The Danger of Deserving: Disappointment and Destruction
Office politics have a long history. In Shakespeare’s Othello, the antagonist Iago serves as literature’s classic example of revenge sparked by being passed over for a promotion. Believing he was rightfully owed the position of lieutenant, Iago is enraged when Othello promotes Michael Cassio instead. Driven by professional jealousy, Iago systematically manipulates Othello into destroying his marriage, leading to the murder of Desdemona and Othello’s own ruin. According to scholars, Shakespeare was masterful with language but did not devise original plots, though it is unlikely they had the following observation in mind. It is striking that the envy motivating Iago, the entitled figure whose disappointment morphs into venomous destruction, is preceded by a parallel in the narrative of Bilam.
In Ki Seitzei, the Torah mentions that Moav hired Bilam to curse Am Yisrael, “But the Lord thy God would not hearken to Bilam; the Lord thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the Lord thy God loved thee” (Devarim 23:5). In attempting to curse them, Bilam brazenly disregarded the Almighty’s explicit warning. Aside from expecting the reward of great riches, what possessed him to so deeply desire the downfall of Am Yisrael? Midrash Aggadah, a generically titled ancient compilation of rabbinic teachings first published in 1894 from a single existing manuscript discovered in Aleppo, Syria, attributed his enmity to a shocking backstory. Incredibly, Bilam thought that he would be the agent through which the Israelites would be redeemed from Egypt, and that he would be the one to give them the Torah! Once Moshe redeemed them and the Torah was given through him, Bilam became envious and began to dispatch his curses.[1] Although Bilam’s haughtiness and stunted self-awareness are so absurdly extreme that they may appear laughable, the beauty of this explanation is that it so accurately portrays immutable foibles of human nature that are no different from what we experience today. But it also tells us something fundamental about leadership. Bilam felt entitled to become redeemer of Israel perhaps because he assumed that his unusual spiritual capacities made him the natural candidate. While Bilam sat in his hometown of Pasor, furious that he had been denied the role of redeemer, Moshe, in his humility, had repeatedly asked Hakadosh Baruch Hu to send anyone but himself. The contrast suggests two models of leadership: the servant and the power seeker. Leadership requires many talents, but the way an aspiring leader views their role yields drastically different leaders. It is relatively easy to understand Bilam’s leadership style. He believed his superior spiritual gifts guaranteed him a position of power. Moshe, who did not seek or desire leadership but was reluctantly compelled to accept the role, saw his leadership not as an entitlement to control but as a responsibility to use his talents to help his people and serve a cause.
Ultimately, the downfall of both Iago and Bilam traces back to one common attitude: ‘I deserve this.’ The moment a person believes he is entitled to something from their spouse, friends, or community, he has stepped onto Bilam’s path. Moshe teaches us that the greatest leaders are those who feel a deep responsibility to the people they serve, rather than expecting the people to serve them. How does a sense of entitlement show up in our own lives, in our families, our workplaces, and our communities? When we stop asking what we are owed and start asking what is required of us, we avoid the tragedy of Bilam and start leading like Moshe.[2]
[1] Citied in Otzar Hamidrashim, Devarim. P 259.
[2] Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.