The author is a businessman, a managing partner in the Alef venture capital fund
Throughout the Book of Exodus, we are introduced to the political, religious and military management of the people of Israel by Moses and his family.
In Parashat Bamidbar, the first signal was given for the decentralization of the leadership: Twelve presidents of Israel – the heads of the tribes – took the stage as generals of the army of the children of Israel. In the Nashat case, it turns out that the presidents were also active in the field of the spirit.
באירועי חנוכת המשכן הם היו ראשוני המקריבים: “וַיְהִי בְּיוֹם כַּלּוֹת מֹשֶׁה לְהָקִים אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן וַיִּמְשַׁח אֹתוֹ וַיְקַדֵּשׁ אֹתוֹ וְאֶת כָּל כֵּלָיו וְאֶת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וְאֶת כָּל כֵּלָיו וַיִּמְשָׁחֵם וַיְקַדֵּשׁ אֹתָם… וַיַּקְרִיבוּ הַנְּשִׂאִים אֵת חֲנֻכַּת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ בְּיוֹם הִמָּשַׁח אֹתוֹ וַיַּקְרִיבוּ הַנְּשִׂיאִם אֶת קָרְבָּנָם לִפְנֵי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ. וַיֹּאמֶר ה’ And they shall offer unto Moses one president for a day, one president for a day: they shall offer their sacrifice for the dedication of the altar. (In the wilderness 7: 1-2)
This is not just a specific dedicated role of army chiefs organizing the camp, but a fundamental change of method. The goal is not the sole rule of Moses, an exemplary figure, but the fulfillment of the destiny as an exemplary nation: “And you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. In fact in the verse that seals the parsha in the desert the upheaval is perfect. I have to do it. Moses could come in, hear the voice of God and speak to him only after all the presidents, the representatives of the tribes, had brought their sacrifices. Henceforth the connection between Moses and God works by the power of the people.
For thousands of years people have entrusted a large part of their lives and destinies to those who hold the knowledge. In fact, in a reality of ignorance, complete or partial, many simply relinquished the freedom to choose for themselves and humbly accepted the decisions of the ‘one who knows’.
Governments in the modern age, all over the world, find it difficult to apply governance to their citizens. The technological revolution makes knowledge accessible and thus strengthens the freedom of citizens and their ability to be involved and advance the world on their own. For example, today private companies develop vaccines, space flights, tunnel miners and coin producers.
In the second decade of the twenty-first century, we are on the threshold of a different paradigm. I do not know for sure what the “other paradigm” is, but it is based on even more distributed knowledge. The prophet Joel also foretold in the last days: “I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream, you will dream like a dream.” The data we accumulate provides us with an opportunity to predict the future. As more people have access to knowledge, humanity will advance significantly, while China and its peers, the leaders of a centralized regime, will be left (once again) behind.
Black critics will say that human greed will take over the societies or the creative person. This can also be seen differently: the accessibility of knowledge will provide transparency. The transparency of the 21st century will allow us a different economy and a different trust in human beings. The good products will be developed on a value basis. These are the products that customers exposed to knowledge will ask for.
In the following passages in the book in the desert, bumps will appear in the way that will disrupt the layout of the decentralization. We too will know difficulties. It takes time to get used to new tools and powerful technological means. It takes time for eternal values, which originate in ancient texts, to penetrate more and more into the modern world and to illuminate it anew.