Skip to main content

Thought for the Day: Keeping the Main Thing Main

The Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim, simanim 155-6 says that after davening in the morning a person should go to learn, then to eat, and finally to work.  Why do you need to work?  Says the m'chaber: because not working leads to sin.  The m'chaber then continues, "but be sure your parnassa does not become your main occupation but is kept secondary".

What is this like?  Imagine you are an accountant in a large firm.  The boss sees you have some extra time and asks you to keep track of everyone's birthdays and whatnot because he wants you to post a note/email about the event and get donuts for the office on those days (its called "investing in employee satisfaction").  Now you are certainly expected to do an adequate job on that, but imagine the fallout from an annual review that goes:
Boss: So... how do you feel you did this year?
You: I kept track of everyone's birthdays, was sure to get several kinds of donuts, and even used color flyers!
Boss: True, but you didn't keep up with your accounts.  I've had several complaints about delays and mistakes.
You: I often had to cut short working on clients needs in order to get the best donuts!

So....
HaShem: So... how do you think you did this year?
Me: I got in to work early every day and stayed late to make my manager happy!
HaShem: True, but your davening was less than stellar and you didn't keep up with your seder of learning.
Me: I often has to rush through davening and get out of bais medrash quickly to get Employee of the Month!

[Note: There was no "Thought for the Day on Friday because my wife needed extra help getting ready for Shabbos.  I was about to explain to her that I needed to send out a message about midos improvement so I didn't have time to help her and she'd just have to work a little harder.  Then I thought... ooops; maybe not.]
Labels:

Comments

Binyomin Adler said…
great lesson for Shabbos and for good middos.

Yasher koach

Binyomin
6:23 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Thought for the Day: Pizza, Uncrustables, and Stuff -- What Bracha?

Many years ago (in fact, more than two decades ago), I called R' Fuerst from my desk at work as I sat down to lunch.  I had a piece of (quite delicious) homemade pizza for lunch.  I nearly always eat at my desk as I am working (or writing TftD...), so my lunch at work cannot in any way be considered as sitting down to a formal meal; aka קביעת סעודה.  That being the case, I wasn't sure whether to wash, say ha'motzi, and bentch; or was the pizza downgraded to a m'zonos.  He told if it was a snack, then it's m'zonos; if a meal the ha'motzi.  Which what I have always done since then.  I recently found out how/why that works. The Shulchan Aruch, 168:17 discusses פשטיד''א, which is describes as a baked dough with meat or fish or cheese.  In other words: pizza.  Note: while the dough doesn't not need to be baked together with the meat/fish/cheese, it is  required that they dough was baked with the intention of making this concoction. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Thought for the Day: What Category of Muktzeh are Our Candles?

As discussed in a recent TftD , a p'sak halacha quite surprising to many, that one may -- even לכתחילה -- decorate a birthday cake with (unlit, obviously) birthday candles on Shabbos. That p'sak is predicated on another p'sak halacha; namely, that our candles are muktzeh because they are a כלי שמלאכתו לאיסור and not  מוקצה מחמת גופו/intrinsically set aside from any use on Shabbos. They point there was that using the candle as a decoration qualifies as a need that allows one to utilize a כלי שמלאכתו לאיסור. Today we will discuss the issue of concluding that our candles are , in fact, a כלי שמלאכתו לאיסור and not מוקצה מחמת גופו. Along the way we'll also (again) how important it is to have personal relationship with your rav/posek, the importance of precision in vocabulary, and how to interpret the Mishna Brura.  Buckle up. After reviewing siman 308 and the Mishna Brura there, I concluded that it should be permissible to use birthday candles to decorate a cake on Sha...
Post a Comment
Read more

Thought for the Day: Why Halacha Has "b'di'avad"

There was this Jew who knew every "b'di'avad" (aka, "Biddy Eved", the old spinster librarian) in the book.  When ever he was called on something, his reply was invariably, "biddy eved, it's fine".  When he finally left this world and was welcomed to Olam Haba, he was shown to a little, damp closet with a bare 40W bulb hanging from the ceiling.  He couldn't believe his eyes and said in astonishment, "This is Olam Haba!?!"  "Yes, Reb Biddy Eved,  for you this is Olam Haba." b'di'avad gets used like that; f you don't feel like doing something the best way, do it the next (or less) best way.  But Chazal tell us that "kol ha'omer HaShem vatran, m'vater al chayav" -- anyone who thinks HaShem gives partial credit is fooling himself to death (free translation.  Ok, really, really free translation; but its still true).  HaShem created us and this entire reality for one and only one purpose: for use...
Post a Comment
Read more