Rav Kook's Ein Ayah: The Level of the Leader Relative to the Nation

(condensed from Ein Ayah, Berachot 5: 51-52)

Gemara: “Hashem said to Moshe [in the aftermath of the sin of the Golden Calf]: ‘Go, lower yourself’” (Shemot 32:7). Rav Elazar explained [that it was not just that he should descend Mt. Sinai but] that he should go down from his high level. He was in effect saying: “The only reason that I gave you such greatness is because of Israel. Now that Israel has sinned, why do you need [such greatness]?” Immediately, his strength waned, and he did not have strength to speak. Once he heard Hashem say: “Release Me, and I will destroy them” (Devarim 9:14), Moshe said [to himself]: “The matter is up to me.” He strengthened himself in prayer and asked for mercy.

Ein Ayah: The leader has to be appreciated by the people he leads. Therefore, even if the leader is many and significant levels higher than the nation, it is still important that there should be some shared status between them.

Since before the sin, Bnei Yisrael were on a high level, Moshe’s level was extremely high. However, after they sinned, had Moshe’s level stayed as high as it had been, he could not have led them because he could not have influenced those so far beneath him. That is why Moshe was required to lower himself so that he would be able to continue to lead.

At first Moshe thought that Hashem meant that he lost his own personal greatness because of Bnei Yisrael’s spiritual fall. After all, there are times that a leader’s greatness comes only from the power of the community he leads, whereas personally, he is nothing special. In contrast, the personal level of other leaders is far above their community, and they can relate to the people only to the extent they lead them. Moshe thought that he belonged to the former category and that this is what Hashem meant when He said: “The only reason that I gave you such greatness is because of Israel.” However, when Hashem said, “Release Me, and I will destroy them,” Moshe realized that Hashem’s personal regard for him was intact. Therefore, he should make great efforts in his prayers despite Bnei Yisrael’s much decreased level.