Chapter 5 Concept of life: Integrity is the strongest driving force for progress
Money is the tree on the mountain, and honesty is the spring water in the mountain.
Money is the tree on the mountain, and honesty is the spring water in the mountain.
Talmud. Honesty and trustworthiness are considered by Jews to be a prerequisite for one's success. Many Jews were told by birth to be absolutely honest in all dealings. If you want to reach the pinnacle of success, you must not deceive and lie. Even if some transactions are not done, they cannot be deceitful, which is the foundation of being a person and doing things, and it is also the foundation of doing business.
The Talmud contains a number of rules that govern deceptive business practices and practices. For example, it is not possible to deliberately dress up a slave to make him look younger and stronger, and it is not possible to deceive customers by applying paint to domestic animals, and the owner of the goods has the obligation to fully and objectively explain the quality of the goods sold to the customer, and if the customer finds that there are problems with the goods, and these problems have not been explained in advance, he has the right to request a return ......However, the Talmud was formed at a time when most of the world's peoples were still in an agrarian society, and at that time, it foresaw that the future society would be dominated by commerce and the world, and expounded the importance of the principle of integrity, which was extremely prescient.
Jewish businessmen never do "one-size-fits-all" and they don't like to "shoot a shot and change places", which is why they give the impression of honest businessmen all over the world.
Jews not only have good business reputation, but when they live in harmony with non-Jews, they even go out of their way to help their fellow Jews or non-Jews, believing that only by treating each other with integrity and gaining the trust of others can they make true friends and avoid making enemies on all sides.
George, a Jew, was self-made and started out selling homes and didn't have his own real estate company.
Once, the house he sold was an old house, and the house structure was not bad, but it was too old, and if he bought it, he would have to renovate it that year. The first time I saw a property was a couple of young people who had limited money and were looking for a house that they could move in directly. After George took the two of them to see the house, they were very satisfied with the location and structure of the house. George would love to do it, but if they had to be told they needed to make repairs before they could move in, they would have changed their minds. George thought about it for a moment, but still said frankly to them: "This house needs to be rebuilt for $5,000." ”
When George's words came out, the young couple gave up, and a few days later, they bought another similar house through another salesperson. The boss was very dissatisfied with George's approach, he called George to the office and got angry: "What are you doing? Why didn't you sell the same house! ”
George lowered his head and recounted the situation that day, and the boss's fire became even greater: "Did they ask you about the repair of the house?" ”
No. "Then you don't have to tell people to renovate! It's stupid! This behavior of yours is so stupid, pack your things, please leave, you are not fit for this job! The boss waved his hand and told George to leave.
George packed up his things and left the company, losing his job because of a truth, but George didn't feel like he was doing anything wrong. He believes that a person should put integrity first in business, and cannot use deception or concealment to achieve success.
George's father once said to him: "As soon as you shake someone's hand, the contract is finalized, so you must be honest in what you say and do, and you can't just look at the immediate benefits." If you want to develop in the long run, you have to be honest with others. George remembered his father's words deeply, he did not want to lose his principles of life in order to achieve temporary success, and credit was more valuable than any amount of money.
After that, George borrowed money from some friends and relatives to open his first real estate exchange. A few years later, everyone knew that George was the most honest, and many people asked George to handle when they wanted to buy, sell, and rent houses, and people believed that George would not be fraudulent and reliable. As a result, George's business gradually expanded, gaining a good reputation, and then quickly expanding to all parts of the country.
George lost his job because of integrity, but he got his good reputation, so he was able to rely on integrity to start a business and achieve ultimate success. If he only saw the immediate benefits and lost his integrity at that time, then his reputation would also decline, and he could only live in poverty for the rest of his life. Maybe in life and study, there will be all kinds of benefits to be obtained by selling your reputation, and you must think twice before acting. In the long run, the immediate benefits or losses are temporary, while the reputation built up by honesty is permanent.
The Talmud tells us that when you have a good reputation, you will find that you are very grounded and safe, you will meet more friends, and opportunities will follow, allowing you to achieve unexpected achievements.
Firm faith, the sky of life will be lit up.
