Both Moses and Washington were tested on their leadership. Both showed that they did not want the power that came with their positions. They both felt that their job was to lead and when the need for them was over, they stepped down.
Now for a quick devar Torah.
This week’s parsha is Korach. The rebellion of Korach is what might be called a common-sense rebellion. On the surface, Korach’s argument makes perfect sense. He says: We are all holy. The Torah calls us a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. So who are you, Moshe, to place yourself above everyone else? And why is your brother Aharon the High Priest? Isn’t this simply nepotism?
At first glance, it sounds like a reasonable argument. But, as our sages teach, Korach’s true motivation was not equality—it was ego. His real argument was: I should be the leader because I am Korach.
Moshe Rabbeinu was the opposite. At the burning bush, God had to persuade Moshe for seven days to accept leadership. Moshe did not seek power. In fact, he resisted it. Only when he understood that this was his mission from God did he accept the burden and do the best he could.
History teaches us that many rebellions begin with noble slogans but end in tyranny. There is an old saying: “One man, one vote, one time.” A leader promises democracy, gains power, and then never gives it back.
The history of the United States provides an instructive example. In 1783, before the peace treaty with Britain had been signed, the Continental Army was still in the field. Congress had not paid many of the officers for over a year. These men had families and legitimate grievances.
Some officers began discussing a plan to march on Philadelphia and force Congress to pay—or even seize power outright. This became known as the Newburgh Conspiracy.
When George Washington learned of the plot, he asked to address the officers. Many expected him to support them, since throughout the Revolution he had repeatedly pressed Congress to provide for the army.
Washington stood before them and took out a prepared speech. Then he reached for a pair of spectacles and quietly said:
“Gentlemen, you must pardon me, for I have not only grown gray but almost blind in the service of my country.”
Many of the officers had never realized that Washington’s eyesight had deteriorated. The room was moved to tears.
Washington then urged them to reject the conspiracy and submit to civilian authority. He had the power to seize control if he wished. The army loved him. But like Moshe Rabbeinu, he understood that leadership means service, not domination.
After the war, Washington voluntarily returned to his farm at Mount Vernon. When King George III heard this, he reportedly remarked, “If he does that, he will be the greatest man in the world.”
Great leaders know the limits of their power.
Moshe Rabbeinu understood that he was not above the Torah. He was bound by it. His task was to serve as its faithful teacher and guardian, not to override it. Every action had to conform to God’s law.
Korach, by contrast, would likely have treated the law as something to be bent to his own purposes. Moshe never sought ways around the Torah; he sought ways to fulfill it.
Perhaps that is one of the great lessons of Parshat Korach: true leadership is not measured by how much power one possesses, but by how willing one is to place oneself under the rule of law and moral principle.
Something to think about.
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