Restoring Truth and Honesty in the World begins with Us
By Rabbi Shimon Raichik
This week's Parsha relates that Pharaoh wanted to harm the Jewish people to prevent a future rebellion. He came up with the decree of drowning all Jewish sons in the Nile River. Before going through with his plan he consulted with his three royal advisors, Bilaam, Iyov and Yisro.
The Midrash Rabbah explains that Bilaam advised him to go ahead with his plan and as a punishment for his advice was killed. Iyov was silent and as a result suffered greatly. Yisro protested and ran away. Because of this he merited to have descendants sit in the Sanhedrin who met within the area of the Beis HaMikdash in the Office of Hewn Stone, Lishkas HaGazis, the highest court.
A question arises on this Midrash; why were Balaam and Iyov punished? After all it wasn't their job to help save the Jewish people. They were hired to give the best possible advice to Pharaoh. If this was the best advice then what did they do wrong?
Another question is with Yisro’s calculations. Yisro could have assessed the situation that if he were quiet now maybe later he could help the Jewish people from within government. Now when he decided to openly oppose he was forced to run away to Midyan. Now he ruined his chances of being any service to the Jewish people. What was he thinking?
The Rebbe explains that Bilaam and Iyov were punished because they failed to do their job. According to the Midrash, Bilaam was a prophet for the nations of the world on a level of prophecy similar to Moshe Rabbenu. Bilaam could see that Pharaoh’s idea would be a disaster for both Pharaoh and Mitzrayim and that in the end they all would be punished. Bilaam knew that Pharaoh had made a critical error in thinking that another flood could not come to the world. While it was true that there will not be another flood for the entire world there could be one for a nation. Although Bilaam knew all of this nevertheless he backed Pharaoh to find favor in his eyes. For this reason he was punished because he did not fulfill his job, to advise Pharaoh faithfully.
Iyov also realized that Pharaoh’s idea was not in his best interest and it wasn't the best approach. Nevertheless he did not speak up. He abstained because he was a good politician. He was hedging his bets to have a good answer for either side. Either way he could tell the Jewish people he didn't go against them. He could also tell Pharaoh that he didn't oppose him. He should have resigned because it’s not right to sit idly by when his job is to give his best advice.
Yisro on the other hand did not make any political calculations. He faced the situation as it was and forthrightly stood up and did his job, speaking truth to power. He said it like it is and as a result had to run as a fugitive for telling Pharaoh something he didn't want to hear. Because of his truthful stance regardless of consequence, he lost his position in the royal cabinet but merited that his descendants provide truthful judgement in the highest Sanhedrin, a place of proper judgment.
The lesson of this Midrash for leaders is clear. A leader needs to take a stand and never compromise by looking the other way or make political calculations in how he formulates answers. What is the lesson for the rest of us who do not have positions of communal leadership?
The answer comes from the following story that I heard from Rav Binyomin Klein, one of the Rebbe’s secretaries at about the time that the Rebbe came out with the campaign of Aseh Lecha Rav; the campaign that everyone should appoint for themselves a personal Rav and follow their advice.
(When this campaign began my father took Rav Mendel Labakovski A”H who was young enough to be his son. Age did not matter to my father. He knew that Rav Mendel was a Chassidishe Yunger Man and he needed to fulfill the Rebbe’s directive of Aseh Lecha Rav. Therefore he fulfilled this directive by speaking with him and following the outcome, regardless of the age difference.)
Rav Binyomin said that there was a bachur who wrote to the Rebbe that he wanted to go to college. He asked for the Rebbe’s agreement and bracha. The Rebbe told Rav Binyomin to find out indirectly, (without the bachur realizing that it was the Rebbe who was asking), who is the Rav that he consulted with on this decision. In the meanwhile the bachur wasn’t receiving an answer from the Rebbe. After coming a few times to find out if there was an answer and not having one, Rav Binyomin suggested he might receive an answer if he wrote in the name of the Rav that gave him permission to go to college. The bachur agreed and Rav Binyomin asked if he could read it. It was a yunger man from Kollel. The Rebbe advised Rav Binyomin to once again indirectly inquire, this time with the yunger man for the basis of his permission. Rav Binyomin told the yunger man that this bachur wasn't getting an answer and that perhaps if he wrote in the reason for the permission it would help him receive his answer. The yunger man said that because he realized that bachur was so eager to go to college he didn't see any other option than to give him his approval. Rav Klein told me that this approach undermines the entire concept of the Rebbe’s campaign.
When we are asked for our opinion or advice we need to tell the truth regardless of consequence. If we have bias we need to recuse ourselves and advise them to go elsewhere. It’s better than feeling pressure to give the wrong answer or to give an answer based on other motives or factors. If we are unfamiliar with the background or history or lack experience it’s better to pass and suggest someone else. If we do know the proper answer or advice, we need to be courageous, stand up and tell the truth with ahavas Yisroel regardless of its effect on our personal situation.
When we follow the example of Yisro in this week's Parsha and help others with true lasting advice, based on no motive other than to help with ahavas Yisroel we end up helping ourselves and our children as well. May we all merit to see the Redemption of Truth where proper judgment is restored and decisions rendered from the Lishkas HaGazis once again. May we all together merit to see the fulfillment of Moshe Rabbenu’s request of “Shlach na b’yad tishlach” to be led by Moshiach for the true and ultimate good of the geula now.
A Good Shabbos, A Good Chodesh
(Based on a Sicha from Purim 5731-1971)