Noach, Avraham & Moshe | leadership Strategies | Rabbi Shai Finkelstein | November 18th 2025

So the show is sponsored um in um in honor of um the Davises by their uh by their family. So okay so we are on page we are on page four and we need to finish up the and then so spoke about the fact that um really after that it's so such a sad commentary that after 1600 years uh of the world basically you have only one person who is uh worthy or semi-worthy to add to save the world which was very very sad. And then he says he talks a lot about the shahhat. So now we are um okay it's uh the line starts with hash. So if you look at rash here page four >> can you just weren't here. >> Oh wow. Let's >> one sentence. >> One sentence. Okay. A debate between the commentaries regarding um the character of Noah. Why was he saved and how come he was not able to perpetuate the leadership to his to his children and how come that he did not become the founder of the Jewish people. That's in a very general way. So option here says uh 2 4 6 8 10 the 11th line from the beginning >> page four. So if you look at this line which starts with and go towards the end where it says you see there line that starts with >> okay so that's the 12th line means like a hole or a pit someone who digs a pit not necessarily have something good in his mind he's doing that in order to Someone who digs a pit in the middle of the street, he doesn't want to use it as a refrigerator, okay? Or to hide things there. He wants you to what? To fall into it. Meaning he wants to cause you a damage. Is very similar to the word, which means what? Bribe. Someone who gives bribe to the judge in a way he puts an obstacle in his way to what? To achieve judgment and justice. He blinds his eyes. So he basically tried to deviate him from the goal and he puts in front of him an obstacle. This is, by the way, for a German Jew, a scholar in the 19th century to know Hebrew so much, it's incredible. Sometimes I feel ashamed uh reading his uh his stuff but um and some of it you can argue that it's like more sounds like not exactly it's the same but he wants to say that the word it's not to destroy we spoke about it last week it's about what is to in a way to put like an obstacle uh in front of humanity or a person from accomplishing his or her goal and And he wanted to claim that also the word shahhat not not shahhat shahhat to slaughter it's also the same way in a way it's putting an obstacle in front of life. This animal was supposed to live and now I'm stopping this animal to fulfill its potential to some extent. So the idea of shakat is what is to stop you from what? From being able to fulfill your full potential. And that's what the generation of the flood did. They basically put the obstacle in front of them and in front of Noah to stop him from trying to fulfill his his potential. And then he says his path meaning humanity is on its path and they what do they do? They basically what deviate from the path. So he claims something very interesting. He says we are all all of us all humanity is on its path to for salvation after Adam and Kava. We are all trying to what to find the path for Yeshua. The thing is that they or other people what do they do? What do they do? They basically dig a pit and people fall. Some people get injured, some people die. So not only that they do something wrong, they are causing others to do what? to fall into that pit and to basically end their path or end their journey for salvation. So now he's talking about not our of stealing. It's it's like thievery cannot force you to give it meaning you still what did they do according to the they took less than and basically just imagine you are selling three apples okay three apples in the shook A thousand people come and each one of them take what? Just a little bite. What do you have at the end? >> Nothing. So I didn't take the entire apple. I just ate a little bit and you ate a little bit and basically that what they did. And kamas in the spiritual connotation is what is always taking little bit little bit and then at the end you are becoming corrupt totally corrupt. So um then I'm skipping to uh the third line from the end the beginning the beginning of the demise of the generation of the flood. It started with what? With moral corruption. crimes that uh that basically society is not that concerned about. Just imagine if someone comes to the Dian, hey, he took a bite from the apple less than the Dian will tell him what >> forget about it. No, move on. Right? boots. But if the youth has no limits, no boundaries and married life is totally rotten. So even if there is some moral corruption, if the economy is good, we are good. for says something that every pluralistic universalist persons scholar would say basically he says that the beginning of demise is what corruption now by the way don't think only about you know what we are experiencing if we are experiencing whatever it is the demise of Rome of the Roman Empire started exactly like there the demise of the Babylonian Empire very similar. Um I would even say that what we see there are many many reasons but what we see in front of our eyes with the United States of America uh we also can attribute at least some of it. I'm not saying there's no one reason for everything. Okay? There's always accumulations of many different reasons. But there is no question that when you are morally corrupt, you can't see clearly. And if you don't punish corruption, it will trinkle into all society because if it's okay for you, it's okay for me and it's okay for you. And then I will tell you um it's very interesting. I was thinking about it when I gave a a once a speech about education. You know our children, talking about children in the 2010, they heard and saw so many events of corruptions of people that they should