Achieving Integrity  A TEN–WEEK COURSE ON JEWISH BUSINESS ETHICS   You make a living by what you earn. You make a life by what you give. — Winston Churchill   Learn how the Torah makes sense of the mighty dollar, balances Capitalism with compassion and infuses financial life with awareness and meaning. Achieving Integrity is based on the book of Exodus.   The experiences of an enslaved Israelite nation on the path to becoming a free society provides a compelling springboard for the principles and values that define our people. Gain insight and explore the Jewish perspective on dilemmas in business and workplace ethics.         ----------------------------------------- Monday evenings, 7:00pm-8:30pm Chabad of West Bay Chai Center Starting Monday, May 24, 2010                   RSVP Reservations required. To RSVP you may email us, call us or you may register through our donate online page.    All are welcome. The cost for the course including text books is $150 including CLE credits $100 without credits Scholarships available

Achieving Integrity:
A 10-Part Series on
Jewish Business Ethics

► Inspired by the Book of Exodus

  

Course Goal –
the Jewish Approach to Finances:

In these times of financial turmoil, we will look back to the experiences of an enslaved Israelite nation on the path to becoming a free society.  This journey can help us gain insight into the Jewish perspective on business dilemmas and workplace ethics.  We will learn how the Torah makes sense of the “mighty dollar,” balances the free-market system with compassion, and – perhaps most of all – infuses meaning into our financial lives...

 

 

Part I – The Purpose of WorkandWealth:

In the opening class, we will deal with some of the most fundamental issues in the life of every person: our general attitudes toward work and wealth.  Our approach towards money impacts every area of our lives— our relationships, our peace of mind, even our physical health.  We must determine the proper balance between the pursuits of materialism and the quest for spirituality.

 

Key Question 1: Is it good to be rich?

 

 

Part II – Global Economic Integrity:

The world is moving towards an increasingly global and interdependent economy.  We are all stakeholders in more than just the economic life of our families.  We must be concerned with the economy of whatever nation we live in, and we even need to be mindful of the economic life of the world as a whole.  In this lesson, we will explore the Jewish approach to various economic systems.

 

Key Question 2: What type of economic system is most consistent with the Torah’s approach?

 

 

Part III– Compassionate Capitalism:

In this class we will explore the prohibition of infringing upon someone else’s business.  We will see how the Torah’s laws – both in their plain meaning and inner wisdom – ensure ethical business practices.

 

Key Question 3: What is the proper balance between financial freedom and consideration for others?

 

 

Part IV – The Jewish View of FreeTrade:

Profit provides the best incentive for developing an economy and maintaining prosperity.  What is profitable for one person or company, however, often spells hardship or ruin for others.  (In today’s world, for example, high fuel prices have brought record profits to some, while posing a terrible burden on many others).  In this lesson, we will examine what Jewish law and our ethical teachings tell us about resolving these crucial issues.

 

Key Question 4: Is it effective or ethical to tamper with free-market prices? 

 

 

Part V – Resolving Conflicts in Business:

In primitive economies, “survival of the fittest” in business disputes usually meant survival of the guy with the biggest muscles or the heaviest club.  In our modern economy, survival of the fittest usually means survival of the man, woman, or corporation with the best and brightest lawyers.  In this class we will see how, according to Jewish tradition, there is a much better way.

 

Key Question 5: What is the Torah’s approach to conflict resolution?

 

 

Part VI –
The Mortgage andCredit Meltdown:

How could the current mortgage crisis and credit crunch have happened?  What happened to the safeguards designed to avoid a financial meltdown?  In this lesson, we will analyze the current economic crisis in the light of the Torah’s unique moral insights.

 

Key Question 6: What specific actions do Jewish teachings advise us to take in order to avoid a financial crises?

 

 

Part VII–
Ethical Communications in Business:

From the multi-billion-dollar advertising industry to the one-to-one haggling at the used-car lot, business is all about communication.  Someone has goods or services that they want you to buy, and in order to persuade you to buy their product, they have to convey information in the form of words and images.  This information is meant to impact your intellect, your emotions, and your instincts.  Deceptive business representations are as old as the marketplace.  In this class we delve into the Torah’s extensive laws and advice about what should and should not be said in business.

 

Key Question 7: Exactly how candid must one be in business dealings? 

 

 

Part VIII –
The Jewish Approach to “Head Hunting:”

There are few “headier” feelings than being contacted by a headhunter, but must we also consider our responsibilities to our current employer?  Do I have the right to leave my company if doing so will threaten the livelihood of others?  Do I have ethical responsibilities to my employer that might prevent me from taking a better job?  Does a recruiter have the right to “steal” an employee from his current company?  In this lesson, we will see how the Torah offers a “higher standard” in employment and hiring practices.  These standards are meant to benefit the individual, the employer, and society as a whole.

 

Key Question 8: Do employees and recruiters have unlimited rights?

 

 

Part IX – The Jewish View on Taxation:

Every government has certain obligations to all of its citizens.  No one would argue that there is no need for a national defense, local police forces, courts of justice, the maintenance of roads, sewage and water systems, or funds to prevent the poorest among us from starving.  To pay for our common needs and obligations we have had taxes in one form or another since the beginning of human society.  In this class, we will explore the fascinating issue of taxation in the Torah.  We will see how our Sages throughout Jewish history have grappled with the most important issues of defining our communal obligations, and determining the fairest means of taxation to pay for them.

 

Key Question 9: What are truly public purposes and how should those purposes be funded?

 

 

Part X – The Jewish WorkEthic:

When we think of a thief, what picture comes to mind?  Perhaps it’s the image of a masked man, secretly climbing over a wall, picking a lock and quickly plundering a home of its valuables.  Perhaps it’s of a bank robber with a pistol and a ski mask, terrorizing tellers and customers as he rifles through the drawers for cash, then drives off in his getaway car.  But the Jewish view of theft extends far beyond such obvious cases, especially when it involves business and the workplace.  In this lesson, we will learn about the Torah’s comprehensive definition of honesty.  Most importantly, we will learn how to apply it to the modern workplace.

 

Key Question 10: What is the Jewish definition of theft and honesty?