Learning Rabbi Sacks zt'zl 'Lessons in Leadership', available here https://amzn.to/33At9JM
Read the full essay here at www.rabbisacks.org
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.
The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
-- Abraham Lincoln
Nov. 19, 1863
(יד) וְהָיָ֞ה כִּֽי־יִשְׁאָלְךָ֥ בִנְךָ֛ מָחָ֖ר לֵאמֹ֣ר מַה־זֹּ֑את וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֵלָ֔יו בְּחֹ֣זֶק יָ֗ד הוֹצִיאָ֧נוּ יְהוָ֛ה מִמִּצְרַ֖יִם מִבֵּ֥ית עֲבָדִֽים׃
(14) And when, in time to come, your son asks you, saying, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘It was with a mighty hand that the LORD brought us out from Egypt, the house of bondage.
(ב) כְּשֵׁם שֶׁחַיָּב אָדָם לְלַמֵּד אֶת בְּנוֹ כָּךְ הוּא חַיָּב לְלַמֵּד אֶת בֶּן בְּנוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ד ט) "וְהוֹדַעְתָּם לְבָנֶיךָ וְלִבְנֵי בָנֶיךָ". וְלֹא בְּנוֹ וּבֶן בְּנוֹ בִּלְבַד אֶלָּא מִצְוָה עַל כָּל חָכָם וְחָכָם מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל לְלַמֵּד אֶת כָּל הַתַּלְמִידִים אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינָן בָּנָיו. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ו ז) "וְשִׁנַּנְתָּם לְבָנֶיךָ" מִפִּי הַשְּׁמוּעָה לָמְדוּ בָּנֶיךָ אֵלּוּ תַּלְמִידֶיךָ שֶׁהַתַּלְמִידִים קְרוּיִין בָּנִים שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מלכים ב ב ג) "וַיֵּצְאוּ בְנֵי הַנְּבִיאִים". אִם כֵּן לָמָּה נִצְטַוָּה עַל בְּנוֹ וְעַל בֶּן בְּנוֹ. לְהַקְדִּים בְּנוֹ לְבֶן בְּנוֹ וּבֶן בְּנוֹ לְבֶן חֲבֵרוֹ:
(2) Even as man is obliged to instruct his son, so is he obliged to teach his grandson, for it is said: "But make them known to thy sons and thy sons' sons" (Ibid. 4.9); and, not alone to his son and his son's son, but each and every scholar in Israel is commanded to instruct all who desire to be his disciples, even though they be not his sons, for it is said: "And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children".. which is traditionally interpreted...to include one's disciples; for disciples, too, are called children, as it is said: "And the sons of the prophets came forth" (Second Kings, 2.3.). If it be so, why then was one commanded to teach his son and his son's son? To permit the precedence of one's son to one's grandson, and his grandson to the son of his fellow.3Sukkah, 30b; Kiddushin, 30. G.
(ג) וְחַיָּב לִשְׂכֹּר מְלַמֵּד לִבְנוֹ לְלַמְּדוֹ. וְאֵינוֹ חַיָּב לְלַמֵּד בֶּן חֲבֵרוֹ אֶלָּא בְּחִנָּם. מִי שֶׁלֹּא לִמְּדוֹ אָבִיו חַיָּב לְלַמֵּד אֶת עַצְמוֹ כְּשֶׁיַּכִּיר שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ה א) "וּלְמַדְתֶּם אֹתָם וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם לַעֲשֹׂתָם". וְכֵן אַתָּה מוֹצֵא בְּכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁהַתַּלְמוּד קוֹדֵם לַמַּעֲשֶׂה מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהַתַּלְמוּד מֵבִיא לִידֵי מַעֲשֶׂה וְאֵין הַמַּעֲשֶׂה מֵבִיא לִידֵי תַּלְמוּד:
(3) One is obliged to engage a teacher for the instruction of his son; but his fellow's son he is not obliged to teach, save when there is no expense to himself. See Baba Batra, 21a. G. He whose father failed to instruct him, when he becomes conscious thereof, is obliged to educate himself, as it is said: "That ye may learn them, and observe to do them" (Deut. 5.1). Thus, you will find it a universal rule, that study precedes conduct, because study brings about proper conduct but conduct does not bring about study. Kiddushin, 29a; Ibid. 33b. C. G.
