Combatants

By RABBI JOSEPH H. PROUSER

Rabban Gamliel was Nasi – head of the Sanhedrin – ancient Israel’s national deliberative body and highest court. A brilliant scholar and able leader, Gamliel had a fatal character flaw. He repeatedly introduced bitter partisan rhetoric and ad hominem attacks into the Sanhedrin’s debates.

Tellingly, he referred to that august rabbinic institution’s members as baalei trisim – “armored combatants” (Berachot 27B). Gamliel demeaned Rabbi Yehoshua during disagreements regarding Yom Kippur, sacrificial protocols, and whether the evening prayer is obligatory or optional. Gamliel threatened to call witnesses to testify against his colleague.

Sanhedrin members (perhaps reflecting public sentiment) finally objected to Gamliel’s unseemly, divisive conduct, and deposed him from leadership. Who would succeed him? Not Yehoshua: he was tainted as a party to the antagonistic exchange. Ultimately, eighteen-year-old Elazar ben Azarya was appointed Nasi (though his wife expressed misgivings about assuming leadership in such a toxic political climate!).

Elazar’s first act as Nasi was to increase transparency in the Sanhedrin, by adding 400 (some say 700!) benches to its chambers, accommodating as many scholars as possible.

1900 years ago, Jewish tradition understood that dysfunctional national leadership demands a change… that broad popular engagement in the deliberative process is required… and that a principled new generation of leaders may have a critical role to play.

(Rabbi Joseph H. Prouser is the rabbi of Temple Emanuel of North Jersey and the National Chaplain of the National Jewish Committee on Scouting.)