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February 13, 2012
Binyamin Rose: Back to the Bunker: How a life-risking act by a Christian family during the Holocaust saved a family and built a thriving community a world away
Menachem Wecker: Business Schools Teach Real Estate Despite Troubled Housing Market
February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
Disloyalty or opportunity?
By
Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Q. I'm thinking of leaving my job for something that will leave me more opportunity for other horizons. But my employer depends on me very much and has helped me very much. Is it ethical for me to leave her in the lurch?
A. This is a question I receive frequently. Very often people want a job which will give them more opportunities for spiritual growth – one that will leave them more time for Torah study, or one that will enable them to be in a community that will be more nurturing spiritually.
Once I had a brief discussion on this matter with a prominent Jewish leader. She told me that generations ago this kind of question was never asked. People took their work seriously and took pride in it, but only nowadays, she felt, do people feel subordinated to their work. I don't have the same perspective as this individual, but it is worth examining if this is really a modern phenomenon.
The strict law on this matter is very clear. Fundamentally, any worker is allowed to quit his job any time he wants, and be paid pro rata for the time he worked.
A worker is allowed to retract even in the middle of the day. As long as he does not retract he is subject to the authority of the employer; the reason he may retract is different [not because the employer lacks authority]. As it is written (Leviticus 25:55) "For the children of Israel are slaves to Me" – and not slaves to slaves. (1)
This passage demonstrates that the foundation of human freedom is our subordination to G0d. Since slavery among the Jewish people is rejected, and since forced labor for any amount of time is tantamount to slavery, the worker is given the right to retract.
There are certain exceptions, which the mishna refers to as "matters of loss." These are all cases where the agreement to work in the first place created a situation where quitting would now cause an actual loss to the employer. For example, in the time of the mishna clothes were laundered by placing them in a caustic bath. If the worker who is expert in this trade had not agreed to work, the employer wouldn't have laundered any garments. But once the worker begins work and puts the garments in the bath, if he then quits and leaves the garments in they will be ruined. So this is a matter of loss.
Another example is musicians for a wedding. If one band doesn't agree no loss is caused; another can always be obtained. But if the band cancels at the last minute, getting a new band on short notice is very expensive, so the cancellation causes a loss. (2)
This is the strict law, but that doesn't mean there is no value to being a conscientious worker and not leaving your employer in an awkward situation. Let us consider the example of one of our greatest sages, Rabbi Eliezer ben Horkanus:
What was the beginning of Rabbi Eliezer ben Horkanus? He was twenty two years old and did not study Torah. One time he said, I will go and study Torah before Rabban Yochanan ben Zakai. Horkanus his father told him: You may not eat anything until you plow a full furrow. He got up early in the morning and plowed a full furrow. It is said that he ate that day by his father in law, and some say he ate nothing that day . . . He [walked all the way to Jerusalem and] went to his inn, and went and sat before Rabban Yochanan ben Zakai. (3)
Rabbi Eliezer ben Horkanus was a grown man, and was free to leave whenever he wanted. We see that he did not plow the furrow in order to be able to eat at home, because in any case he ate by his in-laws, or perhaps not at all. As a matter of simple conscientiousness he wanted to complete the most pressing task that awaited him. He did not disappear without finishing his immediate assignment, but he also did not remain for an extended period.
I think that this is a good example for someone who is thinking of changing his or her work situation for one that provides more opportunities for spiritual growth. There is no reason to feel bound to the workplace; after all, we are slaves to G0d, not slaves to our bosses. At the same time, as a matter of conscientiousness it is generally fair and proper to coordinate your departure with the employer and complete pressing tasks so as not to leave your employer in an awkward situation.
Ethical issues aside, it is always prudent to consider carefully before leaving your job. Good jobs don't grow on trees, and I get occasional letters from people who left adequate if problematic work situations without adequate planning and find themselves in straitened circumstances. Staying on is not an ethical obligation to the employer, but sometimes it is the prudent course of action.
SOURCES: (1) Babylonian Talmud, Bava Metzia 116b (2) Mishna, Bava Metzia 6:1. (3) Avos deRebbe Nosson chapter 6
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JWR contributor Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir, formerly of the Council of Economic Advisers in the Reagan
administration, is Research Director of the Business Ethics Center of Jerusalem, Jerusalem College of Technology.
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