Question: "The human eye is made up of black and white parts, but why does God make people see the world only through the black parts?" ”
Answer: "Because life must see through the darkness in order to see the light." ”
Talmud. Everyone has their own dreams and wants to succeed. Success is an eternal goal that people pursue, but no matter what goal you choose, you have to have the courage and move forward. On this path, you must not only have tenacity and patience, but also look to the future and have a firm belief in victory. In this way, no matter how hard and tired you are, you will be brave enough to fight against difficulties, and then you will definitely be able to achieve something. Successful people succeed because they have perseverance, can see hope in difficult situations, and turn failure into invisible motivation, and finally turn defeat into victory.
Believing in oneself is a kind of faith and conviction, and the reason why the Jews were able to survive the expulsion and return to their homeland and have enviable wealth was because of their faith. They believe in God and believe that if they keep their covenant with God, they will be happy.
According to the Jews, "there are two things in the world that are eternal, the sun, moon and stars hanging overhead, and the noble faith that lies deep in the heart of every human being." "If there is faith in the heart, there will be power in action.
During the Second World War, an incident occurred on a city street in a European country. At that time, the country was already occupied by the German **.
One day, everyone was gathered in a square, and the Nazi officers pulled out a middle-aged male teacher from the Jewish crowd. The officer told the middle-aged male teacher to renounce Judaism on the spot, because he thought that if he did so, other Jews would follow suit.
While reprimanding, the officer said **: "Hurry up and give up Judaism, as long as you give up now, I guarantee that you will have no worries about food and clothing for the rest of your life, and you will be accompanied by beautiful girls." ”
I refuse! The thin-looking teacher said calmly.
As long as you curse your god now, I guarantee that you and your family will always be protected from any harm. The officer continued to persuade without giving up.
I refuse! The teacher's voice still didn't make any waves.
The officer finally lost his patience and threatened: "Do you know what you just refused? If you continue to be like this, do you know what the consequences will be? ”
I ask you again: Do you give up Judaism? The officer asked loudly.
There was silence in the square. All eyes were on the officers and teachers, many Jews could not bear to look at them, and the women closed their eyes.
I don't give up. The teacher's voice remained calm.
I saw the Nazi officer pull out the gun from the holster and aim it at the teacher's shoulder, and with a "bang" gunshot, the teacher's shoulder was bleeding, and the teacher fell to his knees in pain.
The Nazi officer looked down at the teacher and said grimly: "Have you changed your mind now?" As soon as you renounce Judaism, I will take you to the hospital** immediately, and the previous guarantee will remain in effect. ”
I refuse! The teacher replied, gasping for breath.
A terrifying expression appeared on the Nazi officer's face, and he raised the pistol again and aimed it at the teacher's body, one, two, three ......In the midst of the gunshots, everyone heard the teacher "don't give up...... intermittentlyDon't give up ......The voice until he passed away.
The Jew in the story is admirable and did not renounce his faith even when his life was threatened. Faith is power, the driving force that sustains everything about him.
Faith is a kind of thought, a philosophy and attitude towards life, which can make people see farther and wider. Faith is a stone that can knock out the spark of life; Faith is fire, which can dispel the frost of the soul; Faith is the star that leads the way forward.
As long as people establish a firm faith, life will play a moving chapter. It is with a strong faith that the Jews have come to this day and have achieved things that are the envy of the world.
A very important point in the Talmud is to tell people that faith is the highest meaning of life, and with faith and firm faith, the sky of life will be lit up, and the goal of success will be closer and closer.
Respect the contract and be honest, and become a gentleman among businessmen.
No one can trample on the sanctity of the contract.
Talmud. We all know that the Jewish people are one of the smartest and most business-savvy people in the world, and although they are adrift and suffered, they appear in the world again and again as rich people. In fact, the reason why Jews can become rich is not only because they have extraordinary business wisdom, but also because they are gentlemen among merchants, they pay attention to honesty and pay attention to contracts, which is not only a business ethics, but also a law of business.
