וַיַּגִּ֣דוּ לְיוֹתָ֗ם וַיֵּ֙לֶךְ֙ וַֽיַּעֲמֹד֙ בְּרֹ֣אשׁ הַר־גְּרִזִ֔ים וַיִּשָּׂ֥א קוֹל֖וֹ וַיִּקְרָ֑א וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָהֶ֗ם שִׁמְע֤וּ אֵלַי֙ בַּעֲלֵ֣י שְׁכֶ֔ם וְיִשְׁמַ֥ע אֲלֵיכֶ֖ם אֱלֹהִֽים׃
И когда они рассказали об этом Иотаму, он пошел и встал на вершине горы Геризим, и, подняв голос, возопил и сказал им: 'Слушайте меня, жители Сихема, чтобы Бог слушал вас.
Redeeming Relevance; Genesis
Thus, the refined Jewish personality is hesitant to be put into a leadership situation, even while he or she must eventually accept it once it becomes clear that his or her leadership is needed. Even when required, it is not necessarily viewed as a permanent “position.” Accordingly, ideal Jewish leadership is what was seen during the time of the Judges, wherein human leaders arose only to meet specific needs. When the need passed, those who were still alive went back to private life.11While this is not necessarily the case with all of the Judges, it is most clearly recorded concerning Gideon (Shoftim 8:23, 29) and appears to be depicted as the ideal in the parable of Yotam (Shoftim 9:7–15). There are many who understand the Jewish desire for a formal leader during the days of Shmuel as moving away from this Jewish ideal.12Although this is not clear from the Biblical text. Correspondingly, it was against this call for the power of office that Shmuel cried out so vigorously.