"And it came to pass, on the eighth day, that Moses called to Aaron and to his sons and to the elders of Israel." [Vayikrah 9.11]
Rabbi Akiva said: Israel is likened to a bird. Just as a bird cannot fly without its wings, so too, Israel cannot accomplish anything without its elders." [Vayikrah Rabba 11.8]
Central to our faith is the notion that by improving his actions and by uplifting his spirit, man comes closer to God. Yet who is to guide him? The answer is given by our Sages in Pirkei Avot (1.6): "Take for yourself a Rabbi," that is, a teacher, a guide, an elder. There is no greater tragedy, no more dangerous a road, than for man to rely solely upon his own judgment.
It is an orphaned generation, which has no elders to look toward for guidance and leadership. They are as a bird with no wings. They will never rise, only fall. At the same time, it is incumbent upon the elders and leaders of every generation to realize the responsibility that is their in uplifting the nation. The risks and dangers that lie at their feet are also great. The Sages teach us that, "The greater one is than his fellow man, so too is his lust greater."
The people must honor their elders, put their trust in their judgment, and accept their authority, viewing them as a limb vital to their very sruvival. The Almighty Himself recognized the status of the nation's elders, as the Midrash tells us: "So taught Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai: 'Not in one place and not in two places did God honor the elders, but in several places. Each generation and its giants; Yiftach in his generation as Shmuel in his generation." Moses on the eighth day, summoned Aaron, his sons and the elders of Israel, and this, to honor them. Only with the support and guidance of the elders of our people is it possible to rise to spiritual heights, as the bird whose wings lift it to the heavens.
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