In the Jewish philosophy, the "contract" is made with God, and they say: "A contract can be signed between men, and a contract can be signed between man and God, and once it is made, no matter what happens, it cannot be broken." Breaking the covenant is blasphemy against God and will be punished by God. ”
Because the Jews were faithful to the covenant, they could do business with each other without signing a contract, and the verbal agreement was still binding, because they thought that the verbal agreement would be heard by God and that God would oversee them. The Jews kept the covenant to an astonishing degree. When doing business, they don't let it go at all, and they will make money; After the contract takes effect, it must be fulfilled even if it suffers a loss.
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In the business world, the first person to shout the slogan "Customer Dissatisfaction Guaranteed Money" was the Jew Rosenward. Similarly, in modern business warfare, if we all abide by the contract of market integrity, we will also create a harmonious economic and social society.
Indeed, in today's society, there is no doubt about the importance of integrity in personal reputation and business operations. In fact, if any of us, whether in business or as a person, wants to gain a foothold in the future society, we must develop the good habit of doing what we say and "doing what we say, and what we do". A person of faith is a charming person.
The Talmud tells the story:
A long time ago, a Jew bought a cow with half the money he had saved for half his life, and the cow was his family's possessions. He cherished the cow very much and treated it like a friend. After having oxen, he no longer has to dig the ground with a spade when planting crops, because the oxen can help him plow the land, which greatly improves his work efficiency. Just when he was looking forward to a better life in the future, something unfortunate happened, the child had an accident and needed a large amount of medical bills. In order to save the child, he tearfully sold the ploughing cattle that accompanied him day and night.
The new owner of the cow was not a Jew, and in his opinion, the cow was a tool for him to make money, not worthy of sympathy and love. Since the cow arrived at his house, he got up early and worked late every day to plough the land, rarely allowing it to rest and regain his strength. Soon the Sabbath came, and when he drove the ox into the field and tried to let it continue plowing the land, the ox lay down in the field and refused to plough the land. The new owner was so angry that he repeatedly whipped it, but the cow just lay motionless, and soon there were whip marks on the cow's back, and tears flowed from his eyes.
Instead of showing pity, the new owner angrily called the man who had sold him the ox and severely rebuked him for not keeping the contract, saying: "When we signed the contract, it was clearly written that the ox was obedient and asked it to plow the land, but now it is disobedient and does not plow the land. ”
When the cattle seller saw that his former "friend" was so devastated, he hugged the cow's neck and tears flowed from his eyes. After a bitter cry, the cow seller whispered into the ox's ear: "Ox, ox, while you live with me, you may rest on the Sabbath; But now that your new master is not a Jew, please stand up and listen to your new master! If you don't listen to the new master and refuse to plow the land now, then I will become a person who breaks the contract, and in the future others will not believe what I say, and it will be even more difficult for our family to survive......”
After listening to the words of the former master, the ox licked the palm of the former master with his tongue, stood up, and obediently went to plow the field.
Once the Jews had signed a contract, no matter how difficult it was, they would always find ways to enforce it, and this was an important reason why they were so invincible in business.
In modern business, there are often things that happen because you don't trust each other and your deal fails. But merchants from all over the world trusted each other when they traded with the Jews, and at the same time warned themselves not to break their faith or break the treaty with the Jews, so that they could get the opportunity to do business with the Jews. If we take a closer look at the benefits of Jewish merchants' commitment to the covenant, we will find that credibility is the same as having a market, and having a market is a wealth.
Honesty and integrity are the highest principles of life.
Before a person dies and goes to heaven, God asks: Were you honest in your dealings? If you deceive someone, you will be sent to hell.
Talmud. There are many examples of business in the Talmud, and a large part of these cases admonished the Jews about the need to be honest and principled in doing business. As there is a sentence in it, "Only an honest and upright way of doing business is the highest law of survival in the world". This was a warning to the Jews that if they were not honest and faithful, they would break their covenant with God and that they would suffer.
Jewish merchants do business all over the globe, and in any country, you are likely to meet Jewish merchants. They were few in number and their people were plagued by many calamities, but they were not exterminated, but continued to become rich and influential local figures around the world. Being able to do this is related to their always maintaining the character of honesty and trustworthiness, sincerity and tolerance in business. The Jews' way of believing in their covenants and being strict with themselves has won them the trust of the world and the reputation of "the world's No. 1 businessman". This is their most valuable intangible asset.
