How do you make a business? It takes a lot of effort, a lot of energy, and a lot of worries. It takes working very long hours, maybe even sleepless nights sometimes. But you do it because you’re invested in it. It’s your business after all.
Men At Work
That's the yardstick for avodas Hashem. Monday, you must go out to your bitter career in the salt mines. You can't help yourself; you have to go to the office on Monday. But what about Sunday?
So the man who doesn’t understand the yardstick of ְ י וֹ מָ א אֲ גִ י רֵ י ד and ֶ סֶ ף כְ בַ קְ שֶׁ נָּ ה כַ ת so he’ll go riding on the highways in his car, perhaps. Maybe he’ll sleep late, very late. Even if he’s frum, so he’ll eventually get to Hashem’s business. Maybe he’ll open a sefer later on. But there’s nothing pressing. It could wait.
But that’s all wrong because Sunday you are also employed. It’s a day of business; your business. And so, the loyal Jew gets up Sunday morning and says, “ְ י וֹ מָ א אֲ נָ א אֲ גִ ירֵ י ד – Today I have to work all day long for Hashem. I have my business waiting for me.” He packs up lunch, says goodbye to his wife, and goes out to the shul or the yeshiva and he gets to work. And he stays there all day.
Business Vacation
“Oooh,” your wife will say, “but today you’re not doing business. At least today you have to be home.”
So you have to say, “My dear, you don’t understand. Today is my real day of business. All the yeshiva men are going full steam ahead all week long. I have a lot of catching up to do.” So Sunday morning, say goodbye to your family, take along lunch and don't go home until nighttime. Nighttime means 10 o'clock at night.
It’s remarkable how much people can accomplish if they spend time in front of the Gemara on Sundays. Only that you need first that attitude, that this is your business. You’re not doing Hashem any favors. You’re building up your own business.
Weekday Work
Now, the truth is that it’s not only on Shabbos and Sunday and legal holidays. Because the one who develops this attitude understands that even in the office, he is also working for Hakadosh Baruch Hu. So as you're standing all day long in a factory or in your store or in your office, it's important to keep in mind that you’re busy with Hashem’s business. It costs good money to raise a Jewish family. The IRS takes a big percentage of what we earn and we therefore have to work overtime. But you’re invested. You’re doing it because Hashem’s business is your business.
Suppose a woman in the kitchen has the understanding that she’s laboring in a business, in real estate, that will bring her tremendous profits. A child is like owning an apartment house. The truth is that compared to a child, an apartment house is nothing.
Women who say that the children make them crazy, the answer is it pays to get crazy if you have ten apartment houses. Ask the big businessmen. They go crazy from it. But it’s their business! Ten huge buildings! Every month piles of checks come in!
And so is the woman that וֹרָ תוֹ נַ עֲ שָׂ ה ת, she’s in business. With this business that Hashem gave her, she’s the most successful businesswoman. Not the unmarried woman who is, let's say, an executive in a business. She comes home at night to her lonely apartment on the West Side – let’s hope it’s lonely – and she’s unhappy, unfulfilled, because she never made the business of Hashem into her own business.
