Our tradition teaches us it's something far more profound, something deeply connected to the well-being of the people.
We find a fascinating insight in Sifrei Bamidbar, a collection of legal interpretations on the Book of Numbers. It's discussing the verse where Moses asks God to appoint a successor, someone "who will go out before them and who will come in before them" (Numbers 27:17). But what does that phrase really mean?
Sifrei Bamidbar doesn't take it literally. It suggests that this leader isn't like others, who send people ahead as a vanguard or bring up the rear. No, this is like Moses himself, who, as we read in Numbers 21:34, was told by God, "Do not fear him [Og], for I have delivered him into your hand." Moses led from the front, facing danger alongside his people.
And like Joshua, who, as we see in Joshua 5:13, went to confront the mysterious figure outside Jericho, asking, "Are you for us or for our foes?" He didn't delegate; he engaged. And like Pinchas, who, according to Numbers 31:6, was sent with the Israelite army "to the war" itself, not just directing from afar.
The text continues, breaking down that initial phrase even further. "Who will go out before them" means at the head, like Yoav ben Tzeruyah, who, in 1 Chronicles 11:6, "went up first, and he was at the head." The leader goes first, leading the charge.
It also means leading "in a troop," going out "on the way" with the people, and leading "in his merits". And "who will bring them back" is the same: in a troop, on the way, and in his merits. A true leader's integrity and actions guide and protect.
There's a fascinating little detour here. The text mentions that after a particular battle, the soldiers needed atonement even though "not one of us is missing" (Numbers 31:49). Why? Because, the text explains, they had "feasted their eyes" on the Midianite women (Numbers 31:16). Even amidst victory, a leader must ensure moral conduct.
Then, Sifrei Bamidbar connects this idea of leadership to a verse from the Song of Songs (1:7): "Tell me, O You, whom my soul loves... for why should I be covered up?" It interprets this as Moses asking God about the future of the people. The answer, drawing on Jeremiah 43:12, is that God will watch over them "as the shepherd covers up his cloak."
The text goes on, associating "the flocks of Your companions" in Song of Songs with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It suggests that God is showing Moses the future leaders of Israel, from the time they left the desert until the resurrection. It all comes back to the idea of shepherding, of caring for the flock.
As the Song of Songs continues (1:8), "If you do not know, you fairest among women... go out in the footsteps of the flock." In other words, follow the path of those who came before, those who led with integrity and compassion. See what I am destined to do for them in the end (of their "footsteps"), "and graze your kids by the tents of the shepherd."
So, what does this all mean for us today? It suggests that true leadership isn't about power or control. It's about service, about walking alongside your people, about guiding them with your actions and your merits. It's about protecting them, not just physically, but morally and spiritually. It's about ensuring that the "congregation of the Lord" isn't left "as sheep without a shepherd" (Numbers 27:17). It's about seeing the future generations and ensuring their well-being. And perhaps, most importantly, it's about following in the footsteps of those great leaders who came before us.