After a close encounter with his
brother Esau, Yaakov flees the country and seeks refuge with his Uncle
Lavan. Lavan welcomes him into the
family and offers his daughters’ hands in marriage. As part of the deal, he employs him as part of
his key shepherding team. After a short
while, Lavan begins to see his sheep business flourish like never before. Recognizing that Yaakov’s prowess is the
explanatory factor for his newfound success, he is determined to do whatever he
can to retain his prize employee, even to the extent of holding his own
daughters and grandchildren as ransom.
Left with no other choice, Yaakov picks up his family and leaves town
under the proverbial cover of darkness.
Meanwhile, a generation later,
something similar happens to Yaakov’s son Yosef. Sold into slavery by his jealous brothers, he
ends up in Egypt working for a nobleman called Potiphar. With each passing day, the businessman can’t
believe his good fortune. It seems that
Yosef has the golden touch. Everything
he entrusts to his care becomes extraordinarily successful.
What is the secret of our
forefathers’ business acumen?
אָמַר אַבָּיֵי: אַף
אָנוּ נֹאמַר: תֵּכֶף לְתַלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים בְּרָכָה. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר:
״וַיְבָרְכֵנִי ה׳ בִּגְלָלֶךָ״. אִיבָּעֵית אֵימָא מֵהָכָא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר:
״וַיְבָרֶךְ ה׳ אֶת בֵּית הַמִּצְרִי בִּגְלַל יוֹסֵף״.
Abaye taught: Immediately
following Torah scholars is blessing, as it is stated (with regard to Lavan and
Yaakov), “And the Lord has blessed me because of you”. If you wish, say from
here, as it is stated, “And the Lord blessed the house of the Egyptian on
account of Yosef”.
Rashi explains: One who welcomes
a Torah scholar and hosts him in his home (receives blessing).
Let’s say you have two job
applicants for an opening in your company.
Both of them are amply qualified for the position, and you’re not sure
which candidate to choose. Ask yourself
this question: When each individual goes home at the end of a long day, what
are they going to do? If candidate A
will kick off their shoes, throw themselves on the couch and reach for the TV
remote, and candidate B will head off to the Beis Medrash (study hall) to learn
Daf Yomi, there’s a good reason to pick the latter for the job. Why?
Who is funding his Torah
learning? As the employer, you would
be. Not directly. After all, he’s making good use of his
personal time, outside of business hours.
Nevertheless, whatever activities he engages in after hours are solely
because you have provided him with sufficient means to allocate time to learn
Torah. Consequently, part of the merit
of his Torah learning accrues to you, causing you to prosper, spiritually and materially.
That explains why Lavan’ and
Potiphar’s businesses thrived on account of Yaakov and Yosef. Any Torah and mitzvos they occupied
themselves with, a portion of the merit was owing to their employers for
providing them with the means to do so. And
that’s why Abaye teaches that blessing follows Torah scholars. When you invite them into your home or
business and become a pipeline for their material needs, your actions provide
them with the wherewithal to devote more time to Torah study. The more you become a conduit for Torah, the
more you and your affairs will prosper as a result.
In addition, on a more practical
level, keeping company with Torah scholars affects your environment, and hence
your life. Many a time I have heard
someone comment, ‘I can’t talk like that.
The Rabbi is here.’ Having Torah
scholars frequent your home brings both spiritual and practical blessing into
the home. The level of language changes
and we become more tuned-in to and focused on our spiritual growth. And of course, the presence of Torah scholars
doesn’t only affect us personally, it makes an indelible impression upon our
children. Children who see and hear
Torah and its bearers being respected and praised grow up with a deep reverence
for our Biblical and Rabbinic tradition.
The Torah is “eitz chayim hee
lamachazikim ba.” This phrase may be
understood two ways. It is a tree of
life for those who hold on to it with strength.
And it is likewise a tree of life for those who strengthen it by
supporting Torah scholars and institutions.
An old Yiddish adage says, Torah
is di beste Sechorah – Torah is the best business. You can make Torah a part of your business by
utilizing your material resources to strengthen Torah. May you become a conduit for increased Torah
learning and may your home overflow with blessings of health, nachas, and
spiritual and material prosperity!
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