| I was told the story of a woman my age who decided to introduce her mother to the magic of the internet. Her first move was to show her mom the popular “Ask.com” site. To impress her she told her that it could answer any question she had. Her mother was really skeptical until she said, “It’s true, Mom. Just think of something to ask it,” and she sat with fingers poised over the keyboard. Her mother thought, and thought and finally responded, “OK I’ll ask it a question: How is Aunt Shirley feeling?” Tonight I ask the question, where do our principles, our ethics and values come from? Can you find them on the internet with “Ask.com” or do they still come from the same authentic ancient sources of wisdom that have informed the human mind and spirit for thousands of years? We, in the Jewish civilization for the past 3,000 years have turned for ethical guidance to the Torah itself and all the sacred literature that flowed from studying it and wrestling with everyday ethical challenges from the beginning of time right up until today. The fundamental religious principle that underlies all of Jewish ethics is the idea that transformed the world itself the minute the Torah entered human consciousness. Before the Torah there was one rule that everyone understood, and here was the rule: “The man with the biggest stick gets to make the rules! Period! Then the Torah came into the world and introduced the idea that there is a God who has ethical expectations of every human being. It was an idea whose time had come and continues to resonate to this very day – that what you do matters, and what you say matters because who you are really matters. The Torah transformed the way we look at ethics altogether. No longer was it true that just because you were the biggest, or toughest or had the biggest guns you could make whatever rules you wanted, even if they included enslavement or death to anyone you choose. The Torah put our 10 Commandments and all the rest of the traditional 613 Mitzvot into the mouth of God to teach the opposite – namely that “You shall not murder” applies to everyone, even if you have the biggest stick, even if you are the king, even if you are the most powerful man on earth. God still says no one should murder, not even you. Jewish ethics are spiritual ethics – based on the idea that there is a constant awareness of God that infuses all thought and actions. The Torah teaches:
The Rabbis say that the most powerful ethical challenge we have is the struggle with our Yetzer Hara – our evil inclination and lust for power, money and wealth. I first leaned Torah from my mother. She used to tell me every week when the woman came to clean our house that the reason she always left her money on the dresser for her to take whenever she finished her work, was because the Torah taught: “Don’t keep the wages of a hired servant with you over night.” Lev. 19:13 (“And the people of Sodom were exceedingly evil and sinful before God (Gen. 13:13) Sinful refers to their monetary sins, since in Deuteronomy it says “It will be a sin for you” referring to one who delays payment of an oath or withholds the wages of a worker.” Talmud Sanhedrin 109b There is a famous story in the Talmud that captures the ideal of how business ethics ought to work: “Rabbi Safra was standing in prayer when a buyer approached him to purchase his goods. When the buyer received no reaction to his original offer, he raised the price. Taking the rabbis silence as rejection, he raised the price again and as the praying continued so did the bidding until the Rabbi finished his prayers. When he finally turned to the buyer he immediately counted out the coins of his last offer and was shocked when Rabbi Safran returned to him the difference between that and his first offer.” (Why did Rabbi Safran do that?) Talmud Makot 24b Theft is another example of how the Torah embraces the importance of ethics in business. 1. “You shall not steal nor deal falsely nor lie one to another” Leviticus 19:11 i. “If one steals even the smallest amount from his neighbor, it is as though he takes his soul from him.” Talmud Bava Kama 119a) – includes illegally using employers telephone, car, postage stamps, paper, …2. HILLUL HASHEM – DESECRATION OF GOD’S NAME
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