Friday, November 23, 2012

Going Out on Your Own

There is nothing worse than trying to leave your company to start a new one and you run into the fighting about what you are doing.

In this parsha Laban exemplifies all the downside and Yaakov portrayed all the best ways to do it.

Lavan accuses and Yaacov explains how he took all the bad animals, the broken ones and pleads his case. You could read it all in there, it is done very well, I could not add to it.

Laban doesn't buy into it and he tells Yaakov he could hurt him but God came to him and told him not to do so.

Chapter 31, 29. I have the power to inflict harm upon you, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, 'Beware of speaking with Jacob either good or bad.'   כט. יֶשׁ לְאֵל יָדִי לַעֲשׂוֹת עִמָּכֶם רָע וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבִיכֶם אֶמֶשׁ | אָמַר אֵלַי לֵאמֹר הִשָּׁמֶר לְךָ מִדַּבֵּר עִם יַעֲקֹב מִטּוֹב עַד רָע:

Granted most of us do not have God talking to us or protecting us in the same way Yaakov did although it would be nice.

Enjoy Black Friday and keep your honesty above board and be nice to the people working.
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Parsha Vayeitzei in the book of Bereishit, 28:10-32:3 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 business sense to what we can learn on a weekly basis. Enjoy, Shabbat Shalom

Friday, November 9, 2012

Negotiations and Contracts

Sometimes we are the customer, sometimes we are the supplier. It is always amazing how people can react one way when they are the supplier and do the opposite when they are the buyer.

In this week's parsha we see two different perspectives on negotiations. One from Abraham and one from Laban and Bethuel, Rebekah's father and brother.

Abraham is looking for a place to bury his wife Sarah and he wants a specific place, the Cave of Machpelah and as it turns out he is willing to pay any price. It was a seller's market. Abraham wanted to make it clear which cave and in which plot of land he wanted. And the owner offered a set price and it was agreed. No argument, just respectful dealings, even if possibly a steep price was involved. You could also say he saw a bargain and was willing to jump on it. Either way  there was not much of any negotiation.

Laban in contrast was looking for the upper edge, trying to get as much as he could in advance before giving away his daughter in marriage. Trying to buy some time by delaying for almost a year, in the hope of obtaining more jewelry or gold or whatever he thought he could gain.

Pretty similar to how clients act at times. And in return how we act sometimes to our contractors. Delay tactics in the hope someone becomes desperate and will grant more concessions. Perhaps to agree to a set fee that is fair or all inclusive. Either way they both ended in a respectful way, even if how they got there was rather diverse.

Sometimes we learn the good and the bad traits from the Torah, it is one of the unique aspects of it to show not everyone was perfect and there were not just great people being written about.
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Parsha Chayei Sarah in the book of Bereishit, 23:1-25:18 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 business sense to what we can learn on a weekly basis. Enjoy, Shabbat Shalom

Friday, November 2, 2012

Helping Someone Unknown

A lesson in futility or genius? How often do you go to bat for the people or staff which are not even known to you? Do you ever try to redirect people's anger, complaints or hatred from their intended direction?

I have a sympathy for support people, I have been on both ends and trained the support staff, yet many people hate support staff. Sometimes you get some new staff member or maybe your issue is above them but there are ways to work it out so no one gets upset. Emergencies aside as most people become different in an emergency situation.

One would think people would be nicer to each other, but the truth is not so clear especially in these times of instant satisfaction.

In this week's parsha, Avraham goes on the defense for the original Sin Cities, Sodom and Gomorrah ( I Wonder why it is translated this way, the Hebrew says Amorah). Why would someone so nice try to defend these places?

Avraham tries to save them for 50 people, then 45 and eventually gets down to 10 before giving up. A famous story of course and ends with this exchange:

32. And he said, "Please, let the Lord's wrath not be kindled, and I will speak yet this time, perhaps ten will be found there." And He said, "I will not destroy for the sake of the ten."   לב. וַיֹּאמֶר אַלנָא יִחַר לַאדֹנָי וַאֲדַבְּרָה אַךְהַפַּעַם אוּלַי יִמָּצְאוּן שָׁם עֲשָׂרָה וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא אַשְׁחִית בַּעֲבוּר הָעֲשָׂרָה:
33. And the Lord departed when He finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.   לג. וַיֵּלֶךְ יְהֹוָה כַּאֲשֶׁר כִּלָּה לְדַבֵּר אֶלאַבְרָהָם וְאַבְרָהָם שָׁב לִמְקֹמוֹ:

Avraham or God gives up since they can not even find a minyan or quorom of 10 righteous people. A city with no righteous people can not exist as a city and so as we are told God destroys the cities.

Saving your skin is one thing but trying to save other people along the way is something which unfortunately gets lost in modern times too often. Did you really need to fire everyone or could you have come up with some plan to make it not as bad? They have families too.

Due to circumstances in the last week many people have once again found the ability to trust in others is what is really important at the root of society. So the next time you are in a similar situation where people are being ignored or maybe a division is being let go for whatever the reason, think of Avraham and how he tried to help those he had no allegiance or knowledge. Every little bit goes a long way.

Hope everyone gets their water, heat, power back and lives in their homes again soon and you are spared from future catastrophes such as this going forward.
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Parsha Vayeira in the book of Bereishit, 18:1-22:24 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 business sense to what we can learn on a weekly basis. Enjoy, Shabbat Shalom