Looking for the Rainbow
As unsettling as Monday’s economic news may have been, I’m slightly embarrassed to admit my disappointment that the market didn’t fall 0.8% more than it did. It’s 504 point tumble was only four points less than the crash of ’87, when the market plummeted 508 points in a single day. Pretty close, but an exact repetition of history would have been so much more dramatic.
Of course, this time the decline was less than five percent, in contrast to the 22% fall back then. Moreover, the timing was different. In 1987, the market crashed in October, during the week we read the Torah portion of Noah and the Great Flood. The previous great crash, in 1929, also happened during the week of Parshas Noach. The two great crashes were separated by 58 years — precisely the gematria (numerical values) of Noach.
Rashi cites the Talmudic tradition that G-d’s decree upon the generation of the Flood was sealed because of the sin of theft. Although the people of that time committed many worse crimes, theft is indicative of a certain attitude, an obsession with material wealth so extreme that every human being becomes merely an object of one’s own pursuit of personal gain. Such a society has no hope of redemption.
The parallels with the current economic crisis are almost too obvious to warrant explanation. Individual and corporate greed produced such irrational exuberance that even the most brilliant Wall Street analysts ignored the obvious dangers looming just ahead. The bubble burst, personal fortunes vanished, lives were shattered.
This time, however, the inevitable collapse arrived not together with the lesson of the Flood but two weeks before Rosh HaShonah — the Day of Judgment. Again, many obvious lessons suggest themselves, but allow me to pursue this one:
When the great sage Rabbi Akiva was still a student, he offered to make an investment for his teacher, Rabbi Tarfon, promising that his rebbe’s money would be secure and would yield a tremendous return. When Rabbi Tarfon asked to see what how his student had invested the sum of 4000 golden dinars, Rabbi Akiva took his mentor to the hall of study and showed him scholars supported by Rabbi Tarfon’s money learning Torah with enthusiasm and understanding. Rabbi Tarfon praised Rabbi Akiva as his teacher and his master for instructing him in the true value of money.
In only a moment, billions of dollars can disappear from the face of the earth, as evidenced by the collapse of Lehman Brothers, Merrill Linch, Bear Stearns, and so many other illustrious economic giants. There is no security in our inconstant world, except for the investment in acts of kindness and virtue. To support the poor, the weak, the righteous, the scholars who toil so that they may be the wellsprings of wisdom for their communities, the teachers of morals and values — this is the only investment that is secure, the only investment that will provide dividends that go on and on and on.
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Perspectives
Dawn to Destiny:
Exploring Jewish History and its Hidden Wisdom
By Rabbi Yonason Goldson
A comprehensive overview of Jewish History from Creation through the redaction of the Talmud, illuminating the intricacies and complexities of Torah tradition and philosophy according to the sages and classical commentaries, spanning the length and breadth of Jewish experience to resolve many of history’s most perplexing episodes, offering profound insights and showing their relevance to life in the modern world.
How did the sin of Adam transform mankind and the world? How were the prophecies of Noah fulfilled through the rise of the Greek Empire? Why did lifespans shrink so dramatically after the Flood? How did the builders of the Tower of Babel believe they could wage war against G-d? Why did the Torah have to be given in both written and oral form? What was King David’s transgression regarding his involvement with BasSheva? Why did some Jews oppose the construction of the Second Temple? How can we trust the transmission of Torah if our scholars engaged in such fierce disagreements? These and many other questions are answered in this unique volume.
An invaluable resource for scholars and laymen. A priceless tool for education and outreach. With approbations from HaRav Dovid Cohen and HaRav Zev Leff.
25% OF MY FIRST YEAR’S PROCEEDS WILL GO TO BLOCK YESHIVA HIGH SCHOOL.
FOR EXCERPT AND ORDERING INFORMATION CLICK HERE.
Mission Statement for the Jewish People — from the extraordinary wisdom of Rav Shraga Feivel Mendelovitz, founder of Torah education in America.
Why Jews are Liberals — the origins of ideological confusion, and a follow-up piece exploring the practical applications.
The End of the Age of Reason — the sages’ vision of a future that is at our doorstep, and a follow-up piece in response to, and including, some colorful comments.
Israel: History, Politics, and Ideology — Answers to the attacks of apologists and antagonists.
Defining “Objective” History — How can we determine the accuracy of historical records? How do we resolve contradictions in history?
The Language of Confusion — 60 years after 1984, Orwell’s prophetic dystopia remains more relevant than ever.
The Final Battlefield – The current economic crisis foretold a thousand years ago and the climax of the ultimate ideological war. Also, variations on a theme inspired by Pink Floyd and this recipe for the only truly secure investment.
The Fallacy of Moral Relativism — How I taught a class of cynical teenagers the illogic of unrestricted personal freedom.
Hurricane Season– With meteorologists predicting more hurricanes on the scale of Gustav, Ike, and Katrina, these thoughts on the Pacific Rim Tsunami are worth another look.
Talking the to the Wall Department — My efforts to engage an ideologue in civil discourse. Draw your own conclusions, and feel free to weigh in … respectfully.
Insights into the weeky Torah Portion
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