The Talmud says: "Before a man dies and goes to heaven, God asks: Were you honest in your dealings?" If you deceive someone, you will be sent to hell. It recounts many examples of honest business that convinced Jewish merchants that honesty and integrity were the highest principles of profit, and this was what Jews really experienced when they broke their covenant with God.
There is such a story recorded in the Talmud:
A long time ago, a girl traveled with her parents. On the way, the girl left her parents to go for a walk alone, and before she knew it, she got lost and saw a well beside the road.
At that time, her mouth was parched, and she saw a rope hanging down to the bottom of the well, and the other end of the rope was tied to the root of a large tree. The girl didn't think much of it, so she climbed the rope and went down to the bottom of the well. After she drank the water, she realized that she was not capable of climbing up. The girl tried several times at the bottom of the well, but in vain, and on one occasion she almost fell into the water. The girl was frightened and cried at the bottom of the well for help to passers-by. Coincidentally, a young man passed by and, when he heard the shouts, rescued her from the bottom of the well. It was love at first sight for two young people. Then, with the help of a young man, the girl found her parents.
One day, the young man had to go out and do business. Before leaving, he went to say goodbye to her, and the two came to the well where they had met and made an agreement. Both parties swear that they must marry each other, no matter how long they wait.
After two young people are engaged, they need to find a witness to testify. Just then, a weasel came up to them. The girl had an idea, and said to her sweetheart, "The weasel and the well are our best witnesses, let them bear witness to our marriage!" The young man agreed to the girl's proposal, and the marriage was settled.
The two people were reluctant to give up, and they separated. Many years passed, and the girl kept her chastity, looking forward to her fiancé's return every day. What the girl didn't expect was that the young man had forgotten all about the original marriage contract and had already married and had children in a distant land.
One day, his child was tired of playing, lying on the grass and falling asleep unconsciously. Just as the child was falling asleep, a weasel came running from a distance, opened its mouth and bit the child's neck, and the child died. The child is lively and cute, and is the whole of his life and the hope of the future. After losing his children, he became depressed, and spent his days drinking to kill his sorrows, and his life was a mess. Fortunately, his wife was sensible, and under her persuasion, he cheered up again.
The following year, another child was born. In order to let the child grow up safely, he poured almost all his heart and soul into the child. The child has grown up under his careful care, and 3 years have passed in a blink of an eye, and the child has been safe and healthy. Looking at the child's innocent smiling face, his heart was greatly comforted.
Just when he was not paying attention, misfortune struck. One afternoon, he was playing with his children in the shade of a tree in front of his house, but he needed to go back to the house to get something because of something improvised. When he came out, he found that the child was gone. He was so frightened that he searched everywhere, but there was no sign of the child. When he passed by the well in front of his house again, he found a foreign object floating in the well, and when he looked closely, it was his own child.
In this way, after the loss of his two children, he came to his senses and told his current wife about his previous engagement to a girl, who was witnessed by a weasel and a well. After hearing this, his wife did not blame him and agreed to his request for a divorce.
After the divorce, he returned to the village where the girl lived and found that the girl was still waiting for him. So the two got married and lived a happy and stable life.
Clearly, this is a story of the fulfillment of a covenant under God's protection. It is worth noting that in this story, the punishment of the violator does not come directly to the violator himself, but to make the child a scapegoat, and the purpose of this is to make him suffer and condemn mentally. In fact, the moral of the story is that no matter what reason or excuse, you can't break the contract, and once you break the contract, you will inevitably be punished, and you will not hesitate to let the punishment fall on the "profit" brought by the breach, that is, the two children. The child in the story is merely a symbol of what the defaulter has achieved.
Jews believe that those who lie and default suffer purgatory after death. Whether it's a written agreement or a verbal promise, they are meticulous in their fulfillment.
