Friday, May 25, 2012

Know Your Role

There are some serious numbers in this weeks parsha. Each tribe gets listed and the numbers still come out to over 750,000 men, so a safe number to presume is about 1.5 to 2 million people including women and children are wandering in the desert. Is it any wonder people were afraid of them when they came close to their towns?

But one part of a tribe was counted from between the ages of 30-50. The tribe of Levi part of the Kohath family. These were to be the people who carried the items from the Holy of Holies.  They did not touch the items, rather that was Aaron's job and his sons, the Cohanim, to wrap the objects and then the Kohath family was to carry the objects when the camp was moving.

All through life we have our stages in family and in business. Our roles may change but we are still part of the greater collective, of family and business. Even at older ages the tribe of Levi still perform their tasks. Everyone has a purpose. The problem is when you no longer have a purpose or lose your role. The Torah lets you know that there is always a purpose. In business, they don't always give you a purpose, sometimes you need to create one for yourself. Entrepreneurs do this perpetually. Not everyone is an entrepreneur but within every company you control your own destiny at some point. Make the choices so others don't have to for you.
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Parsha Bamidbar in the book of Bamidbar, Numbers 1:1-4:20
It is said that the Torah or Bible could be interpreted in over 70 ways. More likely these days 100's of ways. In light of this idea, I am writing some posts that bring a business sense to what we can learn on a weekly basis. Enjoy, Shabbat Shalom

Friday, May 18, 2012

Sabbaticals

 Ever wonder where Sabbaticals come from? I would venture it comes from this week's Torah reading 25:4-5:

4. But in the seventh year, the land shall have a complete rest a Sabbath to the Lord; you shall not sow your field, nor shall you prune your vineyard.

5. You shall not reap the aftergrowth of your harvest, and you shall not pick the grapes you had set aside [for yourself], [for] it shall be a year of rest for the land.
Why is this so important to the land, life and your sanity? Back then tending a vineyard or farming was the pinnacle, aside from construction, industry at the time. Grow fruits or vegetables or wheat and especially grapes and make it into other products and sell it across the King's Highway and you were good as gold.

We know now in modern times what was a given back then, that the land needs a break. Just like a horse or camel traveling for hours on end, everything needs a break. By giving the land some time off, it is refreshed and ready to produce better crops.

And so Sabbaticals at companies, which used to be the norm, not so much these days, provided employees a much needed break to get themselves ready for the next stage of their career. Sadly this benefit has also fallen from use due to budget cutting and the need to not have any fat. The short sightedness of this may mean you are burning your employees out and leaving them nothing to look forward to in their future. Sabbaticals were not a year off, but more like an extended vacation which would provide anywhere from a month to 3 or more depending on your position in the company.

Smokers need a break, coffee drinkers need a break, bloggers need a break and similarly daily workers need a break and thus Shabbat comes in to remind us that you can't be focused on work 24x7 every week. I for one appreciate the day off from work and using any electronic technology and just spending time with my friends and family. Try it, you might like it as well.

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Parsha Behar, Bechukotai in the book of Vayikra Leviticus 25:1-26:2 26:3-27:34
It is said that the Torah or Bible could be interpreted in over 70 ways. More likely these days 100's of ways. In light of this idea, I am writing some posts that bring a business sense to what we can learn on a weekly basis. Enjoy, Shabbat Shalom

Friday, May 11, 2012

First Impressions


If you were God, would you recognize your failures?

Evidently not, based on this parsha. I am not saying God has failures, everything is in the image of God and for better or worse what we see and experience is what we get.

Starting at 21:16 God lays out the Cohanim that are not allowed to perform some of the services in the Temple. Really? Because they are deformed or injured or have, as one translation says, cataracts? Because of a broken nose, leg or arm, etc..Not exactly what you want to be teaching people is it? Is this an explanation for being pro cosmetic surgery?

Now look at this from a different perspective. If  you are trying to win over a client, you want to put your best foot forward. Even if the client knows you or part of your staff, you still choose to put the best person on the point and greet them. When you first meet a client you try to give off the best impression you can. Dress up, shave, whatever else but you don't go in like a bum off the street.

Do you think God wants anything less if you are making an offering?

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Parsha Emor in the book of Vayikra Leviticus 21:1-24:23
It is said that the Torah or Bible could be interpreted in over 70 ways. More likely these days 100's of ways. In light of this idea, I am writing some posts that bring a business sense to what we can learn on a weekly basis. Enjoy, Shabbat Shalom

Friday, May 4, 2012

Treating Employees Fairly

Some easy points to be made this week. Do not steal is repeated, but in this case it is truly about business, not just about stealing cattle or some other item. Notice the progression of the sentences below:

19:11-13
11. You shall not steal. You shall not deny falsely. You shall not lie, one man to his fellow.

12. You shall not swear falsely by My Name, thereby profaning the Name of your God. I am the Lord.

13. You shall not oppress your fellow. You shall not rob. The hired worker's wage shall not remain with you overnight until morning.
Once again, we are in the desert, not at work in town or any industry. Nomads in the desert looking for a home and this is what Moshe is told by God to remind Israel?

Withholding working people's wages is akin to stealing? Sure it is. But what is the Torah telling us. Thinking ahead to when they would settle in Israel properly, the guidelines are laid out early. Unfortunately in modern times some of this has been forgotten. Many owners of companies will  pay their staff before themselves, yet some still put themselves first. The Torah is reminding you, the owner, the staff is what makes your world better. Treat them properly or suffer the consequences. 

Similarly in the social media world, if you don't treat your staff right, they in turn will not treat you well in the social media world. Your good name is made by doing what's right for your staff. Your staff in turn is what makes you look good, so it was that Israel was to make God look good and be a light to the nations.
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Parsha Acharei Mot - Kedoshim in the book of Vayikra Leviticus 16:1-18:30 and 19:1-20:27

It is said that the Torah or Bible could be interpreted in over 70 ways. More likely these days 100's of ways. In light of this idea, I am writing some posts that bring a business sense to what we can learn on a weekly basis. Enjoy, Shabbat Shalom