Subject: In Memory of Baruch Yitzchak ben Yirmiyahu (Barry Pessin)
From: Heath Berkin <heath.berkin@gmail.com>
Date: 8/5/2016, 8:31 AM
To: Heath Berkin <heath.berkin@gmail.com>
BCC: menachem@alonsystems.com
The Mishna in Avos(4;10) says "R'Meir says a person should minimize their business dealings and involve himself with Torah".
Man was created with the purpose of fulfilling the Will of G-d, his entire existence was for the pursuit of spiritual perfection. Man was placed in the Garden of Eden and all of his physical needs were taken care of by G-d. After he subsequently sinned man was cursed with the need to pursue the means of fulfilling his own physical needs. This new requirement by no means meant that man's initial purpose, of pursuing spiritual perfection, was changed. Instead we are cursed with needing to pursue our physical needs along with our pursuit of spiritual perfection.
Our purpose isn't to be a lawyer, doctor, businessman etc. those are just a means to meet our physical needs thereby allowing us to pursue our real purpose. Obviously within the framework of our business dealings we can also attain a certain level of spiritual perfection if we follow the dictates of Jewish Law and Ethics, but we should always be clear what our true purpose is. This is especially difficult in our times when we live and breath a culture that "money is everything" and are forced to spend the majority of our time pursuing financial gain. The culture is easy to get wrapped up into and it is hard to step back and reflect on our real purpose. The Mishna therefore tells us to take the steps we can minimize our business dealings as much as possible and recenter ourselves through pursuing the Torah, our real purpose in this world.
As we enter the saddest time of the year for the Jewish People may we all realize the great loss that we have suffered through the destruction of our Holy Temples and yearn for the Final Redemption when the burdens of physicality will once again be removed from us.