Classic JobShuk

The parsha begins "Adam ki yakriv michem korban laHashem", when man brings from yourself a [voluntary] sacrifice to G-d, and continues with the details of the sacrifice.

Some of the commentaries note that the extraneous use of michem,  from yourself, comes to teach us that sacrifices are of little value when given from our pockets or from our hands alone. Like our prayers, the source, the inspiration, must begin deep inside ourselves. Only then does our sacrifice have a purpose and a true existence.

Getting a business running involves sacrifice and action, but success only comes when the sacrifice is rooted in our deep passion. When our sacrifice comes from within ourselves, then our business will have a heartbeat and the means of survival.

At the end of the Parsha, after the Mishkan is set up, Hashem commands Moshe to anoint it and all the utensils with oil, in order to sanctify it.

I can picture my daughter, a few years from now, learning this, and taking the oil from the kitchen to "anoint" her toys and perhaps some of our furniture. The concept of anointing is foreign to us, and can seem strange.

My only exposure to this idea was in the army. A few times we had to take our guns, dip them in the oil tank, and then wipe it clean. The oil is meant to keep the gun rust-free, and ensure that the small parts are free to move around as intended. This special treatment also symbolically shows the importance of the gun, keeping it well greased so that it won’t get jammed when we need it the most.

In business, we all have our own tools, whether they’re the computers we work on, our office and furniture, our employees and partners, or real tools. We must "oil" them regularly, make sure they’re working as we desire, and let them know how appreciated they are.

Luckily, this year is a leap year, or else I would’ve certainly just lumped Vayakhel and Pikudei together, as well as the other double-Parshas, and we’d have fewer lessons.

When collecting raw materials to be used in the construction of the Mishkan, Moshe becomes overwhelmed by the response of the people and instructs them to stop their contributions, saying that they’ve received enough, and a surplus.

This brings up 2 questions:

1. Why did Moshe tell the people to stop? Certainly, they could have found some use for the donations. If not, we know that any donation to the Mishkan/Mikdash goes to the treasury, where the item is sold and the money is used to cover other expenses.
2. How do we resolve the conflict, did the people give just enough, or too much?

I believe that the answer lies in Moshe’s attitude to donations for a specific use. Moshe had convinced the people to open up their hearts and give for the purpose of building the Mishkan and its utensils. He did not, however, tell them to donate now so that the treasury will have funds to sustain itself long-term. There will be a time for people to give to that cause. After all, it is better for someone to give small amounts of charity over time, rather than one big lump-sum. Regular charity helps a person become more compassionate.

Since Moshe had determined to only use these donations for this purpose, and not stock-up on the extras, he told the people to stop giving – that they had enough for their needs. One commentary explains that Moshe did receive more than what was needed, and was compelled to use it up to support or patch the items being made, just as long as they went to use for this purpose.

How are we to conduct ourselves when we collect money or payment for a specific good, service, or purpose, only to find that we overestimated the cost? Some may welcome the extra funds as additional profit, and some may even put the money to another use for the payee without consulting with them. I submit that the best practice is to return the money, like Moshe, or make sure it’s used for the purpose stated. Establishing honesty is a great thing, not just in religion but business too. If we keep the lines of communication open and honest, our businesses are sure to succeed.

While Moshe was receiving the Luchot from Hashem, the Jewish people believed that Moshe was delayed in returning and grew fearful. They turned to Aharon who instructed them to collect jewelry, and before Moshe returns, they had created this golden calf.

This story fits a little too well with the final efforts of a business in turmoil. Things are slowly moving in a direction that indicates future rewards, but our fear causes us to stray off the path. With unclear expectations and deadlines, our fear increases to the point of panic and we believe we’ve reached the point to cut our losses, close up shop, and move on.

The cut-losses point is incredibly difficult to calculate because it requires an expertise of the market with an intimate knowledge of the specific business. Most advice givers have little expertise or knowledge, and rely solely on their own subjective optimist/pessimist nature. This is why many businesses close before they start – the prospective business owner doesn’t take the time or money to acquire the necessary knowledge, and are talked out of it by others or themselves.

Many commentaries struggle to understand Aharon’s behavior after being approached by the people. If he intended to act as recorded, then he is to blame just like everyone else. If he intended to delay the demise of the Jewish people by collecting money, the he acted like the classical business leader. Instead of taking a big loss by closing a business, you can sell some future profits in exchange for money now, and keep the entity alive. Aharon, the man who brought peace between spouses and neighbors, did not want a civil war, and perhaps did whatever he could to keep the people unified, even if it meant committing a misdeed. If he intended to give the people a temporary intermediary between them and G-d until Moshe returned, isn’t it like a business making changes to its system or infrastructure in order to get things on track.

