Ever have one of those moments where you hear something so earth-shattering, so potentially disruptive, that your first instinct is... well, to shut it down? To make it go away?
That's kind of what happened in the desert, according to the Legends of the Jews. We're talking about Moses, his son Gershon, and Joshua, the man destined to succeed him.
The story picks up with Eldad and Medad, two men in the Israelite camp who began prophesying. And what were they prophesying? Not exactly sunshine and rainbows. They foresaw that Moses would die in the desert, and that Joshua would take his place. Big news, right?
Gershon, Moses' son, hears this and, understandably perhaps, rushes to his father, breathlessly relaying what he’s heard. Imagine the scene. The weight of leadership, the constant pressure, the murmurings in the camp... then this.
Now, picture Joshua. He’s been Moses’ right-hand man. He's loyal, ambitious, and probably more than a little nervous about the future. Ginzberg, in his masterful retelling of the Legends of the Jews, paints Joshua as "greatly agitated" by this prophecy. And his reaction?
"O lord, destroy these people that prophesy such evil news!"
Wow. Talk about shooting the messenger! Joshua’s immediate response is not to ponder the prophecy, not to consider its implications, but to silence the prophets. To eliminate the source of the uncomfortable truth. It’s a very human reaction, isn't it? One driven by fear and uncertainty.
But here's where Moses' wisdom shines through.
Moses replies, "O Joshua, canst thou believe that I begrudge thee thy splendid future? It is my wish that thou mayest be honored as much as I have been and that all Israel be honored like thee."
Think about that for a moment. Moses, facing his own mortality and the transfer of power, isn't threatened. He's not jealous. He's not clinging to his position. Instead, he expresses a genuine desire for Joshua’s success and the well-being of all Israel. As we find in Midrash Rabbah, this episode showcases Moses' profound humility and selfless leadership.
It's a powerful lesson, isn’t it? That true leadership isn't about protecting your own ego or clinging to power, but about fostering the success of those who will come after you. It's about embracing the future, even when it means accepting your own limitations.
So, what do we take away from this little desert drama? Perhaps it’s a reminder that sometimes, the most challenging prophecies, the most unsettling truths, are the very ones we need to hear. And that true greatness lies not in silencing those voices, but in embracing the future they reveal.