Be a Beracha

Abraham had difficulty with his nephew, Lot.  I suspect that if he had his druthers Abraham would have placed Lot anywhere… but nearby.  But when it comes to relatives what choice do we have?  No one ever asked us if we would like our Uncle Max or not.   If they had….

The problem with Lot was that he felt that he owned (or should own) everything that he saw.  Lot’s axiom: Most anything can be done for the sake of enlarging your business empire.  For example, Lot was not averse to letting his flocks graze of other people’s property.  Granted, it is no major crime but wrong is wrong.  Lot’s ethical standards left much to be desired.  The modern equivalent might be to pick your neighbors flowers when your table needs a bit of sprucing; or not being forthright at the checkout counter with unmarked merchandise.

Tradition tells that when we approach the portals of the Next World, Olam HaBa, one of the questions that will be asked of us is, “Did you conduct your business matters honestly?” (Shabbat 31)

A story is related of two men who came to their rabbi to ask his advice on an urgent matter.  “We wish to form a business partnership,” said one.  “Yes,” echoed the second, “but we want your blessing on the project.”

The rabbi thought.  He then picked up his pen and wrote the first four letters of the Hebrew alphabet.  “Let is be your contract,” the rabbi began.  “The aleph stands for emunah (faith), the bet is for beracha (blessing), the gimel is for geniva (theft) and the dalet is for dalut (poverty).  In other words, when one of you acts in good faith, the outcome will be a beracha.  If you treat one another dishonestly the venture will end in poverty for both.”

Theft, misrepresentation and cheating are all primary sins in our faith.  Ina sense they can never be fully rectified, made right.  Wrongs breed a mistrust and suspicion.  Once someone has been deceived they have been stripped of their naiveté and trust.  A part of them has been destroyed.  Additionally, money that has been stolen is lost.  Of course, it can be returned but who knows what could have been done with it in the interim?  What opportunities were lost?

The emotional and financial damage inflicted by us is critical.  It is a crime against humanity.  From the verse in Torah, “You shall not put a stumbling block before the blind,” the rabbis deduced a literal as well as metaphysical meaning.  While we are not to place objects in front of the visually impaired, there is also a harm that follows when unsuspecting people are exposed to obscene literature, drugs, offering non-kosher food to an observant Jew.  Those too can be a “stumbling blocks before the blind.”

Abraham was right to separate himself from his unscrupulous nephews. The temptations would have been too great.  But there is a loftier moral to that story: business practices belie our true character.  If we harm people, there is blood on our hands.  If we act righteously, as menschen, we bring beracha, blessing.