Put the Right Foot Forward

Sorry, with a busy week, this got left out last week.

In 8:23 it says:

And he slaughtered [it], and Moses took some of its blood, and placed it on the cartilage of Aaron's right ear, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot.

And you are thinking to yourself, where are we going with this, right?

The natural question is why these 3 places, and why the right hand?

In olden times, the right side of a person was a side of strength. So naturally Moshe puts the blood on the right side. When you go to a customer you want to put your best foot forward. Sorry, couldn't resist. And naturally you want to shake their hand and be a good listener.

Aaron and his sons were to be the Cohanim, the priests for the people and as such their role was to listen to the people, be strong for them and to support the masses while also being swift to justice.

If you want to be in leadership, you need to lead by listening first and that is what the blood on the ear symbolizes. It touches each part of the Cohen that is important for their roles and to remind them of what is truly important.

Leadership examples come from everywhere and can work for anyone.
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Parsha Tzav in the book of Vayikra Leviticus 6:1 - 8:36



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

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

Finding the Expert

 It's not easy being an expert at something. Especially when God calls you out as one. That is some high expectations.
Bezalel and Oholiab were such experts. Chapter 35, verse 30-35 Moshe is telling the people that these 2 great master craftsmen will lead them in the building of the Tabernacle (Mishkan) in the Desert. Exodus 36:2 says:

And Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every wise hearted man into whose heart the Lord had given wisdom, everyone whose heart lifted him up to approach the work to do it.

So there were more people that could perform this work, yet only the 2 of them were named. And so it continues today in business.

Clients have a problem and they say, let's get some help. Then that leads to let's get some help from a specific Company. That may lead to asking for help from a specific distributor or business partner and that in turn may lead to we want Jeff to handle this for us.

If you are the owner of a business, this is what you strive to reach. Either on a personal or a company level. You want clients to ask for you by name. It helps to have the publicity of course, but you still must get the job done and grow the respect of your peers.

In this case Bezalel and Oholiab had been given the talent they needed by God, so is it any wonder God would point them out as the designer and builder of the Tabernacle? If we all work on becoming that expert we will find not only our calling, but others calling us as well.
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Parsha Vayakhel in the book of Shemot Exodus 35:1 - 38:20

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

Where are your Horns?

Yes, my friends we come to the Parsha, Ki Tisa,  which discusses Moses horns as so many call them.
Ever wonder where this ridiculous idea came from that Jews have horns? It comes from these sentences in Exodus 34:30-35. Hebrew added for those that want the details.

30. that Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses and behold! the skin of his face had become radiant, and they were afraid to come near him.   ל. וַיַּרְא אַהֲרֹן וְכָל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת מֹשֶׁה וְהִנֵּה קָרַן עוֹר פָּנָיו וַיִּירְאוּ מִגֶּשֶׁת אֵלָיו: 31. But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the princes of the community returned to him, and Moses would speak to them.   לא. וַיִּקְרָא אֲלֵהֶם מֹשֶׁה וַיָּשֻׁבוּ אֵלָיו אַהֲרֹן וְכָל הַנְּשִׂאִים בָּעֵדָה וַיְדַבֵּר מֹשֶׁה אֲלֵהֶם: 32. Afterwards all the children of Israel would draw near, and he would command them everything that the Lord had spoken with him on Mount Sinai.   לב. וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן נִגְּשׁוּ כָּל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיְצַוֵּם אֵת כָּל אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר יְ־הֹוָ־ה אִתּוֹ בְּהַר סִינָי: 33. When Moses had finished speaking with them, he placed a covering over his face.   לג. וַיְכַל מֹשֶׁה מִדַּבֵּר אִתָּם וַיִּתֵּן עַל פָּנָיו מַסְוֶה: 34. When Moses would come before the Lord to speak with Him, he would remove the covering until he left; then he would leave and speak to the children of Israel what he would be commanded.   לד. וּבְבֹא מֹשֶׁה לִפְנֵי יְ־הֹוָ־ה לְדַבֵּר אִתּוֹ יָסִיר אֶת הַמַּסְוֶה עַד צֵאתוֹ וְיָצָא וְדִבֶּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵת אֲשֶׁר יְצֻוֶּה: 35. Then the children of Israel would see Moses' face, that the skin of Moses' face had become radiant, and [then] Moses would replace the covering over his face until he would come [again] to speak with Him.   לה. וְרָאוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת פְּנֵי מֹשֶׁה כִּי קָרַן עוֹר פְּנֵי מֹשֶׁה וְהֵשִׁיב מֹשֶׁה אֶת הַמַּסְוֶה עַל פָּנָיו עַד בֹּאוֹ לְדַבֵּר אִתּ

The Hebrew word for horn would be transliterated as Koren. The sentence says Kahran (transliterated) which embodies light or radiance.

