Community Magazine August 2017

24 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE The Greatest Blessing Later in the Book of Devarim (28:3), the Torah promises that in reward for observing Gd’s laws, “ Baruch atah ba’ir – You will be blessed in the city.” The Gemara in Masechet Baba Metzia explains this to mean, “ Sheyeheh betecha samuch levet hakenesset – Your home shall be adjacent to the synagogue.” The greatest blessing we can have “in the city,” the Gemara seems to be teaching us, is that we live close to a synagogue. Is this really the greatest possible blessing? Sure, it is very convenient to live near one’s synagogue, and we know full well that real estate prices go up the closer we get to a large synagogue. But is this really the greatest blessing of all? The answer is that the Gemara is not referring to geographic proximity. Rather, it refers to blurring the lines between the synagogue and the other areas of life. We must ensure that our offices, figuratively speaking, are situated close to the synagogue, meaning, they are brought under the influenceof the values of the synagogue, and are operated in the spirit of those values. After we finish praying and studying in the synagogue, we must not leave it at the door when we leave. We need to take it with us wherever we go, whether it’s our homes, our businesses, our travels, our leisurely activities, or our ordinary errands. We cannot compartmentalize our lives, keeping religion in the synagogue with the attitude of “business is business.” Business is every bit as much a part of our religion as praying and studying Gemara. We serve Gd in the synagogue by praying and studying the right way, and we serve Gd in the office by working the right way, with the proper mindset, and with the proper values and ideals. Sadly, the application of our religious ideals to the workplace is an area about which we can say, “ adam dash ba’akavav ” – many people “trample” on it. Our synagogues and adult education programs are, baruch Hashem , full, but I am afraid that the values embodied by our synagogues too often remain in the synagogues, and do not extend outward into the workplace. One lives a truly blessed life when there is no space between his synagogue and his office, when the latter becomes a natural extension of the former. The greatest blessing is when one infuses his entire life, including his profession or business, with the lofty ideals and values of the Torah. If we want to be blessed “ ba’ir ,” when we go off to work in the city, then we must ensure to keep Torah values in our minds and hearts throughout our workday, and conduct all our affairs in strict accordance with those values, at the very highest standards of honesty and integrity, and with firm, unwavering belief in Gd’s ability to provide for us and our families. Dedicated in memory of the pure neshamot of the Sassoon children Fixtures Faucets Hardware accessories 1663 coney island avenue Brooklyn NY 11230 Monday–wednesday 9am–5:30pm thursday 9am–7pm sunday 11am–5pm Valet Parking appointments welcome 718.787.1000 www.homeandstone.com Home & stone