The last verses of Torah exalt Moses: Never again did there arise in Israel a prophet like Moses whom God singled out (Deuteronomy 34:10). Moses’s stature is well-known, but his beginnings were humble. Left in a basket in the Nile, baby Moses was rescued and brought into the Pharaoh’s palace. As he grew, he learned about himself and demonstrated qualities of superior leadership.

First, Moses witnessed the brutal treatment of Hebrew slaves by Egyptian taskmasters. In one instance, Moses struck down the Egyptian taskmaster to save the life of the Hebrew slave (Exodus 2:11ff). Second, Moses gave water to the flock and demonstrated concern for the sheep (Exodus 2:16ff). He modeled justice and mercy, two qualities that reflected his humanity and preparedness to be a great leader. But, Moses was, himself, flawed. He was impatient when the Hebrews complained about thirst and hunger. He was insubordinate when he struck the rock for water instead of commanding it, as God instructed him to do. Yet, when Moses descended from the Mountain with the second set of Tablets, he was surrounded by an aura of light (Exodus 34:29). He was a changed man who came to know what he was called to do and to be.

Justice and Compassion can be our model for how to live and lead, too. In Deuteronomy 16, we read, “Justice, justice shall you pursue.” The repetition puts emphasis on justice and suggests that a case might be brought to a second court—a court of appeals. While justice can be found between human beings, ultimate justice (reckoning, redemption) is in God’s hands. In the space between human and divine justice, there is room for compassion. Chesed is goodness and compassion. It assumes that humanity, far from being able to know everything, leaves room for reasonable doubt where we can.

In contemporary times, polarization and incivility have been normalized, sadly. It has pitted us against our fellow human beings. We are either “pro” or “anti,” we are oppressors or oppressed, occupiers or occupied, woke or racist. But the world has never been binary, and Judaism has never been absolute about anything except God’s unity. In contemporary discourse on politics, society, Israel, and America, we would do better if we demonstrated both justice and compassion, and not absolutism. Rarely was God absolute; more often God was “compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in kindness and faithfulness, extending kindness to the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin” (Exodus 34:6ff).

Though none can be greater than Moses in service to God, we can learn from Moses’s humanity how to balance justice and compassion, and how to measure our usefulness and service over the course of our lifetime. In light of urgent times ahead, what will be our legacy and contribution to the world? Torah demonstrates that it’s better to balance justice and compassion when we choose to act, and to value these qualities in those who lead us.

L’Shalom,