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October 24, 2003
Money-making commandments
Rabbi stresses the importance of people's actions over their intentions.
JANIS SIEGEL SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH BULLETIN
From Shakespeare's Shylock to Arthur Miller's Willie Loman in Death
of a Salesman, the role of the corrupt businessman and, in particular,
the Jewish businessman, reflects a shrewd but spiritually adrift
human being trying to use his financial prowess to gain control
and power. Making money, through consensual business deals is portrayed
as a ruthless endeavor, without soul or conscience.
In his latest book, Thou Shall Prosper: Ten Commandments for
Making Money (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2002, $24.95 US),
Rabbi Daniel Lapin, an Orthodox rabbi and best-selling author, codifies
his own financial decalogue for achieving success, while prescribing
it to the Jew and the non-Jew alike. As he shares his "secrets"
of Jewish wealth creation with the reader, Lapin takes direct aim
at the negative, often anti-Semitic image of the greedy Jewish entrepreneur,
meeting the stereotype head on by praising the Jewish legacy of
success in business.
"Not all stereotypes are false," said Lapin. "Stereotypes
are very often true. Jews being good at business is the elephant
nobody wants to acknowledge. Everybody knows this; it's just that
people have been conditioned to be polite and not talk about it.
What I think I'm doing is clarifying. It is true, we are good at
business and that we are disproportionately successful with money.
But no, it isn't because we cheat and steal."
In addition to writing books, Lapin, who makes his home in Seattle,
is also a nationally syndicated talk-show host, advisor to President
Bush and the founder of Toward Tradition, a nonprofit organization
dedicated to promoting traditional Judeo-Christian values and economic
freedom in America. He is more than uncomfortable with the persistent
cultural value that business is somehow a less than honorable means
by which to earn a livelihood.
"What has happened is that a Christian perception of wealth
has crept into, not only the Jewish community, but the entire culture,"
said Lapin. "The notion that poverty is synonymous with virtue
is a calamity. It's captured the culture. Unfortunately, we find
that a lot in the Jewish community."
Lapin believes that in order to be successful in business, one has
to believe in the dignity and morality of business. This idea is
so central to Lapin's philosophy that he chose it for the first
chapter of his book.
"Anybody who has deep moral reservations about his occupation
is someone who will never excel at that occupation," Lapin
said. "We've never been handicapped by that feeling. It's the
secret of Judaism. The Hebrew terminology for business, for transactions,
all of these speak of God smiling on the whole process."
The rabbi also believes that prosperity permeates the Jewish lifestyle
because of a dedication to community, giving and doing the right
thing.
"God rewards human connectivity with wealth," Lapin said.
"The Internet, television, telephone, shipping, railroads –
anything that increased connectivity with humans created a wealth-creation
spike. This is the message of Judaism. The need for a minyan (a
quorum of at least 10 men for prayers) is the need for people to
come together."
Contributing to a community is also fundamental to Lapin's vision
for a prosperous society. He believes that one's motives for making
money are not as important as making it and sharing it.
"It's not a book about being a saint, it's a book about getting
rich," Lapin said. "Focus on action – that's a priority.
It's the way to start. It's the way to begin. Behavior is more important
than thoughts. The reasons we do it don't matter so much. Jewish
morality is predicated on the fact that only God can read minds
and hearts. We judge on actions not intentions. We should focus
on doing the right thing rather than obsessing on whether people
have the right intentions."
And to emphasize his focus on behavior, Lapin is clear to contradict
a popular cultural value.
"Sincerity is not a virtue," he said. "We overrate
sincerity.
We are to behave respectfully to one another. Actions trump intentions."
But even though Judaism promotes actions, community and connectivity,
Lapin wants readers to know that a religious orientation is not
necessary to prosper in the world.
"Even if you have no sense of cosmic morality or transcendent
faith, it still doesn't matter, it still makes sense to conduct
business honorably," Lapin said. "It still makes sense
because you'll be more successful that way, long term."
Whether the reader is Jewish or not, Lapin says that anyone can
benefit from these commandments. The important thing is that one
is open to taking an introspective journey toward knowing themselves,
their habits and their attitudes more intimately.
"This [book] is a complete spiritual reorientation of your
outlook," said Lapin. "Money is not material. Is it metal
discs or is it strips of paper? No, money is a completely spiritual
condition. It's horrible and wrong to let the material dominate
our existence. The material should occupy its proper place."
For Lapin, financial success requires a right attitude towards money,
a proper self-image and a desire to reach out to others.
"Anyone who thinks that Jews rose from the tenements of Brooklyn
to the mansions of Beverly Hills by incremental changes in the minimum
wage, that's not how we did it," Lapin stressed. "We did
it with business. We should become less embarrassed by our ability
to create wealth. In fact, we should share it. We ought to hold
entrepreneurial institutes and camps to teach youth who come from
underprivileged backgrounds to create wealth because we know how
to do it."
Janis Siegel is a Seattle freelance writer.
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