The Importance of a Backup Plan
As this weekend is the Super Bowl, I think it would be important to remind everyone I am indeed from Philadelphia. Like with our Buffalo teams, Philadelphia has a long beleaguered history of sports futility. This year has been different. Yes, the Eagles were the number one team in their conference, favored to go all the way. However, that was until their quarterback, Carson Wentz, went down with an injury in late November. In football, the quarterback is an instrumental position, and Wentz, in particular, though only a few years in the league, is already considered one of the best in the business. Quickly, the Eagles went from the “it” team, to a team everyone suspected would lose. They are, in fact, the only number one seed to be underdogs in each of their playoff games. Part of the reason they have been so good is that the Eagles’ backup quarterback, Nick Foles, has risen to the occasion and played admirably in Wentz’s absence.
In the Torah, Moses does not have a backup. From the time he storms into Pharaoh’s palace demanding our people’s release, he has taken the mantle of quarterback of the Israelites. Now that they have crossed the sea and have begun the march through the wilderness, he must feel especially alone. That is why, a visit from his father-in-law, Jethro, a Midianite priest, and the namesake of this week’s portion, is of particular importance. Jethro is one of the only people in the world Moses can turn to for help. And, apparently, things have not been going very well. We know this from Jethro’s questions after a day of standing by his son-in-law during his daily rounds. “What is this thing you do with the people? Why do you sit alone with all the people standing by you from morning until night?” Jethro asks Moses. After Moses explains his thinking, Jethro suggests an alternative, not going at it alone, recruiting others to serve as leaders for our people.
A mantra that is often recited in football locker rooms is “next man up,” i.e. if someone goes down with an injury, someone else must be there to take his place. No position, even quarterback is irreplaceable. In fact, much to our chagrin here in Buffalo, it was Tom Brady who stepped up to the plate in 2001 after Drew Bledsoe went down with an injury, leading the dreaded New England Patriots to their first Super Bowl. Jethro suggests to Moses that even he must have a backup. No matter what happens in the game on Sunday, this year’s Eagles team has proven that leadership is not just about one individual, but about a collective effort to achieve greatness.
GO E-A-G-L-E-S and Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Alex
Last Updated on 02/02/2018 by wpadm