Competition is good for business, as they say. The consumer gains, as he gets a better product, better service and other benefits, and companies get to polish up their acts; it’s a win-win. Or so it would seem.
Some businessmen realize early in their careers that making friends with their competition is also good for their businesses, giving them a breadth of knowledge and comradery that pays off in the long run. This is all true if the competition is fair and honest .as well as friendly. But if one of the parties is less than scrupulous, or worse, then it can be a disaster.
Rav Yaakov was the Rav of a big shul. Next door to him lived the new chazzan of the shul. In less than a month's time, the Yomin Noraim, the High Holidays would be upon us.
But each night, the new chazzan practiced his nigunim for the Rosh Hashanah tefilos in a loud voice. The Rabbi asked him nicely if he would lower the volume of his practice sessions as they greatly interfered with the Rabbi’s learning and preparation of his shiurim. But the chazzan demurred and even sent a note, quoting from this week's parsha: when Klal Yisroel camped, they camped “ish al machaneihu v’ ish al diglo,” each one firmly entrenched in his own encampment, even though they were next to each other.
The chazzan said: “Not to worry, I with my chazzanus, and you with your rabbanus – let us both stand firmly entrenched and strong in what we do.”
The Rabbi suffered, but, unfortunately, night after night there was no change. No mercy.
On the first day of Rosh Hashanah, it was the custom of this shul that the Rabbi acts as the shaliach tzibbur for Shachris and the chazzan for Mussaf.
During the past month, unknowingly, the Rav had heard so many of the chazzan’s melodies that he sang these tunes during Shacharis – leaving the Chazan no alternative but to use the tunes again.
After Mussaf, the chazzan approached the Rav – How could you have done that to me, even unknowingly?
The Rav couldn’t help but think, “Wasn't it you who told me: we each have our own territory, separate but equal? Well, I have Shacharis, and you, Musaf! To each his own!”
This was just a story, a mashal; it probably didn’t happen, but we can all learn from it nevertheless.
When faced with the dilemma of whether to help a friend, a neighbor, a business associate, or to hurt them for our own personal gain, we should never, ever choose the latter.
What goes around, comes around, and our own actions will one day come back to bite us. That’s for sure.
We are one nation, one large family, and our Creator and Provider has more than enough goodness for all of His children to partake of. Our job here is to be righteous and to be “meitiv l’achriti,” to be nice to our fellow man, whenever we can.
It is this closeness, this supportive and conscientious behavior that will storm the heavens and bring us all yeshuos, both personal and community wide! Good Shabbos!
