To See, To Stand, To Lead

“lead not for honor or control, but to serve, inspire, and uphold what is right”

Parashat Vayeira is filled with dramatic moments, angels visiting Avraham, the destruction of Sodom, the birth of Yitzchak, and the Akeidah. Yet beneath all the action lies a profound lesson about leadership, what it means to lead with vision, compassion, and moral courage. In this parashah, we find one of the most profound portrayals of leadership in the Torah, embodied in Avraham Avinu. He models multiple dimensions of what true leadership entails: compassion, courage, humility, and moral responsibility.

Leadership Involves Seeing Others

The parashah opens with the words, “Vayeira elav Hashem”,  “HaShem appeared to him [Avraham]” (Bereishit 18:1). Immediately afterward, Avraham lifts his eyes and sees three strangers. Despite being in the midst of divine revelation, Avraham runs to greet them, offering food, shade, and care.

A true leader, the Torah teaches, never becomes so absorbed in personal spirituality or status that they fail to see the needs of others. Leadership is not about the spotlight, it’s about seeing the people who stand just outside it. Avraham models the kind of leadership that balances connection to HaShem with deep empathy for humanity.

Leadership Encompasses Empathy

The parashah opens with Avraham recovering from his brit milah, yet “he lifted his eyes and saw three men standing before him” (Bereishit 18:2). Despite his pain, he runs to welcome them. This scene reveals a crucial principle: a leader’s first instinct is to serve others, even when it is inconvenient. Avraham doesn’t wait to be asked for help, he anticipates needs and acts. True leadership begins not with authority, but with empathy, the ability to see others and prioritize their well-being.

Leadership Requires Moral Courage

Immediately after Avraham shows kindness to strangers, HaShem reveals His plan to destroy Sodom, Avraham could have remained silent, after all, he had no personal stake in the city. But instead, he stands before HaShem and says, “Will the Judge of all the earth not do justice?” (18:25). 

Avraham’s boldness to question Divine justice demonstrates the courage that great leaders must have, to speak truth even to power, and to advocate for mercy and fairness. This is leadership at its most courageous: addressing even Divine power. Leadership, in the Torah’s view, isn’t about blind obedience; it’s about holding fast to moral conviction, even in the presence of the Almighty.

This is leadership at its most courageous. Avraham doesn’t argue for comfort or convenience; he argues for justice. He reminds us that leadership is not about agreeing with the majority or protecting one’s own image, it’s about standing up for what is right, even when it’s unpopular or uncomfortable.

Leadership Demands Faith Through Tests

Leaders are tested. They face moments when direction is unclear, when sacrifice is demanded, and when the world doesn’t understand their path. Yet Avraham’s unwavering faith teaches that authentic leadership requires inner conviction, the ability to move forward guided by values, even when outcomes are uncertain.

The Balance of Chesed and Justice

Throughout Vayeira, we see Avraham’s balance between chesed (kindness) and din (justice). He pleads for Sodom, but ultimately accepts when justice must be carried out. He welcomes strangers but also sets boundaries when Ishmael’s influence threatens Yitzchak. Effective leadership requires that same balance, knowing when to be compassionate and when to be firm.

A Leader’s Legacy

Finally, HaShem defines Avraham’s leadership not by his wealth, charisma, or miracles, but by his ability to transmit values: “For I have known him, that he will command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice.” (18:19)

A true leader is one who creates other leaders, who inspires the next generation to live by tzedakah u’mishpat, righteousness and justice. A leader’s greatness is measured not only by personal deeds but by the ability to inspire others to continue the mission. Avraham’s legacy is not in his wealth, power, or even miracles, but in the way he builds a moral culture that continues through Yitzchak, Yaakov, and the Jewish people.

Takeaway

Parashat Vayeira paints a holistic picture of leadership:

Empathy: Seeing and serving others, as Avraham did for the strangers.

Courage: Speaking out for justice, even before HaShem.

Legacy: Teaching values that endure beyond one’s lifetime.

Faith: Leading with conviction through life’s hardest tests.

In our own lives, whether we lead families, communities, classrooms, or teams, we can emulate Avraham’s model: to lead not for honor or control, but to serve, inspire, and uphold what is right.

Additionally, from Vayeira, we learn that authentic leadership is about staying faithful to a moral vision even when the path is difficult. Avraham teaches us that the heart of leadership is service, to people, to principle, and to HaShem.