Leadership: Influence Vs. Power
The Rebbe encouraging the display of Jewish pride and identity at a Lag Ba'omer rally in 1957
Over the past decade, social media influencers have risen to prominence by sharing inspiring anecdotes or insightful knowledge and expertise on specific topics. They regularly post about their preferred topic on various social media platforms, attracting large followings of enthusiastic and engaged individuals who closely pay attention to their perspectives. Brands are fond of social media influencers because they have the ability to create trends and encourage their followers to purchase the products they endorse.
This phenomenon, which involves ordinary people from diverse demographics and geographic locations, exerting significant influence on society, has been a growing trend in recent history. In fact, since the democratization of Western civilization, the power of leadership and influence has shifted considerably from exclusive domains such as autocratic regimes, monarchy, magnates, and academic elites to the hands of everyday individuals.
While power is a means of control, influence empowers others. A great leader is characterized by their care for each individual and their ability to influence constituents to realize their potential for the greater good.
In 1968, as a college student at Cambridge University in England, Jonathan Sacks decided to visit the United States and meet with the greatest of America's Rabbis.
During his visit, every Rabbi he met told him that he had to meet the Chabad-Lubavitch Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson. After scheduling a meeting, Rabbi Sacks, who was by then in Los Angeles visiting family, took a Greyhound bus for 72 hours back to New York.
At their meeting, following an intellectual, philosophical conversation, Sacks recalled, “the Rebbe started asking me questions. 'How many Jewish students are in Cambridge? How many get involved in Jewish life? What are you doing to get other Jewish students to join in Jewish life?' ”
He had not prepared for this. He had come to interview the Rebbe – and to his surprise, the Rebbe turned the tables on him.
So Rabbi Sacks tried to defend himself, saying, “In the situation in which I currently find myself…”
The Rebbe cut him off mid-sentence with a statement that changed his life: “No one finds themselves in a specific situation. You put yourself into a certain situation and you can put yourself into another situation.”
What the Rebbe taught him was that he didn't need to accept the situation as it was but rather he could change it. Sacks added that it was at that moment that he arrived at a deep understanding: Every leader had tried to turn him into a follower, but the Rebbe, on the other hand, was inspiring him to become a leader.
Sacks returned to finish his studies in Cambridge and eventually rose to become the Chief Rabbi of Great Britain, inspiring hundreds of thousands of people around the globe.
In this week's Torah portion Korach, we learn about Korach's attempted rebellion against Moses and Aharon and his ultimate failure. Korach was a relative of Moses and Aaron and challenged their leadership by saying, “You take too much upon yourselves, for the entire congregation are all holy, and the Lord is in their midst. So why do you raise yourselves above the Lord's assembly (Numbers 16:3)?”
Seemingly, Korach's complaint is legitimate. Since the people are all holy, each one of them possesses a spark of G‑dliness, why should one person be raised above everyone else? Why then did G‑d support Moses and Aaron?
The resolution to these questions depends on our understanding of the dynamic of leadership. Certainly, the entire nation was holy and good, but to express that holiness, the people needed to be motivated and inspired. That requires a leader, a Moses, who is devoid of an ego and is endowed with a general soul which is connected to every Jew of the generation.
True leaders empower us to recognize our own potential and express them on a daily basis.
On the evening of March 7th, 1960, a group of college students affiliated with Hillel gathered in the Rebbe's room for a private audience. During the audience, one of the students asked the Rebbe, "What is the function of a Rebbe?"
The Rebbe responded that we can understand it by way of a simile from the relationship of an electric powerhouse with a lamp that is connected to it by a wire. In order to light a lamp, one must find the right switch, or push the correct button. The soul of every Jew is a part of G‑d. But in order for one to enjoy the great benefits of it, the correct switch must be found and turned on.
The Rebbe's mission is to explain and proclaim that every Jew without exception is connected with "the powerhouse," and every one of them has a switch in his or her essence that will be found if searched for. So too, every one of us in our own work in strengthening Judaism, must try to find the switch in the soul of every Jew. One can never know what will make the connection, perhaps one word. But by this, you open up the well or inner fountain of his or her soul.
More importantly, leadership is not restricted to a select few. In our homes, at our workplaces, and in the social environments we live in, we all serve as leaders. When we are given such a position, we must emulate the selfless dedication shown by Moses and empower our co-workers/employees, relatives, friends and community members to express the inherent good qualities they possess and activate them on a daily basis.
The Zohar, the foundational work of Kabbalah, explains that there is a manifestation of Moses in every generation whose job is to teach, lead, inspire and empower every individual to connect with G-d and to express their inner identity and purpose.
This week, on the Third of Tammuz, we commemorated the Yahrtzeit of the Rebbe. The Talmud relates, "Our forefather Jacob didn't die". The Talmud goes on to explain that "Just like his children are alive so too he is alive (Taanit 5b)". The same is true of the Rebbe.
The Rebbe revolutionized the post-holocaust Jewish world and led a revival of Jewish connection, observance of Mitzvot and Torah study infused with the joy, meaning and relevance of living as a Jew in the modern world. The Rebbe also inspired people of all faiths to live good, moral lives by fulfilling the Seven Noahide Laws given by G-d to all mankind.
The greatest testimony to the eternity of the Rebbe’s legacy is the very fact that the Rebbe's inspiration, teachings and influence continues to positively impact millions of Jews and billions of non-Jews around the world by extension of his vast network of over 5000 Chabad emissaries based in over one hundred countries around the globe.
Whether it's giving the opportunity for a backpacker in Thailand to attend a Shabbat dinner, providing shelter and food for a Ukrainian refugee, assisting businessmen and women to develop meaningful relationships enhanced with Jewish values or empowering young students and professionals to foster a deeper connection with their Jewish identity and heritage, the Rebbe's emissaries serve at the frontlines in positively transforming world Jewry.
The Rebbe's inspiration and teachings empowers each of us, regardless of our level of observance and background, to use our influence, talents and resources to strengthen our connection with our Jewish heritage and encourage our family and friends to transform this world into a fitting home for G-d by increasing in the performance of Mitzvot, studying and sharing the timely teachings of the Torah, and by increasing acts of goodness and kindness.
Although Korach acted improperly, his message was actually positive. It was his approach that was wrong. He wished to promote equality by ignoring our differences, but it ultimately caused divisiveness and in-fighting instead. Judaism teaches us that true unity can only come about through recognizing the inherent diversity within creation and embracing the different roles we each play in the world.
In fact, in the Messianic era, Korach's declaration of “The entire nation is holy and G‑d is within them”, will ultimately be actualized and revealed. The true holiness and beauty of each individual will be clearly visible. We prepare for that era by expressing the inner goodness we already possess and by sharing it with others.
From the very beginning of his leadership, the Rebbe declared that our generation is the last generation of exile and the first generation of Redemption and our job is to complete the mission entrusted by G-d to Abraham as the progenitor of the Jewish people.
After thousands of years of perfecting the world and preparing the world for the Messianic era, let us complete our mission and usher in a time of peace and prosperity for all nations on earth.
In 1991, a CNN reporter asked the Rebbe, "What is the message you have to the world about Moshiach?". The Rebbe responded, "Moshiach is ready to come now, we all must only do something additional in the realm of goodness and kindness”.
