Moses

Dear Erica,

I recently heard that only 20% of the Jews left Egypt. What kind of leader was Moses if he couldn’t convince the majority of slaves to leave when they had the chance.

Sincerely,

Still in Goshen

Dear Goshen,

It’s true that according to the rabbis of the Talmud, 80% of people who were given the chance to leave Egypt didn’t. It certainly begs the question of what leaders have to do to persuade people to follow. In fact, some commentators believe that the plagues in Egypt were as much for the Israelites as they were for the Egyptians. Jews themselves needed “proof” that redemption was on the way. Without that, they weren’t willing to take the risk of leaving. Leaders can’t be blamed for the poor decisions that followers make when they decide to opt out. We have to take accountability for our own actions, especially when we fail to see opportunity knocking loudly.