And Avraham took . . . the souls that they made in Charan . . . (12:5)
The Medrash relates that the “souls that they made” are referring to the people that Avraham influenced to serve Hashem.[1] The Rambam writes that Avraham would go from city to city teaching the truth of One G-d, and in doing so, succeeded in influencing tens of thousands of people to believe and serve Hashem. Avraham did not have a set-presentation that automatically convinced everyone who heard it, instead, he would listen to peoples’ questions and answer them according to the questioner’s unique capability of understanding.[2] Avraham’s proficiency in this regard seems to be the principle difference between him and Noach who was seemingly unable to influence a single person during his mission to build the Ark.[3] For, whereas Avraham was able to discern precisely where a person was coming from and what was behind his questions, and was therefore able to respond in a way that would significantly impact the questioner, Noach, explains Rav Yaakov Kamenetsky did not fully recognize the mentality of those around him, and was therefore unable to influence them as effectively.[4]
We can learn from here that be an effective influence on others’ lives, we must first seek to understand them. Then we must speak to them on their specific level of comprehension and ability to appreciate what is being said. Someone who was famous for being able to do this was the Berditchover Rebbe. In one instance, a man came to his town the day before Succos with an esrog. In fact, he was the only one in the town with an esrog, and the townspeople pleaded with him to stay for Succos to allow them to use it. They offered the man a considerable sum, but he would only agree to stay on one condition: the Berditchover Rebbe would assure him that they would be side-by-side in Heaven. Although the request was seen by all as an incredible chutzpah, as soon as he heard it, the Rebbe readily accepted. The man handed over the esrog and agreed to stay for Succos. After the services finished on the first night of Succos the man looked around for someone to invite him to eat in their Succah, but no one did. In fact, they all rushed home leaving him alone in Shul. Bewildered, the man was forced to knock on doors to ask for hospitality, but everyone refused. Finally, someone told him that the Rebbe had forbade anyone to host him, and left with no choice, the man came to the Rebbe’s Succah for an explanation. The Rebbe did not welcome him in, but told him that he will happily host him himself as long as the man rescinded his right to be next to the Rebbe in Heaven. The man thought long and hard: on the one hand, he was giving up a guaranteed place in the highest levels in the Next World, on the other hand, he was obligated to eat in the Succah on the first night of Succos — how could he not perform a mitzvah he was obligated in? Eventually, the man told the Rebbe that he was willing to forgo his place next to the Rebbe so that he could eat in his Succah. The Rebbe’s eyes immediately lit up, “Now you have earned a place next to me in Heaven!” he shouted in delight. “For, your willingness to give up such an honor in order to perform a mitzvah has guaranteed your honor in the World to Come.”
The Rebbe understood that even if he would have been able to convince the man to allow the townspeople to use his esrog, the only way to help him achieve greatness was to act as he did. This is a true leader: someone who understands people and is able to bring them to greatness.
[1] Bereishis Rabbah 39:14.
[2] Rambam, Hilchos Avoda Zara 1:3.
[3] Rashi, Bereishis 6:14.
[4] Emes L’Yaakov, Bereishis 6:9. This explanation is according to Rebbe Yochanan who learns that Noach was somewhat lacking in his level of righteousness (Sanhedrin 108a).
