Do we rely too heavily on government to fix our problems?
A functional society is dependent on the individuals within that society.
In this week’s Torah portion, Moses shares his request to enter Israel and G-d’s refusal “L’manchem” - because of you, the Jewish people.
According to the Midrash, had Moses entered the Promised Land, he would have ushered in the Messianic Age. As good as it may sound, it would have defeated the purpose of Creation. G-d designed an imperfect world and invited each of us to help Him complete it. The point of life is for humans to slowly and collectively over generations, transform the world into a home for the Divine. Moses couldn’t do this alone.
Perhaps this is what Moses meant when he said “Lmanchem” because of you, in other words, for your sake I didn’t enter the land.
The Torah is teaching us that the leader can’t do it alone.
The government can only do so much; it can help create a strong economy with plenty of job opportunities, but that will not be enough if we are dysfunctional as individuals. The individual must step up to the plate to carry the responsibility of the future.
Ultimately, the overall health of society depends far more on who we are as individuals than who we choose as our leaders.
If we really care about the future of our country we must find ways to improve ourselves as individuals and inspire the people around us to do the same.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Benjy Silverman