EXOD253 How should a leader behave? In reference to the laws concerning Jewish kings, Rambam defines how a leader should perceive his role: In the same manner as the Torah accords him (a Jewish king) honor, it also commands him to be modest and unassuming. He should not behave in a haughty manner toward his fellow Jews, as the verse says, "… in order that his heart should not become elevated over his brethren…" (Devarim 17:20). When addressing the congregation, he should speak in a soft manner, as the verse says, "Listen to me, my brothers and my people" (Divrei Hayamim I 28:2). He must conduct himself with extreme humility--no man surpassed Moshe Rabbeinu's achievements, and yet he said, "What are we?" [this verse]. He must bear their burden, complaints and angry outbursts (Hilchos Melachim ch.2). If this degree of humility is required of a king, then certainly a common person, even a supervisor over hundreds of people, is obligated to act in a humble and unpretentious manner. In actuality, a person who conducts himself in a self-effacing manner only stands to gain, since people are more likely to be influenced by a humble person than by a haughty one. As the verse says, "The gentle words of the wise are heeded" (Koheles 9:17).

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EXOD254 As we continue our study of Talmudic ethics, it becomes clear that the Rabbis regarded the performance of the Mitzvot not as ends in themselves but as stepping–stones to Godliness. It was because "the Holy One was pleased to make Israel worthy that He gave them a copious Torah and many commandments; as it is said (Is. xlii.21): "It pleased the Lord, for His righteousness' sake, to magnify the Torah and to make it honorable" [Makkot 23b]. This purpose of our Halachah, and its network of regulations, emerges even more strikingly from a passage in the Tanhuma: "Does it then make any material difference to God whether one ritually slaughters a beast before eating it, or if he eats it without Shehitah? Or do you really think it is of such critical concerned to Him if one eats unclean things? No. The regulations governing our food laws were given, so that men through their observance, became purer and holier beings." It is natural that not only the laws themselves but all the wealth of details that grew around them were vested with divine authority. For these helped to teach the Jew to control his desire in appetite, apart from furthering in him regard for hygiene and a striving after holiness. "It cannot be emphasized too often dealing with the laws of the Torah, the Rabbis delved deep in order to discover their underlying ethical purpose. Even ritual laws, perhaps the least expected moral sources, were made to yield of moral laws!" [J.Z. Lauterbach, "The Ethics of Halachah", Central Conference of American Rabbis, Vol. XXIII, 1913]. The two loaves on the table on the Eve of Sabbath must be covered when the Kiddush is recited. Firstly, because the double portion of Manna which came down on the sixth day (of which the two Hallot are reminiscently symbolical) was covered with a fine layer of dew [this verse]. Secondly, perhaps to teach the virtue of consideration; for although the loaves were placed on the table as soon at the table – cloth was spread, they now find themselves "by-passed" by the wine which appeared on the table afterwards. Accordingly, we cover them that they should not, as it were, witness our slight of them. If inanimate things are so considerately treated, how much more so should man?

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EXOD255 Growing [into a fuller maturity] began, says the Torah, in the early days of the Wilderness trek, just after the Breath of Life freed ancient Israelites from the power-greedy Pharaoh who enslaves human beings and brings plagues upon the Earth. The first discovery of these runaway slaves is the Shabbat [Sabbath] that comes with manna --a taste of rest from endless toil, and a gift from the abundant Earth. For manna is the food that the Earth gives freely, so that eating it barely requires any work at all [Exod. 16:14-30]. With the manna comes the information that on the morning of each sixth day, the manna will come in a double portion so that no one will have to do even the light work of gathering it on the seventh day, Shabbat. It is as if the first realization of the people newly freed--Even before they have their Encounter with God at Sinai--is that there must be time to rest and reflect, for otherwise they are still in slavery. If the deep misstep of Eden was refusing to restrain human inclinations to gobble up the Earth, then Shabbat comes as a time for choosing self-restraint--not a grim ascetic self-restraint, but one of joyful abundance in community. And since the mistake of Eden was overeating, then this partial reversal must come with a different kind of eating. Says Isaiah (51:3): "Yayasem midbarah k'eden v'arvatah k'gan YHVH." "You turn the barren place to Eden, and the desert to a garden breathing Life." (By Arthur Waskow, "Jewish Environmental Ethics: Intertwining Adam with Adamah")