What else would you expect from someone who just met face to face so to speak with God? That they would grow horns?! For sane, logical and intellectual people to think one grows horns from seeing God is interesting.

Now that question about seeing my horns, is that because you want me to reveal what God is like to you? Would you prefer to think that I was so gifted? Trust me, I have tons of questions for God and I am sure you do as well.
 
So what does this have to do with business? When someone has a presence or an aura about them, and I don't mean actors/actresses, I mean someone who is a titan of business or a leader of people, these people glow from within.

They can embody that which many of us can not. They can diffuse tense situations, orchestrate complex dealings into simple efforts, produce impossible conclusions. In short the have been blessed by God and you recognize that power when you are in their presence.

And that is why the translation of horns makes no sense and when you are faced with data or guidelines that do not make sense, you need to dig deeper to understand the real explanations.

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Parsha Ki Tisa in the book of Shemot Exodus 30:11 - 34:35

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

Checks and Balances of Leadership

Interrupting my usual schedule due to Purim which starts tonight.

Once again, the problems we face today, were faced over 2,000 years ago as well.

It was then that King Achashveros gave one of his executives, Haman, carte blanch to do what he wanted with a certain group of people he had persuaded the King were against him. That in itself is not unusual of course, but the story has more to it than this tidbit.

As it turns out, one of the King's wives turns out to be a member of this group. Not good luck for Haman.

What is interesting is the King shows no attention to the matter until his wife tells him about it. Thus leaving Haman to almost complete his mission of wiping out all the Jews of the time int he kingdom.

In business we see executives sign off on projects and then barely pay attention to them. Rightly so, they have better things on their mind, but shouldn't they at least know what is going on? Culpable ignorance perhaps to be claimed by the executive but still, are there no checks and balances? Achashveros gave Haman his ring to seal decrees which meant only another decree sealed by the king to change it. Sound familiar? It would take an act of God or the CEO to change their mind.

What we end up with is a classic story of greed, management by benign neglect and vanity or pride that almost took what was a reasonable happy kingdom full of parties and royal decadence.

So why do we wear costumes on Purim? Because it reminds us that not everyone is what they appear and sometimes that layered approach to seeing people is what causes the greatest despair and the utmost ecstasy when we finally get to meet the person underneath the mask or costume.

Good oil is hard to find

Leadership knows how to wring every last drop of effort out of their followers.

In this week's Parsha of Tetzaveh God asks the now desert nomadic Jewish people to do something nearly impossible from the first sentence (Exodus 27:20):

And you shall command the children of Israel, and they shall take to you pure olive oil, crushed for lighting, to kindle the lamps continually.

Really!? PURE olive oil!? They are in the desert you remember. So olives just grow wild in the desert and they could make pure oil because they had nothing else to do at the time. And it would be used for lighting right? And do you not think they knew this already and had been doing it so they had light at night?

The fact is leadership, no matter if you say it was God or Moses, asked for it and they did it. No questions asked, just did it. Speaking of Moses, he is not, repeat not found in this parsha at all by name. That is even greater leadership, people follow you without your name even being used. We should all be that gifted when we are leading our companies. Then again we are not God.

Think about this too, maybe they needed the olives as food in the desert? They already had the Manna so any other food was excess and thus available for alternative uses.

But the bottom line is these lucky olives were going to be used for the Cohen or priestly workings. The people gave them up willingly because they didn't need them to eat, although they needed them for light.. In contrast most executives rarely ask for what isn't needed and fewer get it from their employees. Instead the carrot and stick routine work for them. That attitude doesn't work today any more than it worked 1,000's of years ago.

If you know you need better sales from your team, you can wring out the olive oil the hard way or ask people to give up some time to learn something new or get some training or help others so together 1+1=3. They need the time, no question, but they really need the sales and thus more commissions and this little sacrifice, for the right leadership, is possible.

Purim is next week on Wen and Thurs, Chag Smaeach.

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Parsha Tetzaveh in the book of Shemot Exodus 27:20 - 30:10

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