Vayeshev  - Three Keys of Leadership

At the critical moment, two leaders of the family of Jacob reacted very differently. One, it could be said, failed. The other became the future leader of the Jewish people. Who were they, and what was the difference?

The brothers of Joseph concluded that they wanted to kill him. They felt that his dreams of leadership were a threat, and found the justification to do him in. So it was, as he came to see them in the fields, that they plotted to kill them.

And then his eldest brother, Reuben, suggested that they throw him in a pit. The Torah tells us that Reuben intended to save him later and bring him back to his father. The pit, we are told, had no water in it. Then, another brother, Judah, suggests that there is a way to getting better benefit and the same time as getting rid of Joseph. Why not sell him to be a slave?

And that is what the brothers did. Reuben was unaware of this, and when he returned to the pit and found Joseph had disappeared, he was distraught. He returned to the brothers crying, "the child is gone! Where shall I go?". They did not answer him -- at least not in the written Torah.

The two leaders are Reuben and Judah. What was flawed in Reuben's approach?

First of all, by suggesting throwing Joseph into the pit, Reuben was doing the equivalent of sweeping the dirt under the carpet. There was no long-range approach. His solution was a stopgap. Secondly, the suggestion of throwing Joseph into a dry pit was also a suggestion of murder. Passive, but murder nonetheless. Reuben did that to appease the brothers. Thirdly, it was a dishonest suggestion. If Reuben wanted to save Joseph, he needed to communicate to the brothers why that was the case.

Judah meets all three criteria. He suggests a long-term approach. Sell Joseph as a slave, gain benefit for us and save his life. If his dreams are true, God will show that. We don't need to decide. Secondly, he did not appease the brothers, but rather he led them. They wanted to kill Joseph, and he wouldn't go for that. Thirdly, he communicated effectively so that they swung around to his way of thinking.

We all are leaders in our own personal and family lives. We need to take value based decisions, with consideration for future consequences. And we need to communicate well to ourselves and others. That is why Judah is the leader of the Jewish people, who are named for him.