In the era of agrarian society, Jews began to follow the principle of fair trade. Jews believe that even in the absence of laws and regulations, the buyer has the right to demand that the quality of the products he buys is of good quality and free from defects. Even if the seller has a sign that says "No returns or exchanges when you go out", if the buyer finds that there is a problem with the item they have purchased, they can ask the seller to return it. However, if the seller tells the buyer in advance that the product** is defective, and the buyer is still willing to buy it, it cannot be refunded after purchase. This is the spirit of the Jewish contract, which both the buyer and the seller will strictly abide by.
In the eyes of Jews, integrity is one of the three most important pillars of their walk in the world, the other two being justice and peace. In the more than 2,000 years of wandering, the Jews have endured all kinds of devastation, oppression, slander, unimaginable suffering, and the sinister and vicious nature behind the beautiful lies. Therefore, they hate lying very much, and they will never allow themselves to lie and deceive others, let alone allow others to deceive them. But the interesting point is that although they hate lying, they do not despise the person who lies, let alone have a sense of revenge against the other party. They tend to choose to be tolerant of liars, hoping that they will be redeemed. They have compassion for the liar, believing that the liar has lost the most precious thing in human nature and will go to hell after death, so the person is too pitiful. It can be seen that the Jews are not only strict with themselves and lenient with others, but also have compassion.
Whether you make money or be a person, the rules and order must be observed.
Rules regulate a person's behavior, and people who do business should follow them.
Talmud. The Jewish nation is a wise people, but it is also a people who have suffered many calamities. The Jewish people have been repeatedly expelled and deported throughout history, but they seem to be natural coinage machines. The Jews have been without a state for a long time, but they have never been depressed by poverty, they were born to be citizens of the world, they were born to do business all over the world, and they have also established a set of good rules and order for doing business all over the world. It can be said that abiding by certain business rules is also in line with the spirit of the Jewish contract.
The Talmud tells such a story:
Two rabbis had their eyes on a piece of land at the same time and wanted to buy it. As soon as Rabbi A and the owner of the land sale had negotiated**, Rabi B hurriedly ran over, took out the money from his pocket, and immediately bought the land. When Rabi Jia heard this, he shook his head and sighed. Rabbi was very happy to have bought the land, and when he met people, he told him how useful it was to him.
One day, while Rabbi B was giving a lecture to the onlookers, a man squeezed out of the crowd and said in a puzzled tone: "Dear rabbi, there is a question that has been haunting me and has puzzled me, and I hope you will help me answer it." ”
If you have any doubts, just let me know, and I will definitely give you a satisfactory answer. Rabbi B said.
The man said, "There was a man who went into the candy store and wanted to buy candy. But he saw someone checking the quality of the candy, which meant that the person who was inspecting the candy had the intention to buy it, but the transaction hadn't quite happened yet. When the people who had just come in found out, they rushed to buy the candy. Dear rabbi, what do you think should be called the person who bought the sweets first? ”
I thought it was some kind of esoteric question, but it turned out to be so simple. Let me tell you, of course that person can be called a 'bad guy'. Rabbi B said confidently.
When he had finished answering, the man said, "I have heard that you have recently bought a piece of land, and that it is of great use to you, is it true?" ”
Rabbi said proudly, "Indeed, as you say, that land is of great use to me, and I will make good use of it." ”
But how can you buy land so much like the person who buys candy? I've heard that someone has already come out of the ** and is negotiating, but you bought the land first. Dear Rabbi, how do you explain your actions? The man asked.
Hearing such a question, Rabbi was speechless and full of shame. So, how do things go out?
After returning, Rabbi B regretted buying land with Rabbi A. What to do with that land? It's a bit unlucky to sell what you bought again; Give it to the rabbis, and he can't bear it. After thinking about it, he donated the land to the school for free.
This story teaches us to follow the rules of business in the process of doing business. No matter how much you like a product, as long as someone talks to the owner of the product before you, you should not get involved, and "robbing" from it is an immoral behavior, and others will look down on you. If others don't buy it, it is a matter of course for you to negotiate or buy it, and only then can you do it openly and honestly. Therefore, in the process of doing business, you must respect the rules of business and be a businessman who understands the rules.
Trust is the foundation of honest cooperation.
Once the contract is signed, there is no room for negotiation.
Talmud. (Click on the card above to read the full article.)
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