pinchas
parashat pinchus, numbers chapters 25—30
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pinchas
following the leader
The beginning of our parasha is all about Pinchas, the zealot. We talked enough about that last week. So let’s move on.
When thinking about the parashot in general, I try to understand what is happening in its own time, and I also look to see what it means for us today, where we are right now. The transfer of leadership couldn’t be more pertinent, as we look to elect the next president of the U.S.A.
At this point, Moshe, Joshua, and Caleb are the only surviving men of the generation who left Egypt. All those who witnessed the plagues, walked across the sea as it split, and received the Torah at Sinai have died out.
A second census is taken, run by Moshe and Eleazar the Kohen (Aharon’s successor), and the land is divided up fairly, according to the number of members in each tribe.
The issue of whether a woman can inherit land from her father comes up—it’s the first documented feminist uprising. Moshe checks it out with HaShem and it’s agreed: women have the right to inherit.
And … HaShem tells Moshe that he won’t live to cross the Jordan. He is to climb Mount Abarim, take a good look at the land, and lay down and die. Moshe is devastated. He begs for mercy and forgiveness for his sin, for his failure to sanctify God’s name at Zin, when he struck the rock to bring forth water. But HaShem is adamant. Unrelenting.
Who knows the Mind of God? Maybe HaShem had thoughts that went beyond punishment. Maybe it was just time. Moshe was the greatest leader, the greatest prophet, of all time. But he was an old man, now. To lead the Israelites out of Egypt and through the desert was Moshe’s life purpose, and he performed it spectacularly. But now a new chapter was about to begin. No longer would the people be coddled like children, their every need supplied by God-the-Parent. It was time for the next phase of their journey.
For those born into slavery, the requirements of the upcoming challenges were too much to bear. Only those who were born in freedom were ready to fight for, and work for, their freedom. They had their instruction manual. Now it was time for them to grow up, to learn to raise their own food and see to their own needs. As a people, it was time for the next phase of their relationship with HaShem—a partnership.
And it was time for new leadership, someone whose life purpose was only now about to unfold.
Moshe must step down.
Moshe implores HaShem not to leave the people as sheep without a shepherd.
Moshe is hoping that God will appoint his own sons to inherit his role, just as the daughters of Tzelophehad were permitted to inherit from their father. But leadership, if there is to be good leadership, doesn’t work that way. The son of a great king will not necessarily be a great king himself. Leadership needs to be based on merit, and Moshe’s sons don’t merit the job. This is a second major personal disappointment for Moshe.
HaShem chooses Joshua who has been Moshe’s disciple and second in command, who’s been by his side through it all.
This teaching is from the late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks—”There is, within Judaism a profound egalitarian instinct: the concept of a nation of individuals standing with equal dignity in the presence of God.
Korach was wrong less in what he said than in why he said it. He was a demagogue attempting to seize power. But he tapped into a deep reservoir of popular feeling and religious principle. Jews have never been easy to lead because each is called on to be a leader. What Korach forgot is that to be a leader it is also necessary to be a follower. Leadership presupposes discipleship. That is what Joshua knew, and what led to him being chosen as Moses’ successor.”
Before the entire assembly, Moshe stepped aside and consecrated Joshua as his successor, laying his hands upon him and transferring some of his glory. By witnessing this, the people could know with certainty that Joshua was not someone who was self-serving, just looking to grab power. It was clear that Joshua was HaShem’s choice; he was not someone who was picked by Moshe for personal reasons. It’s because of this that they were able to accept Joshua’s leadership.
Rabbi Saks continues … “The Rabbis see themselves as heirs to the Prophets rather than to the Priests. In biblical Israel, the Priests were the primary guardians and teachers of Torah. Why did the Rabbis not see themselves as heirs to Aaron and the Priesthood? The answer may be this: Priesthood was a dynasty. Prophetic leadership, by contrast, could never be predicted in advance. The proof was Moses. The very fact that his children did not succeed him as leaders of the people may have been an acute distress to him but it was a deep consolation to everyone else. It meant that anyone, by discipleship and dedication, could aspire to Rabbinic leadership and the crown of Torah.”
Humans are a diverse species—much more so than any other animal. We have different beliefs, different values, and different needs from one another. This makes us a difficult creature to lead.
So, what’s the take-away for us as we make our choices at the ballot box?
A good leader considers the needs of the rich and the poor, people of various religions and people of no religion, people of prominence and people in the margins. A good leader must value their diversity rather than try to impose uniformity.
A good leader knows how to follow as well as how to lead, taking their cue from the people and keeping pace, not lagging behind nor pushing them forward too quickly.
A good leader is chosen on merit, knowledge, wisdom, competence, and the ability to put the needs of the people ahead of their own interests.
Which candidate best embodies those ideals is for us—for you—to decide.
So, what shall we eat?
One ingredient, with enough natural ability to artfully lead and protect a large group of diverse of ingredients, and keep them all happy and united.
Any leader who can do that can’t possibly be chicken, and yet this one is.
Whole grain rice, with garlicky spinach, (vegan) sausage, mushrooms, and assorted vegetables create a stuffing for skinless and boneless chicken breasts, pounded thin and then rolled in breadcrumbs. They’re lightly pan fried to crisp the outsides, and then finished in the oven. That means all the prep can be done in advance and you can just slide them into a preheated oven when ready to serve them. We’ll hold back some of those mushrooms to make a nice mushroom and wine sauce to dress the cutlets at the end. And yes, I do remember that we had chicken cutlets for last Shabbat, but these are different enough to be a very different dish. And, unless you’re vegetarian, who doesn’t like chicken? When it comes to the breasts, I can be very picky. I abhor dry white meat chicken. These, I promise, are crisp and juicy with a filling that is moist and pleasantly chewy. But what if you are vegetarian? I’ve got an easy alternative. We’ll make that stuffing and top it with crispy breaded tofu planks that have been marinated so that they’re flavorful, then finish them with that same mushroom stuffing. And just to add something green to the plate, I’m going to make my double-cooked Brussels sprouts. First, they’re steamed until they’re tender but not mushy or soggy. Then they’re dressed with olive oil, whole grain mustard, garlic, and maple syrup and roasted until caramelized.
There’s a heat wave across much of the country right now, and Central Florida has not escaped it. I’m thinking a cold soup is in order tonight. And since the local Zellwood corn is so good and sweet right now, I’ll zip over to the farm stand and grab some freshly picked ears. It’s a pareve soup, with a coconut milk base, so it works with whatever else you’re cooking. And it’s super refreshing.
We’re going to start and finish with pears. Why? I bought 4 pears the other day—2 nice firm boscs with beautiful intact stems, and 2 juicy looking bartletts … or at least they looked like they’d be juicy once they ripened. Well, those bartletts went from rock hard one day to half rotten the next. Since I hate to waste food, I’m going to dice the good parts and start the meal with a salad of fresh greens, spiced pecans, and diced pear with a light dressing. As for the boscs, they’re still rock hard. I’m going to poach them in spiced red wine and stuff them with a combination of pistachios and chocolate chips blended into soft blue cheese. If you’re going dairy-free, don’t despair. The recipe will give you a dairy-free option.
To paint the lily, those pears will come to the table with some lighter-than-air crispy pistachio cookies.