R. Avital Hochstein on Parashat Ki Tissa: When Moshe Leaves

The absence of a leader creates a vacuum, and this vacuum invites a question: What kind of leadership are we seeking? At the beginning of Parashat Ki Tissa, Moshe is absent. When he ascended the mountain at the end of Parashat Mishpatim, he entered the cloud, and left behind an alternative leadership structure, appointing two individuals in his stead: Aharon and Hur. Who are they, what happens to them—and what do we learn from them about the essence of leadership?