Moses’ Parting Words, and Mixed Metaphors

At the end of the book of Devarim, Moses delivers a lengthy farewell—a list of dos and don’ts, blessings and curses. Fulfilling all these instructions seems difficult, complicated, almost impossible. Yet Moses says: No, guys, you can do this!

For this commandment which I command you this day, it is not too hard for you, neither is it far away. It is not in heaven, that you should say: 'Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it to us, and make us hear it, that we may do it?' Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say: 'Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it to us, and make us hear it, that we may do it?' But the matter is very close to you; it is in your mouth, and in your heart, to do it. 

The images that Moses uses are straightforward ones of distance and closeness. But unlike Moses, we have a tendency to mix our metaphors. For example:

“How was your summer?”

“Complicated.”

No! On the contrary, It was simple and straightforward; just not easy. It was simple and awful; simply awful.

“How’s it going?”

“Good now, but it was hard.”

But should “good” necessarily mean “easy”? After all, things can be hard and good, or hard and bad.

In education, we also mix metaphors—especially when it comes to things we find difficult. But in this case, we have a good excuse. David Cohen (of Harvard University and the University of Michigan) has stated that education is one of the  "impossible professions of human improvement," wherein there is no consensus: neither with regard to ends, nor with regard to means. In other words, the way forward is neither clear, nor simple, nor easy. It is no wonder, then, that in talking of our difficulties in education we tend to mix out metaphors, describing them alternately as complicated, not simple, hard, and unclear.

Like Moses, the founders of Mandel Foundation-Israel did not ignore the difficulties and complexity of human improvement. But they chose to emphasize the possible, using other metaphors. The first president of the Foundation, the late Prof. Seymour Fox, summed up the MF-I' approach as the cultivation of "powerful combinations of people and ideas.” I would likewise define MLI in this spirit as “a place where ideas and people meet.”

To improve education and “repair” the world is both complicated and difficult. But it is not in the heavens:

.כִּי-קָרוֹב אֵלֶיךָ הַדָּבָר, מְאֹד:  בְּפִיךָ וּבִלְבָבְךָ, לַעֲשֹׂתוֹ

It is very close to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, to do it.

From Dr. Eli Gottlieb's remarks at a reception for new Mandel Leadership Institute fellows, September 29, 2014

On inspiration ... and voltage

How do you begin a new academic year after such a difficult summer? And what is the role of education during and after a war?

In last Friday’s edition of Haaretz, I read Or Kashti’s article on the start of the academic year. Kashti wrote:

As each new academic year approaches, the education system’s wrinkles disappear. This time of year is a cause for celebration, and especially after this summer’s events, Education Minister Shay Piron will do his best to sell us change, renewal and elevated spirits [התרוממות רוח].

I asked myself: Elevated spirits? Celebration? Is this how to transition from a tough summer to a new academic year? The idea was jarring. I pulled out my Even-Shoshan dictionary to find the definition of “elevated spirits [התרוממות רוח],” but the phrase wasn’t listed. I found an entry “soaring mood [התרוממות נפש],” defined as: “high spirits, a festive and uplifted mood.” Once again: celebration. It still sounded grating…

Perhaps Kashti meant “inspiration [השראה]?” Perhaps the role of education in difficult times is to inspire? I went back to the dictionary and found three definitions for the word “inspiration [השראה]”

According to Even-Shoshan, the first definition of the word “inspiration [השראה]” is to house the divine spirit, a divine uplifting of the spirits. The second definition is intuition, internal illumination. So, right off the bat, we have both external illumination and internal illumination and things are getting interesting. The third definition is related to physics and it is the Hebrew translation of the English word, “induction.” This third definition appears on the Hebrew Language Academy’s web site as follows: “The impact of change in one field on another field. For example, electromagnetic induction, where a shift in the magnetic flow causes a change in the electrical field, and this creates voltage.”

“Changes in one field on another field, which create voltage” is a good description of the kind of inspiration that an educational institution should strive for, especially after a rough summer. We should work to inspire changes in the educational field that cause broader changes in the social field.

