Always Wear Your Seat Belt
You have probably all heard about the tragic car accident involving New Jersey governor Jon Corzine. Governor Corzine is in very serious condition, with broken bones all over his body. Is this just a cautionary tale, reminding us that we should always wear OUR seat belts? Hardly. I am looking at 166 online articles. Among the choice quotes are statements that the Governor should be ticketed for not wearing his seat belt, that he considered himself above laws that he demanded others obey, and similar calls for retribution or blame. But isn’t this blaming the victim? Can’t it wait until the Governor has recovered? Why are the sharks circling now? The reality is that we expect more from our leaders. Were he not the Governor, the lack of a seat belt would be an offhand comment, not a major point of contention.
We see this in Judaism, too. Moses, the greatest of all prophets, with whom G-d spoke “face to face” was punished for losing his temper. He wasn’t excused because of his greatness, he was held to a higher standard because of it. You or I might get away with screaming at the Jewish people and hitting a rock in anger; Moses couldn’t.
People look to their leaders for guidance. When they fall, they fall farther. In one way or another, we are all leaders. We are office managers and team captains. We are parents and big siblings. We are synagogue officers and NCSY chapter board members. We are Jews. No matter who you are, someone somewhere looks up to you as a leader and, if you don’t live up to expectations, you will let them down big time.
Always “wear your seat belt,” metaphorically, as well as physically.
Next entry: An Act of Supreme Sacrifice
Previous entry: Great Adventure