The Torah commands us to establish religious leaders upon ourselves (Par'shat Shoftim).
The western civilization seems to more and more reject the notion of religious leadership. Due to the history of religious leaders of all religions abusing their authority, we can understand people's position. Gamaliel the 3rd, of the Yavneh Academy in 2nd century Israel, is notorious for setting in stone the edicts that would until today push the nascent Nazarene movement away from its Jewish brothers. Later, the Gentile Nazarenes, egged by religious leaders such as John Chrysostom and later Constantine took over the baton persecuting the Jewish Yeshua disciples, practice continued by reformer martin Luther who stood against any Jewish practice within his idea of discipleship to Yeshua.
It is important to realize that the problem was not the command to establish religious leaders upon ourselves, but rather the evil inclination of man towards independence from leadership, especially the leadership of the Torah.
Looking at the landscape of the religious world today, we can safely say that in all monotheistic religions (and monotheism is a Torah teaching which stems from Hashem's proclamation in a polytheistic world, "Hear ye Israel, the Lord your God is one God"), both the idea of individual autonomy and of leadership have failed to unite their religious bodies. An over emphasis of leadership leads to separatism and sectarianism, while the principles of autonomy lead to spiritual anarchy and heresies.
As usual, the wise balance of truth lies between two extremes, a wise balance elusive to us due to our human weakness and prideful tendencies to want to individualize ourselves.
Soon, the true king Messiah will return and teach us all the wise precept of leadership. In those, we will not fear to establish leaders upon ourselves because righteousness will cover the earth as the waters cover the seas.
May it be soon Abba; even in our days!
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