#216: Bully vs. Sully
#216: Bully vs. Sully
Rashi on Parashat Vayakhel-Pekudei, Shemot/Exodus 35:1
Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, the pilot who, on Jan. 15, 2009, landed an Airbus 320 in the Hudson River after a birdstrike destroyed both engines. Public domain photo.
Gimme Some Torah #216
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Shemot/Exodus 35:1
וַיַּקְהֵל מֹשֶׁה אֶת־כׇּל־עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּה יְהֹוָה לַעֲשֹׂת אֹתָם׃
Moses then convoked the whole Israelite community and said to them: These are the things that יהוה has commanded you to do:
What is the difference between a bully and a leader? Sometimes, it seems that the answer is not much. Fortunately for us, however, the elegance of biblical Hebrew grammar can help us answer the question. (Hey, no yawning!)
Last week, in Ex. 32:1, the people gathered against Aaron and told him to make them a god. There, the word for “gathered against” is the verb וַיִּקָּהֵל (vayikahel), which is based on the triliteral root ק–ה–ל. That root has a general meaning of community.
This week, in Ex. 35:1, Moses convokes the nation to address them. In that verse, the word for “convoke” is the causative verb וַיַּקּהֵל (vayakhel), which is also based on the root ק–ה–ל.
Both verbs have a connotation of group or community leadership. In the first case (וַיִּקָּהֵל / vayikahel), the leadership probably came in the form of a ringleader who riled up the crowd and demanded that Aaron into making the Golden Calf.
That is exactly what bullies do—they use their power to assemble a group against a weaker victim. It’s disgusting and it should be illegal but, alas, bullying is not only legal but often richly rewarded.
In the second case (וַיַּקּהֵל / vayakhel), Moses uses his leadership to bring people together for a good cause. That is what true leaders do—they lead, especially in a crisis, by gathering people together for the common welfare.
A good example of such a leader is Capt. Chelsey “Sully” Sullenberger. When he had to land an Airbus 320 in the Hudson, the passengers were no doubt in a state of trauma or panic. It was Sully’s calm leadership that allowed everyone to survive what would have otherwise been a terrible disaster.
Rashi’s commentary on Ex. 35:1 makes a similar point:
ויקהל משה AND MOSES ASSEMBLED [ALL THE CONGREGATION OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] — on the morrow after the Day of Atonement when he came down from the mountain. It (the word ויקהל) is used in the verbal form that expresses the idea of causing a thing to be done, because one does not actually assemble people with one’s hands, but they are assembled by his command.
In the aftermath of the Golden Calf, Moses could have held onto his rage and paid the people back with some bullying of his own. But Rashi’s point is that Moses caused the people to come together and survive the crisis with calm leadership alone.
Each of us can choose to be a bully or a Sully.
Discussion Questions:
Have you been bullied? If so, how did you handle the situation?
Can Capt. Sully’s traits be taught, or are some people simply born leaders?
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Rabbi Eli Garfinkel is the spiritual leader of Temple Beth El in Somerset, New Jersey. He is the author of The JPS Jewish Heritage Torah Commentary.