have trust in the rabbinic arena, in the leadership arena, in prime minister's arena, in judges, in Diane, in politic politicians with what >> army everything just imagine start with I mean I'll mention his name there's no here okay starts with Clinton okay let's start Clinton was what 199 >> 92 to 2000 >> 92 to 2000 okay you have the president of the United States who says to you I have no idea who is ML no idea and then he's about to be impeached because he lied in front of millions of people. He lied. So I need to trust someone who will make his decisions to send people to the army to do financial decisions and he is lying. Okay, that's I'm taking someone like with tremendous influence and then here I mean even in the Arabinic arena unfortunately really really unfortunately we witness in the last 20s something years a jail a former chief rabbi in jail a minister in jail and a prime minister in jail I'm not talking about talking about And if you are a child and I'm telling you you know there is a government and there is a structure and there is authority and you know those people know what they are saying they do. Do I trust? >> Exactly. Meaning when sometimes we say, "Oh, the young generation, they don't like institutions. They don't like authority. Rega, what did we do to contribute to it?" And again, I'm not doing now an analysis of our s of our society and the problems. I'm just saying that when talks about moral corruption and when people also try to be oblivious to it and try to hide the the you know to uh sweep it under the under the uh the carpet. It's not going to go away. It's exactly the opposite. It's just going to grow. So what I'm saying is is that it's not that it's very easy and simple for us to blame someone else. But basically what says is that if you don't react in a very severe way to moral corruption, you need to know that you gave a hand to the demise of the society. It might be in levels, not that you're going to destroy society, but it's going to go down down down until you have the flood. Look, I am sure that the first guy who came up with the idea that I'm going to steal from you less than was probably a brilliant guy, right? He says, I'm going to take a little bit. Yeah, I don't want to. I know many of us do it. So, but be careful. Sometimes it can be gazer. You know, you go to a store that sells one, >> the guy taste from everything. And then he comes out with what? With a 100 gram of so why did you taste 25 different things just to make sure that they are fresh right? Yeah. You need to be careful with that. I'm not saying it's gazer but I'm saying that sometimes you need to maybe ask the mo look can I taste few things I'm not sure I'm going to buy but maybe get some kind of a consent okay and not to have dinner there you know and and go out with 100 g. I know all the timot in Costco and all of that. be careful. What I'm saying is it was brilliant. I'm just going to take a little thing. What? I'm going to take a little bite. I'm talking take one shake, one almond. Okay, nothing will happen. No one should get mad. But when 2,000 people do that, you empty me. I'm nothing. I have nothing. So, the idea is I I will tell you one one thing. Well, I will tell you that I I it's not like uh but I remember all our road trips or whatever. If we will need to stop and um the bathroom stop or whatever it is, we will try to do it in a place that we can buy something and then to go to the bathroom because someone is cleaning this bathroom. And this someone is being paid and he's being paid through what? Through buying in the store. If you don't buy in the store and you just use the bathroom and you don't leave anything, someone is going to do something for you for free. So I'm not again I'm not saying that this is but this is being hopefully being someone who is aware that things cost and you can't do that because if a thousand people will do it you know what are they going to do to tell no one can go into this bathroom unless unless you buy or they will like you exactly and you know what by the way just as a side note because I did my research a little bit in my MBA about Starbucks. Um now in many Starbucks you get a code Only if you get a a a coffee, not a $30 bear thing. But uh Oh, you look at me like uh you didn't see that Starbucks came up with a special cup. Looks like a bear and it's $30 and Hashem that there are so many crazies who went ahead and bite, okay, to the extent that they didn't have anymore. So uh but they put now a code in order to use their bathroom. I mean I'm sorry I'm talking about the bathroom initial but you need to buy and to have a receipt and then on the receipt they there is the the number or they tell you if you buy but you can't just go there or some people basically you know created a settlement there you know they came in the morning and they left at night and they had one cup of coffee bean again those things are not stealing but it's corruption. It's moral corruption or will put it um it's on the border of not being ethical and moral. Rabbi the rabbi told about eating not a something like that you don't have to make a you know it's >> say on everything you don't make no on everything. Why? Stealing. Like stealing. If you do not recite a on even a little thing, it's like stealing. You are right. There are measures. Okay. You have you have you have you have all sorts of measures. Yes. I I I just want to know the other side of this is that some people who own the store say, you know what, if they know they can use the bathroom, they're much more likely to buy something. Not everybody, but I will get more business if I let them use the bathroom. That's one thing. and the nuts they they I want to taste it because sometimes it's too salty and I can't buy. >> Okay. >> So it's just a few things not a lot like >> so