In the aftermath of the Yom Kippur War, Ariel Sharon, the decorated general and future prime minister, challenged the Rebbe.
“Why does the Rebbe not move to Eretz Yisrael?,” asked Sharon. “When troops go to war, the commanding officer marches ahead and leads. If the Rebbe moved to Eretz Yisrael,” Sharon reasoned, “many Jews would follow him.”
The Rebbe resisted Sharon’s challenge and noted that there are instances when it’s actually forbidden for the commanding officer to go first. And gave the example of the captain on a sinking ship. “The captain is the last person to leave the ship, doing so after everyone else has been evacuated safely. Only then is he permitted to save himself.”
I’m reminded of this exchange by a moving medrash on this week’s Parsha. When Moshe wishes to enter Eretz Yisrael, Hashem responds that it would not be appropriate. The midrash provides a parable of a king’s shepherd whose flock was abducted. When the shepherd attempted to enter the palace, the king responds, If you come in now, the people will say that you’ve abandoned your flock.
Hashem therefore told Moshe, Your nation, the generation which you liberated from Egypt is buried in the desert. If you enter Eretz Yisrael, people will say your generation has no share in the world to come. Better to stay with your people, and when the time comes, you will enter with them.
Moshe’s lifelong dream was to enter Eretz Yisrael, but his lifelong mission was to lead the Jewish nation. Moshe Rabbeinu had a choice. He was able to achieve his dream, but it would be at the expense of his mission. Standing at the doorstep of the Promised Land, Moshe faced a daunting fork in the road.
“Do I proceed into the Holy Land and abandon my people in the desert, or do I leave behind my personal dream, but stay with my people?”
There are times when our dreams and our mission don’t align. Moshe Rabbeinu’s sacrifice teaches us that ultimately our mission must always take priority In how we make our decisions.
Moshe stopped asking what he wanted and instead asked what he was wanted for. That’s what the Rebbe was telling Sharon. So long as my mission has not been fulfilled, so long as there’s more to do, I cannot abandon what I need to do. Our dreams can be lofty and holy, but it’s our mission. that we ultimately need to heed.
Or put differently, ask not what G-d could do for you, but what you could do for G-d. As the legendary coach Herb Brooks once inspired his team to success by telling them, “when you put on that jersey, you represent yourself and your teammates. But the name on the front is way more important than the name on the back.”
That is the mindset of mission that helps fulfill our intended vision. Wishing you a wonderful Shabbos.
