Spirituality in Business: How to Maintain Perspective

In his first bestseller, The Garden of Emuna, Shalom Arush presents an insightful story on the role emuna* plays in helping a businessperson maintain the proper perspective regarding his or her business activities:

A business person without emuna is miserable.

A depressed and harried merchant once came to his rabbi. The rabbi's immediate spiritual prognosis was, "Your business and money problems result from the fact that you think you're the boss, and therefore all the worries are on your shoulders. You depend on your brains, your business acumen, and your talent, and therefore suffer bitter disappointments when things don't go the way you want them to. Even worse, you put your trust in people - customers, suppliers, banks, and the like - and they let you down, lie to you, and cheat you."

The rabbi let his bombshell penetrate for a moment, and continued: "If you only realized that Hashem** runs your business, and you're only a mere clerk, then your job would become much simpler; you wouldn't need to worry, you wouldn't need to suffer, and you wouldn't need to lose your temper. As a clerk, you could concentrate on doing your job and let the Big Boss - Hashem - worry about the rest. Tons of pressure would fall off your shoulders."

"How do I make Hashem the boss?" asked the businessman.

"Simple," answered the rabbi. "You tell Hashem, 'Master of the World, I want you to handle my affairs. I have no way of knowing whether the banks and the suppliers are giving me a square deal, or whether my customers intend to pay their bills and the like. You see everything, even the deepest thoughts of a person's heart. You know whether a prospective transaction will be profitable or not. I want You to make the decisions. Please, Father*** in Heaven, help me trust in You only. If a deal is no good, don't let it be completed; but, if a transaction is worthwhile, please, make it happen!"

The businessman opened his eyes wide in amazement. "Rabbi, are you telling me that Hashem intervenes every time a housewife walks into my store?"

"You better believe it!" answered the rabbi. "Hashem puts the desire in her heart to purchase the exact product that's now on display in your storefront window. Hashem can also screen a prospective employee for you, or give you the wisdom to expand or limit the business in a profitable manner. If you consult Hashem before every transaction, put all your trust in Him and ask for His guidance, you're bound to succeed!"

A businessperson that prays for enhanced emuna learns to manage affairs without stress and anxiety. When he puts his trust in Hashem, nothing upsets or frightens him.

Basically, we can choose one of two paths in commercial life (or any other phase of life): Either we appoint Hashem as the Chief Executive Officer of our company/business/affairs - consequently enjoying a smooth and worry-free life - or we shoulder the problems on our own, with the accompanying stress, worries, nerves, and health problems.

- The Garden of Emuna by Shalom Arush (translated by Lazer Brody), pp 126-127

* "Emuna" - belief, conviction (especially in God and divine providence)

** "Hashem" - a Hebrew way of referring to God (lit. "the name")

*** While God is often described with masculine language, this is merely a human convention, as God does not have any gender, of course.