Leadership and Power
Authority, kingship, trust, responsibility and the limits of power.
29 articles- Joseph Meets His BrothersFrom the book “In Search of Lost Meaning”
- “He Shall Dwell There Until the Death of the High Priest”From the book “In Search of Lost Meaning”
- Every Person Has His HourThe chief cupbearer forgot Joseph so he would reach thirty, the age required for high office in EgyptFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- Egypt Arms ItselfVe-ḥimmesh means organizing Egypt in a military hierarchy, rather than taking a fifth of its produceFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- Joseph Meets His BrothersJoseph treated his brothers as strangers despite remembering his dreamsFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- Extreme EfficiencyJoseph’s solution suited the Egyptian spirit: cold, efficient, and lacking a moral dimensionFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- Moses’ SonsWhere did Moses’ sons disappear to in his genealogy?From the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- The DeceptionThe three-day journey was a stratagem misleading both Pharaoh and IsraelFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- The Frogs That Did Not Return to the NileThe LORD’s response to Moses’ excessive independenceFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- Israel’s LivestockIsrael’s livestock included asses and camels, but no horses, which belonged only to powerful kingdoms such as the Egyptian empireFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- “The Children of Israel Went Up Armed out of the Land of Egypt”The Israelites left Egypt in an orderly military formation, unlike the stragglers attacked by Amalek outside the campFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- Who Brought the Israelites out of Egypt?The miracles of manna and quails prove that the departure into the wilderness followed the LORD’s command, rather than Moses and Aaron’s initiativeFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- The Feedback MechanismThe people need laws, and the divine law that answers that need remains responsive to their demands for justiceFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- “And God Command Thee So”A result of adopting Jethro’s advice, rather than a requirement for divine approvalFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- How Does the Golden Calf Replace Moses?Aaron saw the calf as a representation of the LORD’s throne, like the ark and its sheltering cherubim; the people saw it as the LORD HimselfFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- The LORD’s Book“Thy book which Thou hast written” is the divine plan for the future, and Moses refuses to participate without IsraelFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- “When a Ruler Sinneth”Only the anointed priest represents the people – neither the prince, the king, nor even Moses himselfFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- Nadab and Abihu’s RebellionLike Korah’s challenge, Nadab and Abihu’s act attempts to undermine the sacred service transmitted through MosesFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- What Does the LORD Require of You?Understanding the LORD’s will requires flexibility and attention to different opinions and interpretationsFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- How Did the Seventy Elders Help Moses?The seventy elders' role was neither organizational nor judicial – they symbolically expressed the people's spirit supporting MosesFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- Who Were the Spies?The spies were young military leaders intended eventually to replace the tribal princesFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- The Alternative TabernacleFrom challenging the forms of worship to establishing a practical alternativeFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- Authority, Trust, and LeadershipMoses' leadership rested on the people's acceptance and trustFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- The Rock and the Staff in Exodus and NumbersAt the journey's beginning, a miracle showing the LORD among the people sufficed; at its end, the central question was whether Moses and Aaron acted in His nameFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- “I Am Not Able to Bear You Myself Alone”A chronicle of shared failureFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- On Leadership and ResponsibilityMoses' Deuteronomy speech emphasizes a leader's responsibility even when he believes he acted correctlyFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- Like All the Nations?The Torah portrays requesting a king as inappropriate and unnecessary, offering instead a weak, limited monarchyFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- “Thy King Whom Thou Shalt Set over Thee”The Torah’s criticism of requesting a king also appears in the first-fruits and curses passagesFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- “The Word Is Very Nigh unto Thee”The Torah is very close to the people because, despite everything, Moses’ educational undertaking succeededFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”