People are getting excited for the total solar eclipse  which will happen April 8 as it crosses over Mexico, the United States and Canada. A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between Earth and the sun, completely blocking the sun’s face and causing the golden orb to temporarily disappear from view.

The event will be visible to millions — including 32 million people in the US alone — who live along the route the moon’s shadow will travel during the eclipse, known as the path of totality. For sky-gazers in the areas experiencing totality, the moon’s shadow will completely cover the sun. Those along the very center line of the path will see an eclipse that lasts between 3 ½ and 4 minutes, according to NASA.

The phenomenon has inspired myths and folklore for millennia. This is clearly a phenomenon that was known throughout the time of the prophets. One can only imagine the fear that it would foment in people who did not have the benefit of NASA telling them what to expect. There are a number of attempts to make sense of solar ecclipses in the Talmud. One reads:

The Sages taught: When the sun is eclipsed it is a bad omen for the entire world. The Gemara tells a parable. To what is this matter comparable? It is comparable to a king of flesh and blood who prepared a feast for his servants and placed a lantern [panas] before them to illuminate the hall. He became angry at them and said to his servant: Take the lantern from before them and seat them in darkness.

Sukkah 29

The solar eclipse is seen as some sort of punitive measure. We act poorly and are punished by having to sit in the dark. This idea resonates throughout our texts. And in some ways this plays into the discussion as to the right blessing to say.

Given our excitement for this positive event, this Rabbinic frame of doom and gloom seems to miss the mark. I wanted to offer another ancient frame that might be more useful for our times.

Moshe was our fearless leader. He was the one who freed us from slavery. He delivered the Torah to us at Sinai. He brought us through the desert to the Promised Land. But, alas it was not his lot to bring us into Israel. But, at this point they need to figure out to make shift this start-up to a new leader. The mantel of leadership would fall to his successor Joshua. In Moshe’s absence how would they no succumb to founder’s syndrome?

The elders of Israel who witness this transfer of power remark “The face of Moshe is like the face of the sun, whereas the face of Joshua is [only] like the face of the moon. Oh the embarrassment, oh the shame.” (Bava Basra 75a) While Moshe was the bright star that gave life to our people, Joshua was only a pail reflection of that light. Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin (1817-1893, Rosh Yeshiva of Volozhin and author of Haamek Davar) explains that the sun’s shine is so magnificent that as long as it is present, the moon’s light is effectively non-existent. Similarly, as long as Moshe served as the Divine messenger to radiate God’s light upon the world, Joshua could not. Thus, concludes Rabbi Berlin, this indicates that for all of Joshua’s inborn talents, he could not succeed as a leader during Moshe’s lifetime.

This got me thinking about our upcoming total solar eclipse. No one has any doubt that the sun is the center of our universe, and for these 3-4 minutes the small Moon will block the light from the Sun. We see in a total solar eclipse that even if for a moment, the moon will have it time in the Sun, or blocking the Sun as it were. Similarly Moshe was the center of the Israelite experience, but for his moment we see the Joshua rising to meet the moment and assuming his role as the leader in his own image.

Peter Drucker, well known management consultant, wrote, “Succession planning often results in the selection of a weaker representation of yourself.” We need to give some thought to how Joshua was going to succeed Moshe. He was not going to be successful as a weaker representation of Moshe, but rather Joshua needed to show up with his own unique style of leadership. We see in a total solar eclipse that even if for a moment, succession is only successful when the new leader has their own moment in the sun.

• Check out this great tool to see where to find the best place to see the solar eclipse