Book Review: Lessons in Leadership by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

“Lessons in Leadership,” the recent Parshat Shavua book by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, former Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the British Commonwealth, gives some amazingly interesting short lessons about the weekly Torah readings.

This is the perfect book for those who either just want to learn just a short message about the weekly Torah Portion or want to add something interesting and impressive at the table or a meeting. I like the fact that Rabbi Sacks does not just rely on the usual rabbinic sources and examples. He uses current events and modern history, like in Parshat Toldot, when to explain the intricacies of good communications he writes about the famous standoff between Kennedy and Khrushchev. Rabbi Sacks gives some little-known background information about how that dangerous time ended without war.

For Parshat Tetzaveh, Rabbi Sacks goes into detail explaining the various types of governments in Biblical times and the roles of the priests and the prophets contrasting them to the Mesopotamian and Egyptian systems of the same time period.

I particularly enjoy how Rabbi Sacks integrates his broad general knowledge into the very traditional genre of Parshat Shavua books without compromising his rabbinic standards.

Lessons in Leadership can be purchased either as a regular hard-covered book or kindle through Maggid or many other bookseller/sites.