Was Moses Electable?
Rabbi Mendel Kalmenson is the rabbi of Beit Baruch and executive director of Chabad of Belgravia, London, where he lives with his wife, Chana, and children.
Mendel was an editor at the Judaism Website—Chabad.org, and is also the author of the popular books Seeds of Wisdom, People of the Word, A Time to Heal, Positivity Bias, and On Purpose.
Mendel was an editor at the Judaism Website—Chabad.org, and is also the author of the popular books Seeds of Wisdom, People of the Word, A Time to Heal, Positivity Bias, and On Purpose.
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Nor was there — nor would there have been — an elected or self-appointed government (purporting to represent ‘all Jews’) with authority to ‘vet’ Moses for his suitability to lead them out of captivity, certainly not while the plagues were raging and Pharaoh was of hardened heart.
In that way Moses is much like the Moshiach; Maimonides certainly makes no mention of the Moshiach giving speeches, winning an election, nor obtaining the approval of a political entity or government in making his return. Rather, Moshiach will be recognized after-the-fact for the role he played. Just as we recognize Moses after the fact — even as we still live, and relive, the captivity.