Taking Responsibility; Passing Leadership

July 12, 2024

We often hear Pirkei Avot quoted: “You are not obligated to complete the task, but neither are you free to abandon it,” says Rabbi Dalia Samansky. While generally used in social justice circles, this quote also reminds us that “ultimately, leadership must be passed on to each new generation — willingly or unwillingly.” Over the course of this week’s parashah, “both Miriam and Aaron die, and Moses finds out that he will not be the one who leads his people into the Promised Land, thus beginning the passing of leadership to the next generation of Israelites.”