Containing the individual lessons in a course
“And there’s nothin’ cold as ashes after the fire is gone” — E. White (recorded as a duet by Loretta Lyn and Conway Twitty) “The altar fire shall be kept alight; it shall not go out. Every morning the priest shall add wood to it and lay out the burnt offering upon it…. A daily …
(Tzav) – Keeping the embers burning– Maintaining motivation at work Read More »
“A man can fail many times, but he isn’t a failure until he begins to blame somebody else.” ––John Burroughs “When a ruler has sinned and done something through ignorance against any one of the commandments of the Lord his God concerning things which should not be done and has incurred guilt; or if …
(VaYikra): “When” a ruler has sinned: Dealing with failure at work Read More »
“The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want and, if they can’t find them, make them.”––George Bernard Shaw “And every wise-hearted woman spun with her hands, and they brought spun material: blue, purple, and crimson wool, and linen. And all the women …
(Vayakhel): Spinning goat hairs: Passion or purpose? Read More »
“It gives me great pleasure indeed to see the stubbornness of an incorrigible nonconformist warmly acclaimed.” — Albert Einstein “And Moses hastened, bowed his head to the ground and prostrated himself, and said: “If I have now found favor in Your sight, O Lord, let the Lord dwell among us for it is [כי] …
(Ki Tisa): “A stiff-necked people”: Weakness or strength? Read More »
“Diversity—the art of thinking independently together.”–– Malcolm Forbes “And you shall take two shoham (onyx) stones and engrave upon them the names of the sons of Israel. Six of their names on one stone, and the names of the remaining six on the second stone, according to their births” Exodus 28:9–10. “You shall make a …
(Tetzave): 12 precious stones – Harmony and dissonance in diversity Read More »
“Never stop learning because life never stops teaching” – Kirill Korshikov “Make a candelabrum of pure gold…Six branches shall extend from its sides, three on one side, three on the other. Make its seven lamps and mount them so that they light the space in front of it” Exodus 25:31–32. “Command the Israelites to …
(Trumah): Lighting up: The task of lifelong learning Read More »
“Employees engage with employers and brands when they’re treated as humans worthy of respect.” Meghan M. Biro “When you acquire a Hebrew slave, that person shall serve six years—and shall go free in the seventh year without paying anything” Exodus 21:2. “But if the slave declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children: …
(Mishpatim) – Oppressed but engaged?– The benefits of workplace relationships Read More »
“The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.” —Theodore Roosevelt “But when Moses’ father-in-law saw how much he had to do for the people, he said, ‘What is this thing …
(Yitro) – “You will surely wear yourself out”— Consultancy and delegating Read More »
“There are no traffic jams along the extra mile.” – Roger Staubach “As Pharaoh drew near, the Israelites caught sight of the Egyptians advancing upon them. Greatly frightened, the Israelites cried out to God” Exodus 14:10. “Then God said to Moses, ‘Why are you crying out to Me? Speak to the Israelites; have them move …
…”We are not makers of history. We are made by history.” – Martin Luther King, Jr. “…and that you may recount in the hearing of your child and of your child’s child what I have wrought upon Egypt and My signs which I have done among them; that ye may know that I am the …
(Bo) “Tell your sons and your sons’ sons”: Maintaining the organizational culture Read More »
“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” – John Wooden But Moses said to God, “Please, O my lord, I have never been a man of words, either in times past or now that You have spoken to Your servant; I am slow of speech and slow of tongue” …
(VaEra) – “I’m not a speaker – Don’t you see my ‘wooden leg?’” Read More »
“A new broom sweeps clean, but an old broom knows the corners.” Traditional proverb Now there arose a new king over Egypt who knew not Joseph. And he said to his people, “Look, the Israelite people are much too numerous for us. Let us deal shrewdly with them, so that they may not increase; otherwise, …
(Shmot) – “A new king over Egypt”––“A new broom sweeps clean” Read More »
“The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.” – C. G. Jung “Said he, ‘Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with beings divine and human and have prevailed.’” Genesis 32:29. On his journey back to his father’s home, Jacob feared Esau’s making good on …
(VaYishlach) – “Your name shall no longer be Jacob” — Finding your career identity Read More »
