When Moshe Rabbeinu went up to receive the luchos, Bnei Yisroel was choteh and made the Eigel. To get them to sin, we know that the Satan came to them and showed them a picture of Moshe Rabbeinu on his deathbed. When Moshe Rabbeinu came down from the mountain and saw that instead of them mourning and crying over the “loss” of their leader, he found them doing just the opposite. The Bnei Yisroel were joyous and festive as they were celebrating the Eigel.

Based on this one might think that when HaKodosh Baruch Hu said to Moshe that He would destroy the Bnei Yisroel and build a new nation with Moshe, that Moshe would agree to it. He saw that no one was mourning what they thought was his death, in fact they were dancing, singing and playing musical instruments. Yet with all this Moshe Rabbeinu was mevater on his own kavod and furthermore davened on the Bnei Yisroel’s behalf.

We learn from Moshe Rabbeinu what it means to be a true manhig and leader. That the leader needs to have tremendous misirus nefesh and achrayus for his tzibur no matter the circumstance.