ONE MAN OF ALL MEN

PARSHA

SHELAH 06

“Send Ish Ehad Ish Ehad a man one man per tribe… every one a leader among them” (Num.30.2)

The Hebrew Nasi – leader, is a compound of two words, Ayin – nothing, and its opposite Yesh – there is.

Some leaders do not think of themselves, they are neither self-seeking nor self-advancing; their sole consideration is the good of others. Other leaders think that they are the be all; they think only of themselves and whatever they do is for self-advancement.

Moshe was told to choose a leader who is Ish Ehad Ish Ehad, a singular person, humble like him yet one in his uniqueness as a leader. (Otzar HaHayyim).

Nowadays there are do-gooders who with little fanfare devote themselves to acts of Hesed. They inspire the few to carry on with the performance of good deeds, bringing benefit in the long term. It is not uncommon to find leaders who arrive on the scene with a big bang. They blaze away enthusiastically in pursuit of their cause. They may have success in the short term but, overcome by self-ambition, they lose favour and the lustre of their starry brightness fades away.

The true and great leader, the charismatic leader, the person who comes to the fore to change the course of history for the good of mankind, is few and far between. Today we need the Ish Ehad, the one man phenomenon, more than ever to bring us a few steps closer to ultimate peace in times of Mashiah.