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EXOD256 The Bible indicates the standard for self-restraint with edibles when describing how God fed the 600,000 people who wandered in the desert for forty years. The miraculous foodstuff God provided every morning of that journey, the manna--a honey-like, sticky substance--was just enough for each person: "The one who gathered much had nothing left over, and the one who gathered little did not lack" [this verse]. To this day, in one of the recent, short versions of the Amidah, our prayer composed of eighteen petitions, we entreat God to give us "enough to live on and... what we need," neither a sumptuous banquet nor bread-and-water rations. Anticipating modern nutritionists, our rabbis urge us to curb yeah our cravings for fatty, sweet morsels by "eating salad and more salad, rather than developing an appetite for goose and chicken" (Pes. 114).

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EXOD257 Rebbi was sitting and expounding, when he smelled the smell of garlic; whereupon he said: "Whoever ate garlic, let him leave." R. Chiyya stood up and he left -- at which they all stood up and left! And where did R. Chiyya learn this [i.e., that this was the proper response (though he himself had not eaten the garlic)]? From: "Till when will you [i.e., all of the Jews] refuse ..." [The blame is being relegated to all of the Jews to save individual offenders from embarrassment] (Sanhedrin 11a]

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EXOD258 The ethical principles most often used to validate a takkanah were tikkun haolam--advancing the general welfare (Mishnah Gittin chap. 4) and mipne darkhe shalom--acts that advance the cause of peace between man and his fellow (ibid., chap 5). King Solomon is presumed to have ordained (tiken) the eruv (Shabbat 14b), whereby the literal meaning of the commandment "Let no man leave his place on the seventh day" (this verse) was circumvented, on his own authority, since no verse or other source of sanction is mentioned. In T.J. Eruvin 24 at the end of the third column of that page, the eruv is associated with darkhe shalom.

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EXOD259 Do not go beyond the boundary of one's town on the Sabbath. ... This mitzvah reminds us that the world did not always exist. It had a beginning. In six days Hashem brought the world into being, and on the seventh day He “rested.” In order to remember this principle, it is fitting that on the seventh day of the week we rest in one place and not go far away from there.

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EXOD260 … in regard to Torah, when a person studies constantly, he will not consequently, God forbid, suffer financial loss. Chazal has indicated that for this purpose God commanded the placing of the jar of manna 'before Hashem' [this verse] as a lesson to the generations to come.

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EXOD261 Now did Moses smite? Did not Aaron smite it? R. Avahu said: This teaches us that one who prompts his neighbor to the performance of a mitzvah is accounted by Scripture as the performer himself (Sanhedrin 99b).

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EXOD262 A teacher should respect his students. … Rashi comments: "Choose for us," that is, for me and for you; Moshe compared Yehoshua [Joshua] to himself. From here the Sages have said, "Let the honor of your student be held In esteem by you as your own honor." Cited in Yorah Daiah 242:33 ... If his students do not understand what they have been taught, a teacher should not be angry with them. rather, he should repeat the lesson until they do understand (Rambam, Hilchos Talmud Torah 4:4; Yorah Daiah 246: 10,11). A student should not say, "I understand" when he really does not understand. He should ask for the lesson to be repeated until he comprehends, even if it entails several repetitions. If his teacher grows impatient with him, he should say ,"Teacher, what you are teaching is Torah and I must learn it; for my mental capacity is limited. (ibid.). ... A teacher should not grow angry at his students for failing to understand what he taught only if their lack of comprehension stems from the difficulty of the subject matter or the students lack of ability. If, however, if they do not understand because they are too lazy to study properly, a teacher should act angrily towards them and may even embarrass them. In reference to this the sages (Ksubos 103b) have said that a teacher should instill fear into his students. (Rambam, ibid 4:5, Yorah Daiah 246:11). Besides possessing a thorough grasp of the subject matter that is to be taught, a teacher must be sincerely interested in the welfare of his students. He should try to help them with their personal needs and problems, (Shivti B'bais Hashem, pp. 16, 30) and should show them understanding and sympathy. A teacher should be impartial with his students (see Shabbos 10b; Shivti B'bais Hashem, p.33). He should admit his own mistakes (Zevachim 101a; ibid. p.22). He should not make promises or threats that he does not intend to keep (see Sukah 56b; ibid. p.35). A teacher should not use sarcastic remarks or ridicule, rather he should discipline in a quiet, dignified, and positive manner (see Bava Metzia 58b; ibid, p.32).

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