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Why has world leadership declined so dramatically in the last fifty years? The shiur examines Parshas Beshalach's account of the war with Amalek to uncover a fundamental principle: true strength comes not from self-discipline but from attachment to a cause beyond oneself. Moshe's instruction to Yehoshua—"choose for us men"—means warriors who are both mighty and God-fearing, because fighting for a transcendent principle empowers a person far beyond mere self-control.
Rabbi Zweig opens by observing a striking phenomenon: the dramatic decline in the quality of world leadership between the first and second halves of the twentieth century. The first half produced towering figures—Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin, Hitler, Mao—leaders of principle (whether for good or evil), while the second half has given us far weaker figures. The same pattern appears in Israeli leadership: the founders were visionaries and philosophers, while contemporary leadership is, in Rabbi Zweig's words, "a tremendous embarrassment." What accounts for this change? The answer emerges from Parshas Beshalach's account of the war with Amalek. When Amalek attacks Israel at Refidim, Moshe tells Yehoshua, "Bechar lanu anashim v'tzei v'locheim ba'Amalek"—choose for us men and go out to fight against Amalek. Rashi (רש"י) comments on the phrase "for us" (lanu): Moshe equated Yehoshua to himself, teaching that the honor of one's student should be as dear as one's own. But why does the Torah (תורה) choose this particular context—a military instruction—to teach a lesson about the teacher-student relationship? And why does Rashi interpret "anashim" (men) to mean both "mighty" and "God-fearing"? If their merit will help them win, why do they need physical strength? If their strength will win, why do they need virtue?
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Beshalach 17:8-9
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