Episode #20 - Happy New Year from a Water Carrier
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Intro:
This past weekend, as many of you might know, was the Jewish New Year - called Rosh HaShana (literally - “head of the year”). While in the coming year we will continue our journey together down the road of financial wellness and better understanding of the financial world around us (and even in our own homes), I want to just use this opportunity to wish all of you a happy and sweet new year. No matter your background or your community, I safely presume that a little “reset” at this moment could do us all some good.
If you’re worried about new years resolutions, have no fear! There isn’t just one day on the calendar for that tradition. You can even do it over the next week or so.
A Story:
Instead of a more technical note, I wanted to share a great story on the theme of financial wellness and the start of the new year.
A student of the Baal Shem Tov (the founder of Hassidism) once asked the great rabbi to explain a Talmudic contradiction:
On the one hand, the Talmud says that a person’s earnings are determined on Rosh Hashanah. On the other hand, the Talmud also says that a person is judged each and every day. “How can these two statements be reconciled?” the student asked.
The Baal Shem Tov glanced through the window and saw Shlomeleh, the water carrier, carrying two buckets of water. He beckoned to him and asked, “How are things with you, Shlomoleh?” “Not good,” Shlomeleh said. “At my age, I still have to schlep buckets of water up the hill to support myself.”
Several days later, the Baal Shem Tov again saw Shlomeleh. “How are things with you?” he asked. Shlomeleh responded, “Rebbe, I can’t complain. If at my age I can still schlep buckets of water up the hill, I’m thankful to God.”
The Baal Shem Tov said to his student, “Both Talmudic statements are correct. On Rosh Hashanah it was decreed that Shlomeleh shall earn his living as a water carrier. How Shlomeleh accepts this decree can vary from day to day.”
Boom. Well, attitude adjustment certainly can assist in propelling you forward from day to day and I think following ideas from technical notes enable you to switch you perspective. Join me as we turn the page to a new calendar (some of you actually and others just following these notes) and take ideas from the world around us to develop a Winnings strategy.
Gratitude:
I want to thank my father-in-law, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law for sharing this story with me over the holiday through a note from Rabbi Cohen (generic as it may sound) from Congregation Beth Israel (CBI). If you’d like any of the other content from his high holiday archive, check it out here.