Responsibility, Visibility, and Sacred Standards in Leadership

“Anyone who influences others, educates, raises children, or models values is fulfilling a leadership role”

Parashat Emor (Vayikra/Leviticus 21–24) provides a fascinating window into the responsibilities and expectations placed upon leaders in the Jewish tradition, especially the kohanim (priests). While at first glance, the parashah appears to be a list of technical and ritualistic laws, a closer look reveals deep insights about leadership, character, and the power of example.

Parashat Emor begins with a directive to the kohanim (priests), who held positions of sacred leadership in ancient Israel. "Emor el haKohanim bnei Aharon ve'amarta aleihem--speak to the Kohanim, the sons of Aaron, and say to them…" (Vayikra 21:1). The redundancy–"emor" (speak) and "ve'amarta" (and say)--prompted the rabbis to ask: why say the same thing twice?

Rashi explains that the double language emphasizes the responsibility of leaders to not only uphold standards themselves, but to ensure that the next generation–"lehazhir gedolim al haktanim"--is guided and protected. Leadership, in this view, is not just about personal holiness or status but about stewardship, mentorship, and influence. A true leader does not lead in isolation; they shape others through their actions and their example.

The parashah starts by expressing the elevated expectations for the kohanim. They must maintain a higher level of ritual purity, avoid contact with the dead (except for close relatives), marry only certain individuals, and ensure physical wholeness if they are to serve at the altar. While these laws may seem exclusionary by modern standards, they teach us something essential: leadership is not just about authority—it is also about responsibility and representing sacred values. The Torah insists that leaders must embody the values they represent. The greater one's influence, the more one's character matters. Leaders are held to a different standard not because they are better than others, but because their role magnifies their impact, both for good and bad.

The kohen is a public figure, visible and symbolic. His actions affect not only himself but the moral and spiritual climate of the entire community. This teaches us that leadership is about more than personal choice—it's about embodying and modeling values that uplift others. The kohen cannot afford to simply "do what he wants" because he carries the weight of the people’s expectations and spiritual aspirations.

This portion also details the festive calendar, moadei HaShem, which the kohanim were charged with proclaiming. It is the kohanim who facilitate the nation’s spiritual rhythm by bringing offerings at the appointed times. This introduces another facet of leadership: the ability to sanctify time, to give structure and meaning to communal life and helping others connect with something beyond the everyday. Leaders bring people together around sacred moments and help society move with rhythm and purpose.

Emor reminds us that leadership is not limited to kohanim or people with titles. Anyone who influences others, educates, raises children, or models values is fulfilling a leadership role. 

The double language of emor ve'amarta is an invitation to speak and to speak again, to reinforce, to repeat, and to teach with consistency and care. 

Leadership, then, is not only about authority; it's about responsibility, presence, example, and continuity. Parashat Emor teaches us that to lead is to elevate others, to sanctify time, and to be mindful of how our actions ripple into the lives of those we guide.

Today, we are all called to some form of leadership, whether in our families, communities, or professions. Parashat Emor reminds us that leadership is not about privilege, but about responsibility. It means being aware that our actions impact others, and that we must strive to act with integrity and care.

As Rabbi Jonathan Sacks (z'l) once wrote, "To lead is to serve. To serve is to care. And to care is to dignify those whom we lead."

Parashat Emor calls on each of us to elevate our own conduct, not to set ourselves apart, but to bring others closer to something higher.