Roger Kamenetz in his book, The Jew in the Lotus.
https://rabbisacks.org/bo-5780/
(טז) בִּרְב֣וֹת רְ֭שָׁעִים יִרְבֶּה־פָּ֑שַׁע וְ֝צַדִּיקִ֗ים בְּֽמַפַּלְתָּ֥ם יִרְאֽוּ׃ (יז) יַסֵּ֣ר בִּ֭נְךָ וִֽינִיחֶ֑ךָ וְיִתֵּ֖ן מַעֲדַנִּ֣ים לְנַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃ (פ) (יח) בְּאֵ֣ין חָ֭זוֹן יִפָּ֣רַֽע עָ֑ם וְשֹׁמֵ֖ר תּוֹרָ֣ה אַשְׁרֵֽהוּ׃ (יט) בִּ֭דְבָרִים לֹא־יִוָּ֣סֶר עָ֑בֶד כִּֽי־יָ֝בִ֗ין וְאֵ֣ין מַעֲנֶֽה׃ (כ) חָזִ֗יתָ אִ֭ישׁ אָ֣ץ בִּדְבָרָ֑יו תִּקְוָ֖ה לִכְסִ֣יל מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃ (כא) מְפַנֵּ֣ק מִנֹּ֣עַר עַבְדּ֑וֹ וְ֝אַחֲרִית֗וֹ יִהְיֶ֥ה מָנֽוֹן׃ (כב) אִֽישׁ־אַ֭ף יְגָרֶ֣ה מָד֑וֹן וּבַ֖עַל חֵמָ֣ה רַב־פָּֽשַׁע׃ (כג) גַּאֲוַ֣ת אָ֭דָם תַּשְׁפִּילֶ֑נּוּ וּשְׁפַל־ר֝֗וּחַ יִתְמֹ֥ךְ כָּבֽוֹד׃ (כד) חוֹלֵ֣ק עִם־גַּ֭נָּב שׂוֹנֵ֣א נַפְשׁ֑וֹ אָלָ֥ה יִ֝שְׁמַ֗ע וְלֹ֣א יַגִּֽיד׃ (כה) חֶרְדַּ֣ת אָ֭דָם יִתֵּ֣ן מוֹקֵ֑שׁ וּבוֹטֵ֖חַ בַּיהוָ֣ה יְשֻׂגָּֽב׃ (כו) רַ֭בִּים מְבַקְשִׁ֣ים פְּנֵי־מוֹשֵׁ֑ל וּ֝מֵיְהוָ֗ה מִשְׁפַּט־אִֽישׁ׃
16 When the wicked thrive, so does sin, but the righteous will see their downfall.
17 Discipline your children, and they will give you peace; they will bring you the delights you desire.
18 Where there is no vision, people perish; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction.
19 Servants cannot be corrected by mere words; though they understand, they will not respond.
20 Do you see someone who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for them.
21 A servant pampered from youth will turn out to be insolent.
22 An angry person stirs up conflict, and a hot-tempered person commits many sins.
23 Pride brings a person low, but the lowly in spirit gain honor.
24 The accomplices of thieves are their own enemies; they are put under oath and dare not testify.
25 Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.
26 Many seek an audience with a ruler, but it is from the Lord that one gets justice.
אמר להם אידין מתקרי חכים אמרו ליה איזהו חכם הרואה את הנולד אמר להם
Alexander said to the Elders: Who is truly worthy of being called wise? They said to him, citing a tradition (see Avot 2:9): Who is the wise person? The one who sees and anticipates the consequences of his behavior.