Friday, March 23, 2012

In the Moment Don't Forget About the Future

In a parsha filled with totally irrelevant information for modern times, what can we learn that helps in business?

I pondered this all week and came to the conclusion that it was known at the time, much of this would not be useful forever. If you believe God dictated the Torah to Moshe then why would God go into such detail about sacrifices that would have a use for a few centuries, even a millenia, but not forever?

Sometimes in business, we also go into serious details on topics or projects that it really will not matter years down the road, but it matters immensely to the short term. In some cases the choices we make have long ranging meaning. Choosing to go Token Ring or Ethernet, Netscape vs. IE, Coke vs. Pepsi think about some of the things that influenced the long term that the short term caused a paradigm shift. Some of these are still played out today. Others, are roadkill to history.

Knowing how to perform the sacrifices is something a small group of people today study and are preparing for the day when they will be reinstated as the norm. For many of us it is not likely in our lifetime, yet they persevere. Rallying behind a product or a company may provide some form of belonging to some people, for others it's a religion of sort. Still other people move on, drop the old, pick up the new, sometimes learning from the past, sometimes not.

At the end of the Parsha in 5:11 the alternative is offered for those that can not afford the more expensive sacrifices.
But if he cannot afford two turtle doves or two young doves, then he shall bring as his sacrifice for his sin one tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering. He shall not put oil over it, nor shall he place frankincense upon it, for it is a sin offering.
The alternative close, the always be closing effort stems from the idea that there is no one who is beyond saving or beyond a solution to their troubles. And so we get a hint that we should always offer an alternative solution because the long term is to keep the client, keep you in the fold, in some way, shape, or form.

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Parsha Vayikrah in the book of Vayikra Exodus 1:1 - 5:26

It is said that the Torah or Bible could be interpreted in over 70 ways. More likely these days 100's of ways. In light of this idea, I am writing some posts that bring a business sense to what we can learn on a weekly basis. Enjoy, Shabbat Shalom

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