Reports on Defense Minister Ehud Barak’s latest and grandiose real estate purchase reminded me of a sticker I recently saw on a vehicle: “We need a righteous leader”. What does “righteous” mean? I asked myself. First and foremost, it is someone who does more for others than for himself; one who sacrifices his own comfort and who is willing to suffer for the sake of others.
Can we point to even one member of our leadership who meets these criteria or at least approaches them? One person who at least looks like he’s suffering? Or even one who pretends to be suffering? You can search high and low and you won’t find one.
Moreover, if we keep looking we will likely find just the opposite - arrogance, haughtiness, pretentiousness, and greed, which not only reflect the aspirations and preferences of most of Israeli society, but worse than that, dictate them.
