Parashat Vayakhel — A good leader is a good partner and a good teacher

We live in a time when traditional leadership qualities are being questioned, for better and for worse. In some regards, and in certain circles, this could be a good thing, since leadership historically has been limited to specific identities. But, according to the Torah, anyone can become a leader, if they possess the right qualities and attitude. The Torah repeatedly teaches that humility, teamwork, and the ability to mentor others are the hallmarks of a great leader.

This week’s Torah portion, Parashat Vayakhel, features two men who offer lessons on the traits of a good leader. They embody important qualities that contemporary leaders often seem to be lacking: the ability to share the spotlight, to step forward when needed and to step back when it’s another’s turn to lead, and most importantly, to learn and to teach. These men are Betzalel and Oholiav, the chief architects of the Mishkan, the Israelites’ portable sanctuary.

The Torah describes Betzalel and Oholiav as follows: “Moses said to the Israelites: See, the LORD has singled out by name Betzalel, son of Uri son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. God has endowed him with a divine spirit of skill, ability, and knowledge in every kind of craft, and has inspired him to make designs for work in gold, silver, and copper, to cut stones for setting and to carve wood… and has put in his heart the ability to guide/teach. He and Oholiab, son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan, have been endowed with the skill to do any work — of the carver, the designer, the embroiderer… and the weaver — as workers in all crafts and as makers of designs.” (Exodus 35:30-35)

The Torah is burying the lede here on what makes a good leader. The Or HaChaim (Morocco, 1696–1743) highlights this, commenting on the words ulehorot natan belibo (and God gave him the ability to guide/teach): “There are many great scholars whose wisdom is only in their hearts because they don’t know how to teach. The ability to teach is a great gift, and this is why the Torah testifies that God granted this gift to Betzalel [and Oholiav].”

In other words, it takes more than raw talent and charisma to be a good leader. Knowledge and expertise are important, but even those are not sufficient. Good leadership requires the ability to be a team player and the capacity to teach. Betzalel and Oholiab were effective colleagues, working well together. But most importantly, they were also both gifted teachers, who were willing and able to share their knowledge.

Ibn Ezra (Spain, 1089–1164), commenting on Exodus 36:1, notes that even when a leader must take on a specific task, they must also teach: “Betzalel himself shall make the glorious object [i.e., the ark of the covenant]. However, both he and Oholiab shall teach.”

This kind of leadership is not simply delegating. It’s knowing that even if you have to complete a specific task yourself, you should still empower others by teaching them and stepping back. And of course, to be a good teacher, you must also be a lifelong learner. Good teachers are curious not only about the evolving ways to work their craft but also about the newest, most effective ways to teach it.

One final thought about good leaders: though the Torah does not explicitly describe the way that Betzalel and Oholiav relate to their Mishkan construction team, we know that good teachers build relationships of trust and empathy with their students, creating learning environments that value questioning and even dissent.

The philosopher Martha Nussbaum puts it this way in her 2010 book “Not for Profit: Why Democracy Needs the Humanities,” in which she argues that we should focus our attention on creating systems of education that support, practice, and promote the cultivation of people who possess “the faculties of thought and imagination that make us human and make our relationships rich human relationships, rather than relationships of mere use and manipulation.” (p. 6) Indeed, when I think of the best teachers, colleagues, and supervisors with whom I’ve worked, I think of those who not just wanted to teach me, but who cared enough to learn about me, building rich human relationships.

In the words of Rabbi Gail Labovitz in her 2019 d’var Torah on Vayakhel-Pekudei, “Those Who Can, Do Teach”: “May we all be blessed by God with skills that bring wisdom and beauty into the world. But more, may we additionally be blessed with the ability to share our skills, and may knowledge, beauty, and worthy people come from our teaching.”

Opinion

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