will help him, too. The implication of verse 32 is Chobab would not get any sympathy from God once he left.

A serious predicament here but in the end Chobab leaves and Moshe endures 38 more years wandering in the desert. Keep in mind at this point Moshe is about 82 and Chobab must be at least 100 to be his father in law if not more likely 150. Chobab had heard about the miracles god did for Bnei Israel and figured the best times were now behind them and he could go home in peace, presumably to die and be buried in his homestead.

Sometimes the employe needs to go and you are better off letting them because tomorrow they will be enticed again and you would be in the same boat. You can try to promise everything will be better but like Chobab leaving Moshe, they know it is time to go, you should trust their judgement and move on yourself.
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Parsha Behaalotecha in the book of Bamidbar, Numbers 8:1-12:16
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