Classic JobShuk

I usually don’t stray from the simple reading of the Torah for this series; why should I with so many things to learn right in front of us. But there’s a figure that is said to have made a huge impact, but isn’t mentioned in this parsha.

That figure, of course, is Nachshon ben Aminadav. Later the prince of Yehuda, the tribe of kings and leaders, Nachshon is famous for his belief in G-d and his willingness to walk into the Reed Sea until it almost covered his face. Only then did Hashem split the sea.

I’d like to say that Nachshon’s Taoist nature lead him to simply take action without fear or companionship, not demand any record of the incident in the Torah, and eventually be a leader of the nation. I’d like to say that, but I simply don’t know enough about the man.

I do know, however, that actions speak louder than words, so if you’re running a business or being a leader, be like Nachshon (or Nike) and Just Do it!

There are several juicy topics in this Parsha that I’d love to discuss, but I’ll pick one that has helped inspire me during these days of darkness.

(Note: my darkness was increased after I wrote most of this post, and then lost it due to a browser crash. That, amongst other factors, contributed to another long break, out of frustration. Someone should tell the programmer to build an auto-save into this ;-). But we get back on the horse!)

Everyone wants to talk about Paraoh’s stubbornness. It extends beyond reason into a world of Divine intervention. But how do we understand Hashem’s persistence, and the rationale for His intervention that kept the Jews in Egypt a bit longer.

To this day, the events surrounding the exodus from Egypt remain a pillar of our existence. Pesach is the most celebrated holiday, and most of our prayers include some mention of our leaving Egypt. If the event took place overnight without a hitch, would we still recognize it with the same emotional excitement?

The experience in Egypt had a purpose. G-d planned and executed everything from start to finish. We can only speculate, but our observations tell us that 70 people went in, and 600 thousand unified men left. Could our nation have taken shape outside of this incubator, in freedom? Like a family united over a tragedy (Lo Aleinu), the Jewish nation grew together and thrived in slavery, and was given a new life through the process of the plagues, the Pesach lamb, and the Reed Sea.

G-d intentionally made a big deal out of 10 plagues, not 5, and not at the first sign that Paraoh was going to be flexible, because the exodus had to be a big deal. The Egyptians took notice, the Jews took notice, and history is the greatest witness of G-d’s might and determination and power over all.

It seems almost trivial to compare the power of G-d to business, but K’Viyachol, for whatever the relative comparison is worth, so too should we do in business. If you want the world, or even your target market, to sit up and notice you, it may be better to be patient and wait to do something big. Being first and in a hurry seemed to be the motto for Tech companies of late. But if you’re the best, and can afford to take your time and come out loud, then be patient and persistent, and you will reap your rewards.

In Parshat VaEra, we see Moshe and Aharon begin to perform miracles and bring plagues onto the Egyptians. It seems that magic was not uncommon to the Egyptians.  For every miracle performed by Moshe and Aharon, the Egyptian Magiciansattempted to debunk the miracle by doing the same "feat".

The first and most famous incident was when Aharon cast down his staff and it turned into a serpent (some say alligator).  The magicians did the same, only to have Aharon’s staff swallow theirs. While the staffs of the magicians had the illusion of a serpent, Aharon’s serpent was real and possessed the ability to destroy any threats.

The business world, whether selling a product or service, is replete with competition. When you’re the first and the best, you’ll be faced with skeptics, naysayers, and even copycats. Some may say that you’re not for real and cannot succeed. Some may say that your product isn’t worthwhile. Others will try to mimic your product and take part or all of your market.

What’s a business to do? Stay the course. Prove that your product is real and viable. Continue to develop and perform, and outperform any competition. Eventually, the copycats will not be able to do what you do, and you’ll show everyone that their product is an illusion, but you’ve got the real thing.

The book of Shmot, called Exodus in English, begins with the Jews going into slavery. The Torah tells us that the more they were afflicted, the more they grew and multiplied. It seems that the Egyptian plan backfired. Instead of leading to their breakdown and demise, the hard labor caused them to flourish.

The Artscroll Chumash quotes the explanation of the Ramban and elaborates. The Ramban says that Hashem had mercy on the nation for the hard work, and helped them multiply. Artscroll comments that a look at the census of men leaving Egypt reveals that the tribe of Levi, which wasn’t forced to work due to their perceived priestly status, did not multiply to the degree of some of the other tribes.

While the only "hard labor" I’ve done in my life was a few days of moving trunks for US summer campers, starting a business sometimes feels like slave labor. For starters, I receive no pay check and have practically no income at this point. I get very little encouragement and recognition of my achievements. I have to endure a lot of criticism and demands from others.

Nevertheless, I am fueled by my own inner strength and belief that I’m on the right path and that G-d will reward me appropriately. Like the Jews in Egypt, the hard work and suffering will lead to growth and ultimate redemption, with G-d’s help.

(Editor’s Note: I apologize for falling behind in this series while I’m in the US on vacation. This message, while still a bit unclear in my mind, is an important one which I hope, with G-d’s help, will be clear to you.)

Yaakov "blesses" his sons on his deathbed in this week’s Parsha, essentially telling them the future of their tribes. Rashi explains the blessings to Yissachar and Zevulun as follows: Zevulun will work in business and trade, and Yissachar will toil in Torah study, and each will share his rewards with the other. You can see more information about this arrangement here.

