NUM290 R. Mattithyah b Heresh said: … be a tail to lions, and not a head to foxes. Pirkei Avot, Perek IV, mishnah 20. Our Sage does not mean that it is relatively better to be one than the other. His dictum is absolute: always strive to be the first; never let yourself become the second. And do not be misled by the supposed dignity or disgrace which these terms imply. The lion's tail is still part of the lion, and the head of a fox is still part of a fox. The lion represents strength, majesty, nobility. When the infamous sorcerer Balaam looked at our people in the wilderness, seeking to crush them, this is how he saw them: "Behold, a people: as a lion as it rises up, and as a lion it lifts itself" [this verse]. ... The lion is Jewry steeped in Torah and mitzvoth.… The fox, on the other hand, symbolizes furtive cunning, scheming slyness, treachery. When we study Torah and obey its Divine precepts, slyness and trickery have no place. "Whole-hearted shall you be with the Lord your God" (Deuteronomy 18:13). Jews who seek to live by the qualities of the fox, either as individuals or in loudly trumpeted organizations, working to achieve an identity, an image, or a purpose through guile and cunning, contribute nothing sound or constructive. "Seize us," says Solomon, "the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in tender blossom." (Song of Songs 2:15). Do not be afraid to join fully the forces of Torah, to associate and identify yourself with them, even if it means accepting the position or role of a "tail," without immediate honor or distinction. If a lion cast fear into others, the sight of its tail is as frightening as a glimpse of its claws. On the other hand, if a bounty is offered for foxes, and traps are set for them, there is little honor in serving as the "head" of such a beast. Join the wise, the scholarly, the learned, no matter in what capacity, and you will increase your learning and improve your sense of values. Restrict yourself to leading those on a radically lower level than yourself, and your mental stores will diminish; your mental horizons will shrink. "He who walks with the wise will become wise, but the shepherd of fools will suffer harm." (Proverbs 13:20).