Why the Future’s Most Powerful Jewish Leaders Start With Feeding People

Shalom Aleichem Chevra, welcome back to the leadership series! What does Avraham Avinu pitching his wife's tent have to do with becoming the kind of leader people actually open up to? In this shiur — part two of our leadership series — we dive into Principle Number Two: taking care of people's physical needs before anything else. We look at a fascinating pasuk in Bereishit (Genesis 12) where the Torah writes 'ohalah' with a hey — her tent — instead of 'ohalo,' his tent. Rashi picks up on this and points out that Avraham pitched Sarah's tent first, before his own. Rav Aharon David of the Mir used this pasuk to teach something deeply practical about being mashpia and guiding others: if someone's basic physical needs aren't met, there is no kli — no vessel — for the or to enter. We talk through what this looks like in real life. Whether you're leading a Foundations trip, an EFG year-in-Israel program, or just sitting with someone who just landed after 30 hours of travel — the first move isn't to open with a vort. It's to shle the bags. Get the water. Make sure the air conditioning works. Make sure people have eaten. Rabbi Willig quoted a beautiful piece from Rabbi Klatzko about the