Of course, with the Torah, there are no flaws that need changing, no amount of money can rescue the people, and there will never be a Chapter 11. Even a civil war, lo aleinu, might be needed to give people clarity, or something to fear greater than abandonment by their leader.

Businesses can only try to operate using the guidelines of the Torah, but we can never be sure that what we’re doing here and now is what we’re meant to be doing. So must keep our hearts pure and our minds open, and listen to hear G-d’s messages, whether they are to pour money at the problem, make changes, or cut your losses and move on.

I stumbled across this article while researching my own, which goes into much more depth than I would, so I’ll be brief here.

The purpose of the Kohen’s clothing, as some explain, and perhaps the entire mishkan and mikdash, are to inspire the people to an awe of G-d.  The magnificent structure and symbols lead our thoughts to Hashem and his role in this world. It is the most fundamental testament in Judaism to a recognition that outward appearances penetrate our minds and our souls.

I’m one of the first people to oppose dressing in a certain way, in order to be viewed, or avoid being viewed, in a particular manner. Nevertheless, it is a reality, so we have to conscious of it. For example, I’m physically more comfortable wearing a shirt and pants on Shabbat, sans suit and tie, even in America. I’m also OK that people will see me and might assume I’m Israeli because of my dress.

I am an extraordinary web programmer, a budding business mind, and a terrible designer, and I’m not comfortable with people looking at my website and thinking it’s a hobby of a 14 year old boy. I recognize that I cannot convince the world, save a few people here and there, to overlook the poor design and see the content and functionality. I must succumb and hire a designer, and so I will.

What are you doing, or not doing, to give people the wrong impression of your business? 

Most of us know the famous commentary on the beginning of Parshat Truma. The question raised is why the text uses the language of "taking" when referring to donations of a voluntary heart. The common explanation is that we receive more than we give when donating or being charitable, especially for G-d’s will.

Is there a difference between giving a donation and giving charity in Jewish thought? Truma seems to be a gift given for services, such as the mishkan or kohanim, to help the service continue. Charity is giving justified (tzedek=justice) resources for those in need. The grey area seems to lie in the famous list of ways to give tzedaka composed by the Rambam, specifically the highest form.
Lisa Katz phrases it in a particularly inciteful way:

The highest form of charity is to help sustain a person before they become impoverished … by helping them find employment or establish themselves in business so as to make it unnecessary for them to become dependent on others.

This level of charity resembles Truma in that it contributes to the continuity of a working system, instead of trying to recover someone who’s already in trouble. This is the kind of giving that gives back so much more, and is higher than putting money in a pushka.

So why are people so generous when solicited for a charity organization, but cheap when it comes to business dealings, often avoiding business with a Jew to get a better rate from a foreigner or non-Jew?
(And when we can do business with Israel, supporting Jews settling the homeland, and get great prices, we’d be foolish to do anything else!)

This series has commonly discussed business-related lessons learned out from non-business-related stories and verses in the weekly Parsha. I believe that this may be one of the "70 countenances to the Torah." It’s enjoyable for me to find and share these lessons, and I hope you enjoy reading them.

When interpreting the Torah, it’s easy to manipulate and twist a text through midrashim and commentary to make almost any point. I’ve been at Shabbat meals where opposite hashkafic points were made – both valid and logical points, in-tune with different Torah viewpoints. That is one of the marvels of Torah study, and study of the whole world through a lens of Torah.

Nevertheless, sometimes people can misunderstand the lessons learned out from an intepretive view of the Torah, and get caught up in a debate of "your midrash contradicts my midrash, and only one of us can be right".  This isn’t even as bad as people who try to bring Torah commentary and halachik pilpul to justify their actions that go against the Torah explicitly.

Parshat Mishpatim says to me, "continue to learn your lessons for good business from the Torah, but when you were 14 and lit some toilet paper on fire in camp, you were responsible for the towels and robes damaged when the fire spread out of control." Whatever we learn about business from stories are for educational purposes, and will always come second to the explicit laws and guidelines given to us in the Torah.

As Kohelet says, there is nothing new under the sun. When Yitro advises Moshe to appoint chiefs to manage the routine issues that a nation will encounter, he speaks from experience. Yitro, an expert in many religions and priest of a few, has learned from and lived under many nations. His advice is completely practical for the longevity of the nation; if you want to survive, you need to put a system in place that can run without you. Then, you can instruct and guide the system, when needed, but the system will live on past your reign.

That teaching lives on to this day. Successful speaker and business coach Michael Gerber is doing quite well for himself teaching Yitro’s message to millions. He says, in a nutshell, that a business entrepeneur should develop a system to a allow his business to operate their daily task without the owner. The entrepeneur should be available to work "on his business" not "in his business".

If you’re not using your time and resources appropriately to develop your business, don’t wait for an in-law or inspirational speaker to push you in the right direction. Take this lesson from the Torah, and do it now!