We can assume that the role of Yissachar, which the Torah describes as a more painful labor, is more than study, but demands teaching and rendering Halachik decisions. These community service jobs are typically subject to public scrutiny and are hardly for the meek and lazy. Clearly, this is necessary work, the type which would be covered by modern-day taxes if Israel were run by a religious government.

Without getting into a nature vs. nurture discussion, it suffices to say that different types of people in the world have their own skills and roles. Zevulun would be as unfit to wear the yoke of Torah study as Yissachar would be unfit to journey on the seas in trade.

The Yissachar-type that is most dear to my heart is the Oleh or aspiring Oleh, those who moved away from the promises of a "good life" to establish roots in Israel. Jews all over the world recognize the gift which G-d has given us in our day, and cannot imagine not having a homeland, a place that will always belong to the Jews. Nevertheless, most Jews, even the ones in impoverished countries, cannot bring themselves to leave their homes to live in their homeland.

In my heart, I want all Jews to be living in Israel. But the reality is that not everyone is fit to be a Yissachar. Not to worry – there are other roles to fill. I hear it from people all the time. "Israel needs Jews in America. We lobby the government for Israel. We buy Israeli bonds. We send our children to study. We spend our money there on vacation." As hard as it may be, I’m ready to face that reality. There may be a purpose for the Jews remaining in exile (Of course, I believe Hashem would find other ways to help Israel survive if American aid was withheld).

Let us assume that American Jewry has its own role. I submit that we add another pro-Israel action to the list: "We support Israeli business!" Be like Zevulun. Make an arrangement with Israeli business-people: you keep the pulse of our homeland strong, and we’ll make sure that 33% of your children aren’t going to bed hungry each day. Israel is not coming to your house on a Sunday asking for tzedaka. You’re not expected to deprive the Jews in your own community of a decent parnasa. But the next time you’re looking to hire someone for work that can be done wherever, remember your obligation to the people in Israel who are determined to live there, even if their financial situation is difficult.

Thank you. 

On my vacation to the US visiting family, it seems I quickly got infected by the Chutz LaAretz mentality. "Is he good for the Jews" is the primary consideration for many US Jews when looking into political candidates.

The Torah tells us that Pharaoh is pleased to learn of Yosef’s brothers’ presence in Egypt. The commentaries give numerous interpretations, but I recall a very simplistic explanation whose source I couldn’t locate. Pharaoh recognized Yosef’s abilities immediately, and quantitatively deduced that 12 are better than one. If one Yosef could rescue Egypt from a destructive famine and convert it to a wealthy country, imagine the possibility with 12 such characters.

The latter Pharaoh who "didn’t know Yosef", in contrast, saw the power of the Jewish people and wasn’t excited by the possibilities, but felt threatened by it. He knew that he’d have to outsmart them to have a chance of bringing about their demise.

The current Pharaoh desired to surround himself with smart, powerful people, and protected his interests by treating them with generosity and respect. The latter had no relationship with the Jewish people and saw them as a threat, not an asset.

In business, it’s always a good idea to form and secure a relationship with intelligent and powerful people. Unless you have a good reason to suspect such a person, it’s best to have them on your side. A lot of businesspeople are often concerned with others stealing their business concept, but the reality is that people usually don’t have the time or resources to do so, and would rather help us than hurt us. Pharaoh embraced some qualified advisors, and we all should as well.

At the beginning of Parshat Miketz, Paraoh summons Yosef to ease his mind after 2 disturbing dreams. I choose to stay away from the translation of liftor as "interpret"; it has the same root as pitaron which means "solution". Paraoh’s regular sorcerers and advisers tried to interpret the dreams, but he probably already knew what they meant. Even if we don’t take the position that his dreams, like ours, were manifestations of his inner worries and psyche, nevertheless, he knew the previous explanations weren’t correct.

Along comes Yosef and promises that Hashem will give Paraoh peace. Paraoh’s not looking for the answer to a riddle – he just wants peace of mind, and Yosef recognized this right away. After hearing the dreams, Yosef explains the dreams and then offers a solution: hire a manager to oversee the food storage program, etc.

Like we said, the first thing Yosef does right is offer a solution to Paraoh’s problem. He promises that the problem will go away. The second thing he does right is create a trust between the two of them by giving away solid advice without exacting a cost in advance. I don’t know the character of Paraoh, but based on royalty and mafia movies, many people in positions of power get rid of the lowly messengers when they’re done, especially if they demand payment up front. Yosef proved that he’s directly connected to a great source of wisdom, Hashem, and that he’s loyal and not looking for a quick buck or even a pardon. Paraoh, recognizing this, appoints him as head of the project and second in command of the country.

In business, it’s often helpful to take the role of consultant, showing off your expertise by offering solid counsel. Even when the discussion extends beyond the scope of your work, potential clients like to hear how their problems can be solved. Very often, the people you speak with are not fit for your services. Nevertheless, you gain tremendously by taking the time to discuss and advise. If you are a good match, you’ve already earned the client’s trust in your knowledge. If you’re not a good match, you can refer them somewhere else, which makes them and the referee more likely to refer a good match to you next time.

Take the time to share your knowledge with others, and Hashem will bestow you with good fortune, just like He did with Yosef.