In general, a meeting between fields is a nice description of the Mandel Leadership Institute: a meeting between vision and action; between theory and practice; between humanities, policy and education; a meeting between outlooks, approaches, experiences and skills – some of which compete with one another. This is the kind of place we are.

But the conclusion of the definition is also important: “and this creates voltage.” Meetings between fields create voltage. Especially now, and especially here, I encourage us to handle this voltage cautiously. Let us choose our words carefully and let us take into account our colleagues’ sensitivities. But at the same time, let us not recoil from the encounter.  Let us maintain the voltage and be changed by it. But let us also handle it, and each other, with care.

In this spirit, I would like to conclude with the prayer that Rabbi Nehunya ben Hakana would recite every day as he entered and left the beit midrash (see Babylonian Talmud, Berakhot 28b):

“May it be your will … that no offence occur through me; may I not err in a matter of law and may my colleagues rejoice in me; may I not declare unclean clean or clean unclean and may my colleagues not err in a matter of law and may I rejoice in them.”

From Dr. Eli Gottlieb's remarks at the opening session of the new academic year at the Mandel Leadership Institute, September 2, 2014

Leadership for the sake of heaven

This week I visited the Mandel Leadership Institute’s website. As usual, the homepage featured three articles about recent events: the Bimat Mandel session on IDF ceremonies; a pilot program for the heads of youth movements in Israel,and an article welcoming the new fellows of the Mandel Scholars in Education program.I tried to read through the eyes of an outsider unfamiliar with the Mandel Institute, and the following thoughts occurred to me:

1. Wow!
2. What is this Institute? I've heard of the Mandel School for Educational Leadership, but the Army? Doctoral students? Youth movements? All in one place? What do all these things have in common?
By the way, this was no coincidence. Even if he'd entered the website a month ago, the casual visitor would have found a different, equally impressive selection: educational leadership development programs in the Haredi (Ultra-Orthodox) community, discussions of Jewish peoplehood, and more.

So what do they all share?

I believe they share one thing: leadership for the sake of heaven

And what is leadership for the sake of heaven? I may have coined the phrase, but not the idea.

The idea is adapted from the Talmudic concept, “mahloket le’shem shamayim” – a dispute for the sake of heaven, the goal of which is not to defeat the other, but to strive together with him for the truth.

What then is leadership for the sake of heaven? It is leadership that aims not to exert power over the other, but to work together with him for the greater good.

The Mishna in Pirkei Avot (6:17) states that the antithesis of “a dispute for the sake of heaven” is the dispute described in next week’s Torah portion, that of Korach and his followers. Based on this interpretation, the only thing that mattered to Korach was the question of who has more power i.e., Why is Moshe in charge and not me?

At the Mandel Institute, the questions that occupy us are not “how to accumulate power” or “how  to win the rat race to this or that senior position,” bur rather “to what good am I striving and how can this vision be transformed into reality.”

This approach, of leadership for the sake of heaven, is the trait shared by all the Mandel Institute’s programs, and it stems from its founders’ worldview.

Some measure Mr. Mandel’s contribution to education in Israel in dollars. By that measure, he is undoubtedly one of the largest donors. The total sum amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars.

But, in my opinion, and I believe also in his opinion, Mr. Mandel’s true contribution to Israel cannot be not measured in dollars, or even in the number of programs or buildings bearing his name, and those of his brothers.

The sole, relevant measure for him is: “How much good are we doing in the world? And can we do more?”

The programs and institutions, including the Mandel Leadership Institute, are a means, not an end. The end of our endeavor is a State of Israel that is more just and truer to its Jewish and humanist values – a State of Israel where all its citizens live in dignity.

Dear graduates,

A wise man once said, “It’s all about who.”

In the spirit of leadership for the sake of heaven, I would add: “It’s all about who, but it’s not all about you.”

You are talented people, each and every one of you. And I say this on the basis of personal acquaintance. But your, and our, success will not be measured by how far you go as individuals. It will be measured by how much good you do along the way.

I know that you will succeed, so there is no need to wish you success. I wish for you only that the journey be surprising and inspiring.

Taken from Dr. Eli Gottlieb’s Speech at the Mandel Leadership Institute Graduation Ceremony on June 10, 2014 at the Bible Lands Museum