the question is where is the I think I think what you said is what we called market logic. Okay every market has their own logic and yes I agree with you. Sometimes the store owner says let's be as nice as we can so people can come in they feel comfortable. they go to the better and they also will buy other things as well. Okay, very good. That's one. But the frequency that you not you you but people do it and it might be that that was the original idea of the owner but you know what after 2 months people do use the bathroom but they don't buy anything. Okay? So he might change his mind. Again, I'm not saying I'm not giving this is also not the sh I'm just saying that the idea of moral corruption if we don't stop it, it will bring the demise of the society. By the way, it's not it's the Nim already warned us if you start what? not feeding the widow and the orphan, not making sure that the people who do not have a VIP are being treated correctly and properly, then God will be very upset with us. So it's not only he just developed it to to them. Yeah. Yeah. In theorah. Yeah. Sure. Yeah. to the extent by the way the Rambam the Rambam says in I think it's he says that you know we have a during you need to eat drink and women is clothed and jewelry and the babies are candism but he says everyone who does not have the widow the orphan the convert all the people around this table my belly. This is the happiness of your own belly. This is not the happiness of you enjoy the food and those people don't. So that's not so you can have the best wine and the best steak, but if you don't have called them, that's not. So this is the idea of what of how to take the blessing that you have and not only to be worthy of it but also to transform it into generosity to others. Okay. Now, so now let's talk and that's the last thing we're going to to see with this uh source is um I mean we'll finish page number five versus the other leaders because that's really what we are trying to achieve here in page five. Now obviously that conversation did not take place. Okay. The midrash is just basically trying to compare Noah versus Mushe. Now why No versus Mushe? >> Page five. Page five. Why? Why no versus Mushe? What's the similarities between them? >> Two safe people. Two are leaders. But why why not save? >> Moshe saved and Noah saved humanity. I mean they >> they died but he saved himself and created humanity. Okay. But there is more >> what they >> oh so there is a river there is a TVA >> right? there is a and basically so the midrash puts them together. So the midrash says the following says I'm greater than you that I was saved from the generation of the flood I am greater than you. You saved yourself and you didn't have the the strength and the power to save your generation. the golden calf >> take the words and you get >> but also don't even go there versus in Yeah. >> Yeah. No, I I I just made it up now. No, the puk is there but you just gave me an association that I didn't think about it. Um I tried to listen and to think at the same time. But it's true by the way Moshe is not only a Zohar says that Moshe was in the flood >> that was in the because he was not you're with me or I lost you somewhere lost me lost you lost me or lost you okay so basically it says that after the mabul really before the mabul it says What does it mean? So the zor says that Moshe was in the he was saved in order to later on save the Jewish people which has a lot of thought behind it. Not for now because we are not in but uh not that I will be the teacher but um but the idea that there are similarities between Moshe says to you saved yourself but you didn't save your generation. I saved myself and the generation ine basically quote unquote regretted what he planned to do to his people. Now by the way there is something here very interesting. Moshe said, "I saved myself and my generation at the time of the Egel." Since when Moshe was in danger? Exactly the opposite. Hashem told Moshe, "What? I'll make from you a big nation." >> So where was Moshe in danger? >> He said, "Don't make me, you know, I'll go with them." So >> Oh, so here is the point of the midash. Exactly. Moshe was never in danger. Moshe put himself in danger. Moshe realized if there is no Israel, there is no Mosha Rabenu. So he put himself in danger in order to be able to what? >> To save his people. Exactly. That's exactly the point of the >> Midash. He he put himself in danger saying to Hashem, erase my name. Erase me if you if you don't listen to me. So then he says, "So it's a parable for so two boats that were in the ocean and there were two captains, one saved himself and didn't save his boat. So obviously the captain that saved himself and the boat, he will be praised. He will have the glory. Now I just want to ask you a question. Whenever you learn this is this is maybe even 9 to 10th century. But the the midrash basically says that the difference between Moshe and Noah is what that Noah was able only to save himself and Moshe saved himself and his generation. Right? And then we have the parable with the two boats and the two captains. What does it add to what we already know? You with me? A parable is come to not to say the obvious. Okay. If it's to say the obvious, >> I don't need it. Okay. Basically, if we understand the parable as ah Moshe is captain B, which is the one who saved himself and the boat and Noah is captain A, which basically saved himself. So, it's same thing you said before. What's the idea? What's the idea of a boat and a captain in an ocean? What's this metaphor means? Sorry, I'm giving you a hard time today. >> What? >> Water. >> The what? >> Water. >> Yes. from the water. >> Nobody was safe from the water. >> But I can say he was saved and no one else. And Noah was saved and his family >> meaning the parable