It’s not just brute strength, or flashy charisma, but something more… nuanced.
Let’s turn to the ancient text of Sifrei Devarim to unpack this a bit. It speaks of Joshua, Moses' successor, in rather poetic terms, saying, "and the horns of a re'em are his horns." A re'em, often translated as a wild ox or unicorn (depending on the source – some say it’s a mythical creature), is described as having beautiful horns, but not necessarily great strength. Conversely, an ordinary ox has great strength, but lacks the re'em's captivating horns. So, what did Joshua inherit? According to Sifrei Devarim, he received both the strength of the ox and the beautiful horns of the re'em.
What does this imagery really mean? It suggests that true leadership requires a balance. Raw power alone isn't enough. There also needs to be a certain… presence, a certain inspiring quality, represented by those magnificent horns. It’s the ability to not just conquer, but to captivate and unite. It's about influence that goes beyond physical force.
The text continues, "With them he shall gore peoples as one, the ends of the earth." This verse isn’t just about a physical battle. It’s about the scope of Joshua's influence. Did he really conquer every single person on Earth? Probably not literally. So, what’s the text trying to tell us?
It poses a rhetorical question, “How many peoples did Joshua conquer? How many lands did he conquer?” The answer implied is that the impact of his conquests resonated far beyond the immediate territories he seized. The text suggests that his victories held sway over rulers "from one end of the world to the other."
Rabbi Yehudah offers a fascinating perspective on this. He asks, "Now were all of the thirty-one kings that Joshua conquered in Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel)?" Of course not! So, why does the text emphasize the vast reach of Joshua's power?
Rabbi Yehudah draws a parallel to ancient Rome. He says, "Just as it is with Rome now, that any king or ruler who has not acquired palaces and dependencies in Rome says 'I have done nothing!'" In other words, Rome was the center of the world; to not be recognized in Rome was to be insignificant. Similarly, "every king or ruler who did not acquire palaces and dependencies in Eretz Yisrael said 'I have done nothing!'"
The idea here is that Eretz Yisrael, at that time, held a similar symbolic significance. It was a land that represented something greater, a connection to the divine, a place of spiritual importance. To have a foothold in Eretz Yisrael meant that you had truly arrived on the world stage. Joshua's conquests, therefore, weren't just about territory; they were about establishing a presence in a land of profound significance.
So, what can we take away from all this? It's a reminder that true power isn't just about strength, but also about influence, legacy, and connection to something greater than ourselves. It's about having both the strength of the ox and the captivating presence of the re'em. It's a complex combination, and perhaps that’s what makes truly great leadership so rare, and so inspiring, even thousands of years later.