By the Grace of G-d
Dear Friend,
Selfishness.
Is it a good business model?
It is definitely not the moral way.
Are we ‘hardwired’ to be selfish or selfless?
Yaakov our patriarch, was a shepherd for his devious uncle Lavan.
Notwithstanding his uncle’s unscrupulousness, the Torah (in this week’s Parsha) describes Yaakov’s impeccable dedication to his job. He fulfilled his commitment to his uncle of tending to his sheep with integrity and industriousness. His commitment was legendary.
The dedicated behavior towards his employer, learned from Yaakov, has become enshrined in Halacha. Jewish law quotes Yaakov’s behavior, as being the benchmark for an employee’s ethical behavior.
Lets look at the other side of the coin. At employers. How are ‘bosses’ meant to act?
Yaakov’s boss Lavan, was blatantly unethical.
From him we can only learn what not to do.
However in multiple places, the Torah instructs employers how one must treat their workers with humane and even generously benevolent treatment.
It is not always so easy. And sometimes truly challenging.
There is a story that is told about Zeideh Moshe Feiglin (my father’s maternal grandfather) of Shepperton and later Melbourne, Australia.
R’ Moshe Feiglin had successful fruit orchards in rural Shepparton. In those days, fruit was transported in wooden cases. This led Moshe to eventually purchase a timber mill where he could make his own fruit cases. The bigger business was selling wood to the housing industry. The business was a successful one and the Feiglin family was well to do thank G-d.
During the great depression, in 1932, the housing industry in Australia came to a virtual standstill. The Feiglin timber mill didn’t have enough work to keep the thirty-two workers at full employment. The Feiglin sons asked their father what they should do. Their father Moshe said that while the single workers could be given reduced hours, the married workers should be kept at full salary.
They calculated the cost of this undertaking. A year’s wages for all the workers amounted to fifteen thousand pounds.
Zeide Moshe went to the bank and asked for an overdraft loan in the amount of one year of wages amounting to fifteen thousand pounds. The bank said that this was not possible as their overdraft maximum was only 200 pounds.
Moshe explained to the bank manager in Shepparton why he needed the very large loan. The manager was duly impressed, and he said, ‘I know your object and I know you’ but I cannot approve such large amounts. Let me send you to the head office in Melbourne to meet Mr. Hemingway, the head of the bank. Moshe went to the head office of the bank accompanied by his two sons. Although his English was limited Moshe did most of the talking.
After hearing his request, Mr. Hemingway clapped Moshe on the shoulder and said ‘Mr. Feiglin don’t ask me why, but I am going to give you the fifteen thousand pound overdraft’.
Moshe responded thankfully and then made a commitment that reflected his trademark optimism. He told the bank manager ‘within three years I will (not just pay back the loan) but also put 500 pounds in your bank as fixed deposit’. He made good on his commitment.
The story is recorded as part of a documentary about the early beginnings of Chabad in Australia. (this story is at around 25 minutes)
I heard this story many years ago and was greatly impressed by the ‘beyond-the-letter-of-the-law’ benevolence. Quite clearly, my great grandfather, a devout Chassidic Jew, took the Torah’s instructions of emulating G-d’s benevolent ways quite literally.
During the depression years when unemployment was rampant, being laid off from work meant falling into poverty.
Zeideh Moshe undertook major debt so as to protect the livelihood of his workers.
But I never actually took the time to translate the loan amount into 2021 figures.
Today, I decided to figure out how much money this would amount to in our times.
Google says that fifteen thousand Australian pounds in 1932 would be the equivalent of $1,539,674 in 2021.
That is serious money by all accounts. I now have a much deeper appreciation of what Zeideh Moshe committed to, in order to stand true to his Divine based morals and values.
I can only bless myself and wish that I emulate him in my own dealings with others.
It should be possible. Albeit challenging.
After all, I do have his genes.
Are you nodding? Thanks for agreeing. And for inviting me to share the implications of genes.
For you too, have the best genes possible.
You and I, as part of the Jewish People, are the descendants of Avraham, Yitschak, Yaakov, Sara, Rivka, Rachel and Leah.
Our souls contain the spiritual ‘genes’ of our ‘forefathers’ and ‘foremothers’.
It therefore behooves us, and more importantly it is ‘genetically’ possible and accessible to us, to behave similarly to them.
This is why we look so closely at the behavior of our Patriarchs and Matriarchs as described in the Torah. The stories of the Torah are not just a historical account of what took place. They are our ‘fathers’ and ‘mothers’ and we are their ‘children’. Thus, their actions are a lesson to us, of how we should and CAN act.
My dear friends, someone sent me a link to a story of a modern day hero who put his concern for his employees over the benefit of his own pocket. To the tune of millions and millions of dollars.
Click there for a ten-minute film entitled ‘The $300 million dollar Kiddush Hashem’. I enjoyed it and I think you will too. Most importantly I think you will be inspired by it.
What happens when you act unselfishly?
Do you fall behind or get ahead?
In other words, does being benevolent, altruistic and unselfish destine one to a life of deprivation and hardship?
Counterintuitively, the opposite is true.
The Torah promises that this is how life works. Do good and you will be blessed. Be altruistic and your own interests will be protected without your even intending it.
The Torah relates how Yaakov, who acted unselfishly to the extreme, by giving his all to his devious employer, was not just moderately successful.
Yaakov was WILDLY successful.
In the Torah’s narrative, acting honestly and benevolently is not a recipe for suffering.
It is a catalyst for blessing.
That is not why we are to do the right thing. But it is comforting to know that good begets good.
Fascinatingly, there are contemporary university studies that show linkage between unselfishness and happiness. And that even higher financial returns come to those who are more prone to charitable giving and helping others.
It makes perfect sense.
Success comes from Hashem. He is the source of everything.
Follow in Hashems path. He will provide you with success. Not just spiritual reward, but material wherewithal as well.
It sounds counterintuitive but it works. Admittedly, sometimes it takes some time to see. The dishonest people often get temporarily ahead. If you, like me, have been blessed by G-d to be alive for more than a few decades here on earth, you have no doubt observed that in the long term, happiness and success goes to those who emulate G-d and live a life of moral virtue.
Selfishness may bring short term gain but it is a very unfulfilling, and ultimately unsuccessful, way to live.
Today we are into ‘natural’ and ‘non-GMO’ foods. Acting like a ‘mentsch’, with values and integrity like G-d wants us to, is the most natural thing we can do. It is consistent with non-GMO, as we live according to the unmodified genes that we have inherited from our very own ancestors.
Be more like yourself. Be unselfish. Others will benefit from your largesse. You won’t lose out.
Its called WIN WIN
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Yosef Kantor