In the business world, employees come together for a greater purpose. To provide a service or products for a greater public.
It is a Mitzvah / commandment to work. Gentiles also have the commandment to establish the world. Thus by working for a productive purpose, people get rewarded by heaven.
I remember reading about a successful CEO. His philosophy was to make himself obsolete. He would empower employees to allow them to do the jobs themselves.
In some companies, there is a game of “I deserve the position”. Thus my interest will take precedence over my colleagues. Thus, one employee may gain at the detriment of another employee or at the detriment of the company.
The Seven Year Cycle
Every seven years in Israel, the Torah commands farmers to rest from tending to their fields. The fields and vineyards are given a rest in the seventh year. The farmers, with free time on their hands, are free to study Torah. Torah learning does good for the world.
When a farmer is at work, he sees the importance of producing produce for his own good, for his family’s sake, for the people his crop feeds. In the Seventh year he is able to see the greater picture doing good for the world. In the seventh year each person is equal on his field. Each person can come and take what they need to eat. The farmer is no longer the “owner” of his field. It is not him who is in control. He realizes that the true owner is G-d. He realizes that his crops are a G-d given gift. This allows him to grow spiritually.
The Greatness of a Man
Great people are the people who see a greater good, even if it means overlooking their self-interest. A soldier puts his life on the line for a greater purpose to protect his country. A person learning Torah puts his time to help the greater world – for his learning brings great good to the world.
Once a young man wanted to become a Doctor. His father, a rabbi, asked why do you want to become a doctor. He replied: I want to help people, by healing them. He said: If you learn Torah, you will prevent people from becoming ill. The young man heeded his father’s advice. The young man was A. Henach Leibowitz, Former Rosh HaYeshiva of Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim.
The Greater Picture
The world has not yet reached the point of looking at the greater picture. Each one sees – what is my point of view, what is my opinion, what is my background and then promotes it – even to the detriment of others and the world. Many religions caused pogroms and terrible suffering to innocent others because of their myopic view of the world. Many people because of their naive, predisposed or un-thought-out point of view cause damage to innocent others.
When we become mature enough to relinquish our own personal opinions to accept that G-d has our best interests in mind and follow the will of G-d so the world reaches it’s potential.
The world is not yet ready to accept – that the Torah is main law of morality in the world. Why Torah? It was the only law that was given by G-d to a nation of millions of people and witnessed by millions of witnesses. And G-d does not change his mind.
G-d Does Not Change His mind
Many religions are based upon the fact that G-d chose the Jewish nation, but then changed his mind. That is illogical. G-d who is all knowing does not change his “mind”.
In one place in the Torah we see that it seems like G-d changed his “mind” is when Balak saught to appoint the prophet of the nations, Bilaam, to curse the nation. G-d first told Bilaam not to go with Balak. Then Bilaam pleaded with G-d and then G-d said to go with Balak, but not to curse the nation. It seems that G-d changed His “mind”. But really this is akin to a child asking a parent to buy him hot peppers to eat. The parent refuses. The child pleads so much that the parent says OK – thinking “let him learn his lesson, by eating them.”
Judaism is the only religion that adheres not to that philosophy that G-d changes his “mind”.
Disillusioned by Religion
Many people are disillusioned by religion. They look at the horrendous atrocities that they inflicted upon innocent others and rightfully wonder how anyone can honestly follow such a religion that preaches or preached and committed such acts violence.
A common reaction is to take all religions, put them in a bag, and to throw them all out the window. A more wise approach would be to seek truth and consider Judaism – the father of all monotheistic thought – to see if it suits the person. This does not mean a person should seek to convert. It means a person should investigate the laws that Torah sets out for all people – the 7 Noahide laws from the Torah.
Judaism & Heaven
Judaism, unlike many other religions has a two track approach for a person to receive a place in heaven. A person can relinquish their religion and follow the 7 Noahide laws of the Torah. Or they can choose to take a more challenging route, by making an effort to convert to Judaism.
More and More people are learning about the 7 Noahide laws. This is the start of the world reaching it’s potential. When we realize that G-d has our ultimate best interest in mind and yielding to G-d is the way to ultimate happiness and Gentiles realize that the proper path in life is to follow their 7 Noahide laws – that is when the Messiah will come.
The Messiah will come in a generation when either everyone is following good or everyone is following evil. If the former is the case – it will be a peaceful transition. If the latter is the case – the transition will not be so peaceful.
Let’s pray to the G-d of Israel, that we will see the Bigger picture and ultimately see world peace in our times.