cellio | parsha bit: Nitzavim-Vayelech

In parshat Vayelech Moshe says he is ready for Yehoshua to lead Israel. The rabbis ask why Yehoshua should take over and not Moshe's sons Gershon and Eliezer. The rabbis say that Moshe argued with God on behalf of his sons, but God says that they are not worthy of leadership because they spend their days idly and do not study torah. Further, Yehoshua honors Moshe more than his own sons do, so he is worthy of leadership while they are not. (Numbers Rabbah 21:16)

My comment: Priesthood is based on inheritance but community leadership is based on merit. God will accept inheritance for those who interact with him [1], but for leading people, demonstrated merit is required.

[1] Priests can be disqualified under some circumstances, but the default is "in".