“We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.” – Dolly Parton “Jacob then made a vow: ‘If God will be with me,’ he said, ‘protecting me on this journey I am taking, giving me bread to eat and clothes to wear, and if I return in peace to my father’s house, then …
“You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading the last one.” Michael McMillian “When they had brought them outside, one said, “Flee for your life! Do not look back, nor stop anywhere in the Plain; flee to the hills, lest you be swept away” Genesis 19:17. Lot’s wife looked back, …
(VaYera): “Don’t look (too far) back”- The resume paradox: “What have you done lately?” Read More »
“Criticism, like rain, should be gentle enough to nourish a man’s growth without destroying his roots.” — Frank A. Clark “And Jacob called his sons and said, “Come together that I may tell you what is to befall you in days to come” Genesis 49:1. “All these were the tribes of Israel, twelve in number, …
(VaYechi) – “Judah is a lion’s whelp”—Making the most of performance evaluations Read More »
“The older I grow, the more I see the influence of my family on my life. I didn’t always see it…” Katherine Dunham. “Now the Lord said to Abram: ‘Leave your country, and your family, and your father’s house, to the land that I will show you. And I will make you a great nation, …
(Lech lecha): “Leave your father’s house”: Family influence on career decisions Read More »
“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”- Neale Donald Walsch “Come out of the ark, together with your wife, your sons, and your sons’ wives” (Genesis 8:16). Noah was under pressure. Noah, his family, and the animal kingdom had endured a whole year drifting in the ark. Noting that the floodwaters were receding …
(Noach): “Come out of the ark!”: Is it OK to stay in my comfort zone? Read More »
“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” George Bernard Shaw “When God began to create heaven and earth—the earth being unformed and void, with darkness over the surface of the deep” (Genesis 1:1–2) At the beginning of creation, there were no distinct entities; it was all a jumble––“unformed and void.” The essential …
(Bereshit): The earth was unformed and void: The emerging career identity Read More »
“Stick to the script; tangents are not your friend” – Bruce Feiler [Joseph to his brothers:] “And it will happen, when Pharaoh will call you and will say: What is your occupation? that you will say: Your servants have been keepers of cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and our fathers; that …
(Vayigash) – “This is what you say to Pharaoh”– Job interview coaching Read More »
“To get Game-Changing results, start focusing on Game-Changing thoughts.” — Robin Sharma [Joseph, addressing Pharaoh, king of Egypt:] “As for Pharaoh having had the same dream twice, it means that the matter has been determined by God and that God will soon carry it out. Accordingly, let Pharaoh find a man of discernment and wisdom, …
(Miketz): “Can you interpret my dream-now!?”- Organizational consultancy Read More »
“But remember me when things go well with you, and please do me a favor and mention me to Pharaoh so as to free me from this place” – Genesis (40:14). Joseph worked as a servant for his master, Potiphar, who was impressed with his work and made him responsible for running his entire household. …
What I have found is that, in a family business structure, sometimes what is needed is a sense of discipline rather than creativity. You have to take everyone’s ideas and make it work.– Ashwin Sanghi “Isaac dug the wells anew, which had been dug in the days of his father Abraham and which the Philistines …
Toledot – “And Isaac dug the wells anew”: The challenges of continuing a family business Read More »
At the end of the day, you bet on people, not on strategies.” – Lawrence Bossidy “Let the maiden to whom I say, ‘Please, lower your jar that I may drink,’ and who replies, ‘Drink, and I will also water your camels’—let her be the one whom You have decreed for Your servant Isaac. Thereby …
Chaye Sara: “Let her be the one”–Headhunting and scouting for talent acquisition Read More »
The Bible has sparked the imagination and inspired humankind as a classic text for millennia. It brings eternal characters and narratives to life and has served as a lighthouse––even in contemporary times––to guide us as we “chart our way through the wilderness of life.[1]” Divine Providence accompanies the biblical narrative, whether explicitly or implicitly, reminding …
Dr. Brad Young talked about The Holy Temple and Shavuot: A Place and an Appointed Time for Israel and the Nations.
Dr. John Garr talked about One G-d, Two Miracles, Two Faiths © 2022 John D. Garr. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any form without the express written consent of the author.