Leadership is a crucial issue throughout society today. In all walks of life – be it business, politics, or social relations – we are looking for leaders, people of vision who can motivate others to focus their energies on a goal and work to attain it. Who is a leader and what type of leadership he promises is the core of the issue that motivated the rebellion which Korach fomented against Moshe described in our Torah reading. Korach came to Moshe with a genuine question,1 “The entire congregation is holy and G‑d is among them, so why do you raise yourself up above the congregation of G‑d?” He was saying that within every Jew is a G‑dly spark, an actual part of G‑d’s Divinity. Given that, how can one person be placed above another? The G‑dly potential we possess is the fundamental equalizer. Once it is accepted that every Jew possesses such a potential, then, seemingly, there is no place for a hierarchy. Moshe did not deny the core of Korach’s argument. Indeed, highlighting the Divine potential that every Jew possesses was fundamental to Moshe’s leadership. However, Moshe recognized that, together with that Divine potential, we all possess natural drives and tendencies which divert our attention and distract us from focusing on that Divine gift. Yes, we are all innately holy. But we also have other innate, natural drives. Because we live in this material world and are confronted with its everyday realities, it is a challenge to bring our inner Divine potential into expression. That is the purpose of Moshe’s leadership – to express our G‑dly potential in the world where G‑dliness is not evident. Coming into contact with a Moshe, a person who has realized his spiritual potential, inspires us to develop our own. Like a burning candle that ignites other combustible material, when the light of one person’s Divine potential shines forth, it will naturally arouse the latent Divinity that exists within others. This is not merely a story of the past. The Zohar, the fundamental text of Jewish mysticism, speaks of “the extension of Moshe in all generations,” explaining that, at all times, there are Jewish leaders who fulfill the function of Moshe and inspire their followers to tap the inner spiritual potential they possess. By developing a connection with such “Moshes,” we are empowered to rise above our individual personalities and cause our innate G‑dly potential to surface.
