It is very clear that Moses did not want the job of leadership. This is the basic reason that he was chosen for the job.
D’var Torah – Parashat Shemot: Leadership Through Empathy
In this parashah we encounter one of the most powerful moments in the Torah: Moshe at the burning bush.
Chazal tell us that Moshe did not arrive there by accident. He was shepherding the flock of Yitro, and one small lamb wandered off. Moshe went after it. That alone already tells us something crucial: Moshe cared even for the weakest, the least significant in the eyes of others. A leader who ignores the “small ones” is not fit to lead a nation.
When Moshe reaches the burning bush, God tells him to remove his shoes because he is standing on holy ground. But that ground was not smooth or comfortable. It was jagged, rocky, painful. Moshe stood barefoot on sharp stones.
The message was profound. Moshe had lived a relatively charmed life. He grew up in Pharaoh’s palace, escaped Egypt, married into the family of the Midianite high priest, and lived in safety. But now he was being asked to lead a people who had known nothing but suffering, humiliation, and the lash of slavery. God was teaching Moshe: You must feel their pain. You cannot lead people unless you understand—physically and emotionally—what they have endured.
The Midrash also teaches that the dialogue at the burning bush lasted several days. Moshe resisted the mission again and again. He felt unworthy. He did not want power or authority. His final argument was deeply human: “My older brother Aharon has been leading the people in Egypt. He has suffered with them. How can I come now as the younger brother and take over?”
God reassures him: “Aharon is with you.” And indeed, when Moshe returns to Egypt, Aharon greets him with joy, not jealousy. True leadership is not threatened by another leader—it recognizes what is best for the people.
Everything in Moshe’s life up to this point was preparation. Even his reluctance was part of his qualification. The Torah is teaching us that the best leaders are often those who do not seek leadership, who would rather live quietly, but step forward because responsibility demands it.
History echoes this lesson. George Washington did not want to be president. After one term, he tried to step away, but the nation insisted he stay, because only he could hold it together. Leadership chosen out of duty, not ambition, commands respect.
The Torah’s message is timeless:
A true leader must feel the pain of the people, even if he himself has not suffered in the same way. And often, the most worthy leader is the one who never wanted the job in the first place.
That is Moshe Rabbeinu—and that is the leadership model the Torah gives us to think about.
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