Take The Plunge Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky The Jewish Center At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland last year a discussion broke out on

Transcription

1 Take The Plunge Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky The Jewish Center 5770 At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland last year a discussion broke out on whether or not the firm Lehman Brothers would have failed had it been called Lehman Sisters. With several notable exceptions, the trading floor has traditionally been a predominantly male domain. In pondering the fate of Lehman Brothers, the leading economists and intellectuals who were present decided that Lehman WOULD still be in business if women were in charge, if less prosperous during the boom years. Why should this be the case? The answer is that it is all biologically driven. In early 2008, research from the University of Cambridge announced that a male trader's testosterone level is higher on days when he makes more money than he would in an average day. What's more, the higher a trader's morning testosterone level, the more money he'll likely have netted before the close of business that day. Testosterone was always thought to be good for business, but now that the market has tanked, its value is being questioned. Two weeks ago, New York magazine ran an article that pondered a fascinating, more global question: What if Women ran Wall Street? The article concluded that if women ran Wall Street, it would be a more risk averse, less impulsive and more profitable venture, and we would have avoided the recession in which we are currently mired. Apparently, to those in the know, a woman's business advantage is no secret. The powerful hedge fund SAC Capital was sued (and I promise I m not making this up) by a male employee after allegedly being forced into a bizarre training program in which he was ordered to take female hormone pills to soften his demeanor and become more feminine in order to improve his trading. 1

2 Our have a great deal to say about the value of rational, level headed thinking. Indeed, the very first ethical principle in Pirkei Avos, which we will begin to study this coming Shabbos afternoon, is that we should משנה פרק בות מסכת משנה בדין מתונים הוו Be calm when rendering judgment. This means that when sitting in judgment- or any situation that calls for decision-making, one should never rush to conclusions, always behaving rationally by weighing the consequences of any possible outcome. In this light, our sages account of the splitting of the sea, about which we read this morning, becomes quite puzzling. The Talmud in Tractate Sotah describes the scene עמוד דףףףף לזזזז סוטה מסכת בבלי תלמוד מר לו רבי יהודה: ל כך היה מעשה, ל זה ומר ין ני יורד תחילה לים וזה ומר ין ני יורד תחילה לים, קפץ נחשון בן עמינדב וירד לים תחילה לפיכך זכה יהודה לעשות ממשלה בישרל, The Jewish people were standing by the roiling waters, knowing they were supposed to enter- but none of them wanted to. Each tribe insisted that they did not want to enter first, and as they argued, the Nassi of the tribe of Yehudah, Nachshon ben Aminadav- brother in law of Aharon- jumped into the water. So praiseworthy do our sages view this action that they feel this is the reason the tribe of Yehuda merited the kingship over the generation. How is this possible? At the risk of sounding sacrilegious, it seems that Nachshon s great jump was little more than a testosterone fueled display of machismo and impulse. How 2

3 this is considered laudatory? And how is it possible that the kingship- a role that requires rational thinking at all times- is the reward for this act of impulse? Perhaps we can suggest that, while it is important to resist impulses and not to take on risky behavior, there is one area in which this is not only acceptable, but encouraged- the area of spirituality. There are many times in a person s life where he or she may be motivated to take on another observance, or some more study, or some other worthwhile spiritual initiative. Perhaps it might be a decision taken on in the waning moments of Yom Kippur, during Neilah. It might be an impulsive decision made as a result of a stroke of good fortune- or in the throes of difficult times. Perhaps it might be the feeling engendered by a particularly powerful occasion. On March 2, 2005, thousands of Jews worldwide began the study of a new cycle of Daf Yomi, after they were powerfully influenced by the experience of attending the Siyum Hashas of the Daf Yomi the previous day in one of more than 70 locations around the world. Yes, it is important to think through our actions, but can you imagine what would happen if Nachshon had called a meeting with his fellow nesi im? Slowly, they would talk him out of jumping in, reducing his enthusiasm and passion to the point where it would be virtually nil. Nachshon realized that if he was going to accomplish anything positive, he had to seize the moment and jump in. Often, we have these moments of inspiration, and 3

4 then tell ourselves that we should wait. Instead of acting on impulse, we tell ourselves to sleep on it, discuss it with a spouse or a friend, or let it percolate for a while. The longer we wait, the quicker the balloon of passion deflates as we think of numerous excuses not to go through with our plan, and no longer have the will or inspiration to act for our own betterment. How appropriate it is, then, that we read this on Pesach. If there is one holiday that symbolizes acting quickly, this is it. Matzah that bakes one minute longer than the required 18 is not Matzah anymore- it s chametz. The Jews left Egypt,בחפזון with great haste, not having time to think about whether it was in their interest to leave. We have to partake of the important items of the Seder- Matzah and Maror- within a fixed, relatively brief period of time. Pesach is all about acting with haste and alacrity, seizing moments of inspiration and opportunity to advance ourselves. And the good news is that there is no downside. One of the arguments against taking on these kinds of spiritual initiatives is that they don t last. That may be true, but what of it? If you take on something positive at a moment of great elation or difficulty, like scrupulousness in a particular mitzvah, or like an act of tzedaka or chessed, it is indubitably important to exert effort to keep it up. But if you don t succeed, it does not negate the positives gained by having taken it on. Many people are still going strong from their decision to start the Daf again on March 2, 2005, but keeping up with the daf is difficult- some might say it is crazy. A friend of my fathers likened it to running down the street while being chased by a steamroller. But while it can be done, and has been done by so many, even those who don t make it have much to be proud of. Stopping not negate the pages of Talmud that were studied, tractates that were 4

5 completed and the time in which Torah was an affixed, regular part of the day. This is our challenge; to learn the lesson of Nachson and act on moments of inspiration to make meaningful change in our lives. If we are able to learn it this Pesach, we, too, will have the kind of redemption effected by Nachshon s jump-one that is lasting and profound. 5