The wife of one of New York’s distinguished Rabbis came to the Rebbe one Sunday to receive a dollar for charity. The Rebbe greeted her warmly, saying: “It’s so nice to see you. You have not been here for a while. But that’s the way it is with really precious things. You see them only from time to time.”

The Torah relates that when G‑d sought out Moshe our teacher, He appeared to him in a burning bush. When Moshe saw the bush, he said:1 “I will turn aside now, and see this great sight.”

There are commentators who explain that this was a test of Moshe’s leadership ability. A leader must be sensitive to a great sight. When he sees it, rather than continue his ordinary routine, he should turn aside to give it the attention it deserves.

Others take issue, explaining that the uniqueness of Moshe, and similarly his spiritual heirs, the Jewish leaders of subsequent generations, is not merely the ability to respond to obvious greatness. What distinguishes a Jewish leader is his appreciation that every Jew possesses innate greatness, and his care and sensitivity in nurturing that potential and enabling it to flourish.