“Sorry we refuse your offer,” the men replied.
Surprised, the owner of the farm asked “here I am offering you double pay, plus I am relieving you of the toil and sweat that is associated with your work, you will simply take your tools into the office and pretend to be seeding the farm! Why are you rejecting this offer?
“We are happy working, we love the sweat and toil. Because we know there is a purpose! Without a purpose we are like a body without a soul, we cannot do it.”
Rewarding is nice. But, deserving a reward is what counts. Knowing we make a difference, and our work is appreciated, that is what we crave.
Maimonides writes, that the deepest gift one can give, is the gift of a job. The gift of recognition. Deserving the reward.
Think about the times we shy away from gifts, we don’t want to feel indebted. Of course, it’s a great feeling to see the care and love showered upon us, but it’s incomparable to the feeling of recognition and purpose showered upon us with the appreciation of our work!
The gift of a job touches upon the deepest sentiments in our human condition -our uniqueness. No two fingerprints are alike, every single one of us has something extraordinary to offer, recognizing that is the deepest expression of love we can demonstrate!
We are always looking for ways to show appreciation to a co-worker, friend, or family. Let’s be authentic. Think of what that individual has to offer and verbalize it to them, tell them how they make a difference!
It’s that simple!
Wishing you and your family a Shabbat Shalom and Happy Hanukkah,
Rabbi Mendy
