VAYECHI
First in or Last Out
Parents and educators carry two responsibilities: to present to their children or pupils a goal that needs to be reached and to manage the path to it. In other words, they must connect the destination with the current point where the student stands and make the student understand that the goal is relevant and attainable.
How could Yaakov not believe Yosef? How can we understand the fact that Yaakov does not trust his son's promise, "I will do as you have said" and demands that Yosef take an oath to ensure he would bring him to the Eretz Yisrael?
Yaakov knew that Yosef had a different view about the definition of a leader's role. While Yaakov demanded to be brought to Eretz Yisrael, Yosef asked his children for the opposite—to leave his coffin in Egypt until the Exodus. This reflects a sharp difference between Yaakov and Yosef regarding the essence of leadership responsibility: Is a leader the first to leave, pointing the way to the loftiest goal, or the last to leave, connecting the ultimate destination to the students; present reality?
Of course, both roles are necessary and are part of the educator’s overall mission.
