From October 17, 2008..... My Torah Cybercommentary for that week as the election approached....
As the 2008 Election approaches, citizens
around the country have either made their decision on how to vote for president
or, perhaps, are still trying to determine the criteria to use as a basis for
making a choice. Two lists of
“qualities to look for in a presidential candidate” that have recently appeared
in the media come from author and historian Doris Kearns Goodwin and Pastor
Rick Warren of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California (who hosted both
candidates at his church in mid-August).
I also found a list of qualities shared by President/General Dwight D.
Eisenhower in 1963 (see below). These
lists relate not only to candidates for president but also to leaders in almost
any group or organization.
I thought about these lists as I
considered a passage in the Torah reading (Exodus Chapters 33 and 34) for the
Shabbat during Sukkot that presents God’s attributes. During the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur
morning worship, we chant this section of Exodus as a reminder of the divine
qualities (revealed to Moses as he went up to Mount Sinai to receive the second
set of tablets of the Ten Commandments) on which the Israelites could
depend. This characterization of God is
also intended to set a standard for us as we try to develop our own
character. Exodus Chapter 34, Verses 6
and 7, declared that God is…
*Connected to all life and always
present
*Consistent
*Compassionate/Merciful
(sympathetic to suffering)
*Gracious (helpful concern)
*Slow to anger/patient
*Abounding in love/kindness
*True/faithful (tied to
love/kindness – sincere)
*Remembering the good that we
have done
*Forgiving of our errors in
judgment and moral decision-making
*Requiring justice when we don’t
return to the right path
The lists below reflect some of these
same sentiments. Leadership does require
connectedness to others, consistency, compassion, patience, kindness, concern,
a sense of fairness and an ability to move forward to accept new ideas and
realities.
Whether such a list of leadership
qualities comes from a sacred text, a religious leader, a noted author or a
one-time “leader of the free world,” considering these traits can play a part
in how we choose those who lead us and how we conduct ourselves as citizens of
a nation or members of a community. Let
us hope all of this wisdom being shared now will continue to guide those in
positions of responsibility both before and after any election campaign.
L’shalom,
Rabbi Larry
Presidential Qualities
Doris Kearns
Goodwin
1) The courage to
stay strong (determination in the face of one’s own challenges)
2) Self-confidence
(surround yourself with rivals whose diverse opinions can strengthen decisions)
3) An ability to
learn from errors
4) A willingness
to change
5) Emotional
intelligence (a team approach to successes and failures)
6) Self-control
(remaining calm in the midst of trouble)
7) A popular
touch (an intuitive sense of the public sentiment, knowing when to wait and
when to lead)
8) A moral
compass (courage to follow one’s convictions when the risk of losing popular
support is great)
President/General Dwight D. Eisenhower (From Time Magazine, June, 1963)
1)
Self-restraint
2)
Understanding
(for Eisenhower, respect for people’s freedom to work for themselves and live
with a minimum of government interference)
3)
Inner
calmness
4)
Strength
of decision (after consulting with strong advisors)
5)
Experience
(prepared for the crises of the presidency)
6)
Strength
of character (leadership based in principle)
Rick Warren
1)
Compassion
2)
Contemplation
(thinking about responsibilities)
3)
Cheerfulness
(overcoming evil or pessimism with good and optimism)
4)
Concentration
(focusing on major priorities)
5)
Courage (advocating
for solutions whether or not they are popular)
6)
Clear Conscience
(integrity/trust)
No comments:
Post a Comment