needs to add something. Yes. >> I didn't say but Noah did say some future generation. >> True. True. So what's the idea of a boat and a captain? >> Little bit more than that. >> Little bit more than that. Why? Okay. Now I feel like a little silly but yes >> the leader. >> Okay. So leadership we got but we got it here right. We got it here and we got the understand of responsibility. Try to remember a little bit. Why would you go on a boat? >> To get somewhere. >> To get somewhere. At that time, they didn't go on a cruise, right? They went from A to B to do business, right? So, they have a path and they have a captain that should lead them from A to >> to B. Now, Noah couldn't he didn't bring humanity with him, right? But I would like to claim that he said he saved himself but not his what >> but not his generation. >> Which means which means >> that they exactly >> he did not basically the generation stayed where? >> He sunk. Moses generation basically sunk because God says what? Exactly the same thing, right? God forbid, leave me alone and let me destroy them. And Moshe is taking them from the depth of the ocean to some extent and bring them where? >> To Israel to the >> exactly to Matanto to Israel. He brings them to fulfill their destiny. So the mashal is more than just you didn't save your generation. It's not only that you didn't save your generation. The goal changed. So that's the midrash. So that's Moshe versus No. Now Rashi says, so some of our rabbis basically says that is a praiseworthy person. So if he was in a different generation of sadikim, he will be even >> righteous. More righteous. There's no righteous there, right? So there's more righteous. Okay. More righteous. Um and some people obviously criticize him. They say based on his generation, he was righteous. If he was in Abra's generation, he was and nothing. Now, it's not like it was not he was not Abraham. He was nothing. Nothing. Okay. I understand. But what does it mean when he if he was in Abraham's generation, he was nothing? >> He would not take initiative. >> Okay. He will not take initiative unlike Abraham who definitely take took initiative. It doesn't mean he would not be righteous. It just mean that what that he would not be chosen to be the leader because in Afra's generation in order to be a leader you had to choose God first before he chooses you. He chooses you. >> But that was only Ara. >> That's was Avam's generation. Exactly. God did not pick Aam. Ava picked God first and then God says, "You know what? Seems to be a good guy. I'll take him." So the idea is that Noah who didn't do a thing without Hashem telling him what to do. He would he will be nothing. He will be like all the others. You know what? He might be and God will take him but he will not make any impression. Now >> the what >> I said today, don't you see? It sound like very talented. to take the >> Oh, to take the initiative you say >> yes we don't know that chose the first thing we say that's why why was he chosen >> before that he left >> okay so did >> oh okay very But he continued after he continued to go. So there is I agree with you by the way the midash definitely >> insert a lot of the blanks because we don't know who is he where did he come from what's going on with him and the Rambam has a chapter on who is Abraham and why was he chosen. Yes. >> When you're talking about Abraham chose God first and then God chose Abraham. What is the macor for that? Because there are many who would say no, Hashem put that into Abraham's head and then Abraham chose he he had to choose or not. But it's really from Hashem first. I know there are some people who will say that if I follow the Rambam and many of the Midrashim that's not the way to think. The Rambam says Rambam the Rambam says Aam start wandering around what's going on in this world and he found God and the Rambam says and God did not talk to him and did not reveal him himself to him until the age of 70. Yes. But Noah also was righteous in his generation. So while the other people were engaging in corruption and other types of things, Noah did not. So um I don't know if he spoke literally to God and understood God, but he obviously understood a sense of morality. >> That's what I said. I I think that this midash does not say that Noah was nothing like corrupt. He could still be righteous and wonderful person but he will not be chosen by God. That's I think that's the point that not to you know to destroy his character. He might be a very good guy but not a leader. So I I can't totally agree with that because if you have a generation that's so corrupt and you are plucking the u popularity thing there and doing your own thing which is morality and ethics and there's a whole generation you are in fact a leader it's very difficult to do what did >> so we spoke about that a little bit in the prior weeks talking about the fact that we are not even sure that no was able to influence his family was family saved because of Noah like they were grandfathered in or that he was really able to inspire them according to the opinions that he didn't they're talking about a very nice guy but that's it >> zero ability to influence anyone >> right >> and by the way I will just say another thing that you know when we were children we looked at that and we all like to quote it oh all these quote unquote about passing judgment by comparing one generation to another. It's very difficult. Every generation is very different. The challenges are very different and it's very hard to derive conclusions from one set of circumstances to a total different set of circumstances. If you talk for example about the generation of a we're talking about tremendous desire for and for power not corruption and and and and immorality where in the generation of the flood is different. So it's little