Session 16: Parashat Sh'mini

Speech to the 1976 Democratic National Convention, Barbara Jordan, 1976

Parashat Sh’mini includes the elevation of Aaron and his sons as priests of the Tabernacle, the Israelites’ traveling site of worship. These leaders take on a significant portion of responsibility for their community, maintaining the sanctity of a space whose purity allowed God to accompany the Israelites in their wandering.

Leaders in the Torah serve at God’s will and under God’s scrutiny. In America, leaders serve at the will and under the scrutiny of the people. In both situations, leaders must be mindful that the quality of their leadership is measured not only by how they execute their official duties, but by their general conduct and commitment to their people. This is the thrust of Barbara Jordan’s remarks about elected officials in her speech at the 1976 Democratic National Convention, delivered in the aftermath of Watergate.

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