The Leader and the People

Parshat Vayikra

by Rabbi Avi Billet

Vayikra chapter 4 presents a few scenarios where either an individual or a leader sins or causes others to sin. What is the penalty? Who is responsible? 

ויקרא פרק ד - (ג) אִ֣ם הַכֹּהֵ֧ן הַמָּשִׁ֛יחַ יֶחֱטָ֖א לְאַשְׁמַ֣ת הָעָ֑ם וְהִקְרִ֡יב עַ֣ל חַטָּאתוֹ֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר חָטָ֜א פַּ֣ר בֶּן־בָּקָ֥ר תָּמִ֛ים לַיקֹוָ֖ק לְחַטָּֽאת:

4:3 – “If the anointed Kohen sins, to the blame of the people, he is to bring a sin offering for the sin he perpetrated…”

 This seems pretty straightforward. The man is responsible to bring the offering in question. And while 4:13 introduces a scenario in which all of the people do something wrong, and thus must bring a communal sacrifice, it does not follow that that case is specifically connected to the one in the verse above.

Let us explore three ways of looking at what happened here, causing this breakdown in behavior. 

Even the Accidental Sin 

A. This verse (4:3) is meant to be a warning to the Kohen, of how he is to conduct himself on account of his being in such a position. People look to him, people admire him, people see him as a model of behavior, a leader to emulate on account of his position, his stature, and the role he plays in their lives. Rabbi Yaakov Loiberbaum of Lisa explained the verse to suggest that if he sins, even by accident (בשוגג), this is to the detriment of the congregation and the community, because what they see him doing is seen as being upright, ethical, proper, and allowed. This gives people license, even unwittingly and unwillingly, to do the wrong thing, simply because they saw this behavior or this action perpetrate by the anointed Kohen. 

 This view puts all of the fault on the Kohen. 

 The Uninspiring Leader 

B. But the Ksav Sofer (Avraham Shmuel Binyamin Sofer, son of the Chasam Sofer) suggested that there is a deeper problem in this scenario. After all, in Pirkei Avos we learn that “one who strengthens/brings merit to the congregation does not come to sin.” Is there anyone who brings more goodness to the people, and who brings about atonement for the people, more than the Kohen Gadol? 

His answer looks at how the people relate to this gift of gifts that they have – a person of stellar character – and simply don’t listen to him. Even though he may be of stellar character, the fact that people don’t listen indicates that he doesn’t fall into the category that Pirkei Avos describes. He doesn’t bring merit to them, because the people have not taken his guidance to heart. 

 Perhaps he is taking the word יחטא to mean “to veer in a different direction” rather than “to sin” because if the people are not following him, it is “to the blame of the people.” Since they don’t listen they prevent his existence from bringing merit to the congregation (מזכה את הרבים). 

In my experience I have heard of certain Chassidic Rebbes, and other kinds of dignified and exceptional leaders who have this incredible quality, that their followers “would die for them” (certainly an extreme) or that their followers “will do whatever he tells them.” In other words, whether it is charm, charisma, or even a healthy “cult of personality” that inspires in a good way, the leader guides in a way that creates stellar citizens, people who simply work on themselves and do the right thing, because they are emulating the leader who “gets” what it means to be a leader. 

 And there are leaders who fall into the category of “you can lead the horse to the water, but you can’t make him drink.” These leaders say the right things, teach the right things, even model or emulate the right way to conduct oneself, but they have people who just don’t want to take the instruction or the model and translate it into their own lives. And while it is hard to blame the leader for their inadequacies, perhaps their flaws will rub off on the leader, causing him to stray in some fashion, or simply causing him to lower his energy and passion, such that on his low level he veers from the correct path. 

 The Mistaken Leader 

C. Chizkuni writes that his sin is such that “he instructed to allow them to do something which is actually forbidden.” And since it is upon him to instruct correctly, the “sin” which follows is from his “veering” from teaching correctly. 

 Rabbi Chaim Paltiel concluded his comment on this verse by saying “The rabbis learned from here that whether by accident or on purpose, [this is a warning against] Chillul Hashem (desecrating God’s name). Also, another thing the Rabbis said was that a mistake in learning leads to people doing the wrong thing.” 

Conclusion 

The leader has a deep personal challenge, to be humble, to be learned, to be a stellar and exceptional human being, and to simply model the best behavior. This is not an easy task, because the leader is human. However, being in a certain position – and every leader has a different kind of leadership – may cause the person to need to hold himself (or herself!) to a higher standard. 

 For example, there are certain Rebbes and certain Litvish Roshei Yeshiva who avail themselves to the public throughout the day, or for long hours into the night. They spend their spare time either learning or teaching Torah, and they catch a few minutes a day to eat, and a few hours a night to sleep. These people have no time to sin, and are the kind of people who either have the right kind of followers or the wrong kind. 

 There are leaders who use their time very differently, and who don’t have those kinds of “office hours.” They need to work on themselves even more because the time they have available, which may or may not be used engaging in Torah study, or otherwise engaging in the world, leads them open to other kinds of downfalls, whether external or simply not using time wisely and efficiently, to everyone’s detriment. 

 There is also onus on the people who look to a leader, to ask themselves what their leader’s role is meant to be in their lives. If they just want the leader to be their “token Jew” (Rabbi, pray on my behalf; Rabbi, do this mitzvah for me, etc) then the people are not worthy of the leader, and again, it is to everyone’s detriment. 

 But if the people take their leader seriously, and together – people and leader – they make a partnership with clear goals of growth for all, then they should be blessed that neither he (or she) or they should lead or be led astray. All rulings should be correct, all teachings should be inspiring, and all net result actions should be growth-oriented, mitzvah-focused, and aimed at bringing everyone involved up, such that no guilt offering would ever be necessary over behaviors or mix-ups coming from misunderstanding.