hard to compare. Okay let's just try to finish up today. Um um you know what? Okay. So it's different with it says it says walk in front of me needed what? A cane. Okay. He needed someone to help him to push him and was able to do it by himself. again well what we call selfarter or someone that needs to be told. Now again it's does not mean that he was a bad guy. Does not mean that he was a terrible person. The only thing is that he will never get a promotion. That's it. In the boss review three times a year the boss will tell no you are a good guy. You are exactly where you need to be. And with Ara you would say, "Oh my, you are going to be the CEO just a minute from now." Yes. >> When is the earliest time that God chose? What would you say the earliest time? >> The earliest time >> I think the I think it already started when he went out to the palace. According to some midrashim, it was really before he was born that Miriam had a prophecy that she will have a brother and her parents will have a son that will be the Mushia. And also theanim the astrologologist of Pharaoh also had some kind of of a vision of a vision like that. >> When he killed the Egyptian that was okay >> if it was okay. Um we say that you know he he killed him because he saw injustice. Yeah. Because he saw injustice. Yes. >> Setting down roots and for the next generation. So Noah did what a literally he became drunk. I don't know who said this but I heard it. He corrected the sin of Adam. He corrected the sin of Noah and he corrected the sin of >> Oh, interesting. I didn't know that. >> So, that is what he left. Noah left. >> Interesting. Um, the comment was that, you know, Noah planted a winery, which is luxury. You can have it, you cannot have it. It's fine. And Abraham left anel, which means a tree, but not only tree. The abbreviation is eating, drinking, and and and sleeping. Okay, just um take a look at the Ramban on says Ramban which means I will I'm reading quickly. I'll I'll try to explain slowly. Raan basically says means go in front of me even if you don't know what I'm about to tell you. Which means >> you need to trust that it will I will tell you by the way who else did it is now I say how can you do without knowing what you're accepting upon yourself that whatever I'm being going to I'm going to be told I am going to do it says doesn't say go with me but rather in front of me which means I I'm escaping a bit. Okay. So basically here says Hashem says to means what? Give me a hand. Give me a hand. I'll walk with you. When you go to someone and you want to jack together, you want to walk together. Let's walk together. Come with me here. It's not come with me. It's come in front of me. Meaning I'm here. I'm letting you lead. Which by the way it's tremendous responsibility and a great compliment to us. Yes. >> No. What do you mean? >> Yeah. No, there something else there. Mushe said to God, I'm not going there any anymore. Why? Not only because he doesn't believe me. He make life for the Jewish people miserable. And this is why Hashem was not upset with him. That's a Okay, last one. So a parable to a king that had ch has two children. One older one, younger. So to the little one, he says, "You come with me." And to the older one, he says, "What? You go first. that has strength. Hashem says to him, "What? You are like my oldest son." What is weak? Weak. So he brings a different parable. Someone who is the king's beloved person. So he basically he sunk into cement. So the king glanced over and saw him. This is a beautiful, beautiful midrash. Abraham is being compared to someone who is walking parallel to the king. And the king is walking in a dark alley. And Abraham takes a candle and kindle it where? At the window from the other side in order to bring light a little bit to the dark alley. And the king says to him, "Don't do that through the window. come to my path and walk in front of me. This midash is doing something incredible. Who brings the divine light to the darkest elders? >> Us. In a way without us, so to speak, Hashem will continue to walk in a dark area. This is this is a a powerful midrash. It's even more than that. It's to bring God's light into this world to us first and then to bring it to the to the nations. Can you imagine such a midrash? This is so powerful and gives so much power to us that to the extent that without us Hashem who created all the luminaries. Okay, he needs our little candle in order to show show the path. So in conclusion, there is no conclusion. This is the beauty of the commentaries that uh you can see different variation but also I think you can see and this is what I love about uh trying to look at so many different methim everyone has their own angle but not only that they have their own angle they focus their emphasis is sometimes on a different world but then also to try to understand what kazal had in mind and also not only that it's I think is the idea of leadership How do we view leaders? Okay. And by the way, if you look at the leaders that are known leaders and they are the leaders that we always uh praise, they are all doers. They are all having some kind of an initiative. Even it's that is being criticized to be passive passive >> digging wells. And not only digging wells, digging the same wells as his father, not as a sign of pos being passive. But rather it's harder. Everyone wants to be the first one to find something, right? To dig the same thing that your father dug and not to ask for any glory, but to do the the right thing even if it does not give you any glory. That's what you want. >> It's dirty and it's stones. They put a lot of stones. According to the the uncle says meaning you you couldn't see in a way you dig you find water here. There's no so with that we are going to end today. Next week we'll have a different topic.