SO HOW DO WE HANDLE OUR LEADERS AND SUPERIORS?

Last week, in response to my post “Summoning Up Assistance From the Past” (here and here), Claude Tusk posted a comment that contained a link to Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks’ classic piece “Seven Principles of Jewish Leadership”.  I expressed sadness that Rabbi Sacks had not written a companion piece, "Seven Principles of Coping With Jewish Leadership".

This little exchange set me thinking and, over the past few days, I have been asking myself how Pirkei Avot itself advises us how to cope with our leaders.

The best-known advice on leadership in Avot is not particularly helpful. Rabbi Nechunyah ben Hakanah (Avot 3:6) tells us not to go into government or the employment market—but that is not the same thing at all as dealing with leaders. Shemayah (Avot 1:10) tells us not even to make ourselves known to the authorities and Rabban Gamliel ben Rebbi (Avot 2:2) tells us to be wary of them. But we rarely nowadays have the right or the ability to remain unknown when the leaders, their employees and agents choose to seek us out. And saying “be wary” is an item of general advice at so high a level that we still have to work out what it means in practice in each situation in which we may come into contact with leaders—whether political, communal or religious, for that matter. So what are we left with?

One possibility is the mysterious mishnah at Avot 3:16 where Rabbi Yishmael says:

הֱוֵי קַל לְרֹאשׁ, וְנֽוֹחַ לְתִשְׁחֽוֹרֶת, וֶהֱוֵי מְקַבֵּל אֶת כָּל הָאָדָם בְּשִׂמְחָה

Be yielding to a leader, pleasant to the young, and receive every person with joy.

The translation I have given here would appear to fit the bill perfectly, were it not for the fact that there never appears to have been any consensus as to what the mishnah means. The first two parts of this Mishnah, translated literally, are “Be light to the head, and be at ease before early manhood”.  How do commentators understand them? Here are a few possibilities:

Rashi: Don’t challenge the elders and judges of your city.

R’ Ovadyah Bartenura: Be deferential when serving your Rosh Yeshivah.

R’ Ya’akov Chagiz (Etz HaChaim): Even if you view yourself as the civic leader, make yourself easily accessible to others.

The Chida (Petach Einayim): 1. Be quick to stand up for the Rosh Yeshivah, 2. Be quick to gain control over your head and curb your evil inclination.

R’ Shalom Noach Berezowsky (Netivot Shalom): Cast off the burdens of egotism and the evil inclination while you are young.

None of these explanations, nor any that I have not listed here, really seem to address the issue of how to deal with leaders. So what is left?

At Avot 6:6 we find a baraita that lists the 48 qualities a person requires in order to qualify as a true Torah student. Some of these qualities are specifically related to the methodology of the learning process, while others promote the importance of human qualities that we need whether we are studying Torah or doing anything else. These include the middot of knowing one’s place and being content with one’s lot—and in them may lie the answer to our search.

Knowing one’s place is not just a matter of being submissive; one’s place may involve the exercise of authority within a hierarchy which contains both superiors and juniors. In order to relate successfully to those above and below, knowing one’s place must surely be a key requirement. It involves recognizing and respecting boundaries, providing the right degree of respect and cooperation to those above and being able to offer guidance, assistance, encouragement and admonitions to those below.  

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