© 2001 H. H. Friedman
Ideal
Occupations: The Talmudic Perspective
by
Hershey
H. Friedman, Ph.D.
Professor of Business and Marketing
Brooklyn College, CUNY
E-mail: x.friedman@att.net
Abstract
Choosing the ideal occupation is not a
trivial decision. The profession one chooses can affect the amount of time
available for spiritual duties, one’s earnings, and whether an individual
remains honest. This paper explores the views of the Talmudic sages regarding
the ideal profession.
INTRODUCTION
What is the ideal
occupation for an individual? This is a question the Talmud addresses since it
is not a trivial one. The profession one chooses can affect the amount of time
available for spiritual duties, one’s earnings, and whether an individual
remains honest. This paper will explore the views of the Talmudic sages
regarding the ideal profession. The question as to whether an individual should
only study Torah or combine Torah with an occupation has been studied by others
[e.g., Steinberg and Rosner (1996)]. This paper will consider what the great
sages of the Talmud had to say about various occupations in their day. The
world has changed considerably in 2,000 years, but the considerations in choosing
an occupation are the same today as they were back in Talmudic times.
Talmudic Attitude Towards Work
The first thing to note is that the sages of
the Talmud had a great deal of respect for labor. The Talmud abhorred idleness
and felt that it leads to mental illness and sexual immorality (Babylonian
Talmud, Kethubos 59b). Rabbi Yosi felt that a person does not die except
through idleness (Babylonian Talmud, Avot D'Rabbi Noson 11:1). Rabbi Yehuda and
Rabbi Shimon (Babylonian Talmud, Nedarim 49b) stated: "Great is labor for
it honors the workman." Both sages would purposely carry burdens on their
shoulders because they wanted their students to see that manual labor should be
respected. Rabbi Yehuda b. Bathyra said: "If a person has no work to do,
what should he do? If he has a dilapidated yard or field, he should go and
occupy himself with it" (Babylonian Talmud,, Avot D'Rabbi Noson 11:1). The
Talmud (Babylonian Talmud, Avot D'Rabbi Noson 11:1) also believed that "A
person should love work and not hate it; for just as the Torah was given with a
covenant, so too was work given with a covenant."
Attitude Towards Wealth
The attitude of Judaism towards wealth is
quite positive since it enables one to help others. Those that use their wealth
to help the poor will be blessed by God (Deuteronomy 15:10; Isaiah 1:17-19;
Proverbs 19:17). Wealth, peace, and/or long life are rewards from God for
obeying God’s laws (Leviticus 26: 3-13; Deuteronomy 11: 13-16; Deuteronomy
25:15; Proverbs 22:4).
The Talmud (Babylonian Talmud, Taanis 9a)
also sees wealth as a reward from God. In a wordplay on the verse (Deuteronomy
14: 22): "You shall surely tithe," the Talmud advises that one should
tithe in order to become rich (the Hebrew word that means to tithe is
very similar to the word that means to become rich). The verse (Proverbs
11:24), "There is one who scatters and yet is given more" is
interpreted by many of the commentators (e.g., Rashi and Ibn Ezra) as
referring to one who spends his money on the needy. Wealth is seen as "comely
to the righteous and comely to the world" (Babylonian Talmud, Avot 6:8),
and affluent people who used their possessions to help others were respected by
the Talmudic sages (Babylonian Talmud, Eruvin 86a).
Occupations of the Sages of the Talmud
The sages of the Talmud worked at many
diverse occupations. For instance, Hillel was a woodchopper before he
became the Nasi (President of the Sanhedrin) and Shammai the Elder was a
builder. Abba Chilkiyah was a field laborer; Rabbi Yochanan b. Zakkai was a businessman
for forty years; Abba Shaul was a gravedigger; Abba Chilkiyah was a field
worker; Abba Oshiya was a launderer; Rabbi Shimon P’kuli was a cotton dealer;
Rabbi Shmuel b. Shilas was a school teacher, Rabbi Meir and Rabi Chananel were
scribes; Rabbi Yosi b. Chalafta was a tanner; Rabbi Yochanan Hasandlar was a
shoemaker; Rabbi Yehoshua b. Chananiah was a blacksmith; Rabbi Safra and Rabbi
Dimi of Nehardea were merchants; Rabbi Abba b. Zavina was a tailor; Rabbi Yosef
b. Chiya and Rabbi Yannai owned vineyards; Rabbi Huna was a farmer and raised
cattle; Rabbi Chisda and Rabbi Papa were beer brewers; Karna was a wine smeller
(he determined which wine could be stored and which had to be sold
immediately); Rabbi Chiya b. Yosef was in the salt business; Abba Bar Abba,
(father of Mar Shmuel) was a silk merchant; and (Mar) Shmuel was a doctor.
CRITERIA
FOR CHOOSING AN OCCUPATION
The Talmud provides advice to one seeking an
occupation as to several positive criteria for the ideal occupation. Good
professions are those that provide an individual with time for spiritual
pursuits and time to help others. In addition, one’s occupation should ideally
be pleasant and dignified and lucrative so as to provide one with the means to
help others. General advice on how to find a job one is likely to succeed at is
provided for by Rabbi Yochanan. His advice (Babylonian Talmud, Eruchin 16b) is
that one should consider the profession of his father and ancestors in choosing
an occupation since one is most likely to find success in the same occupation
as his father.
Time for Spiritual Pursuits
One of the primary considerations in choosing
an occupation is ensuring that it provides one with the opportunity to develop
one’s spirituality. The following statement by Rabbi Shimon b. Elazar
(Babylonian Talmud, Kiddushin 82b) makes it clear that the ideal is to serve
God. Thus, an occupation that either allows one the time for spiritual pursuits
or has a spiritual component is desirable.
Did you ever see a
wild beast or bird with a trade? I have never in all my life seen a deer drying
fruits in the field, a lion carrying heavy burdens, or a fox who kept a shop,
and yet none of them die of hunger. Now, if these, who have been created to
serve my needs are able to support themselves without trouble, how much more
reasonable is it to expect that I, who have been created to serve my Master
[The Lord], should be able to support myself easily, without trouble. However,
my deeds were evil and I have therefore ruined my livelihood.
The classic dispute between Rabbi Yishmael
and Rabbi Shimon b. Yochai revolves around the problem of what will become of
the Torah if people spend their entire lives pursuing wealth and forget that
mankind has a higher purpose than materialism. The Talmud (Babylonian Talmud
Berachos 35b) concludes that many tried to follow the advice of Rabbi Yishmael
and were successful. Others, tried to follow Rabbi Shimon's advice and were
unsuccessful. It would appear that even Rabbi Shimon b. Yochai would be more
accepting of an occupation that allows one the time to pursue Torah. Nowadays,
with 40-hour workweeks and 4-week vacations, it is probably considerably easier
to find professions that allow individuals more time for spiritual pursuits.
'And you will
gather in your grain' (Deuteronomy 11: 14). Why does the Torah state this?
Since it says (Joshua 1: 8), 'This book of the Torah should not leave your
mouth, ' I might think that these words should be taken literally. That is why
it says, 'And you should gather in your grain,' that is, pursue, in
combination, with Torah a secular occupation. These are the words of Rabbi
Yishmael. Rabbi Shimon b. Yochai said, Is it possible (for a person to have an
occupation and still study Torah properly?) If a person plows during plowing
season, plants during planting season, harvests during harvesting season,
threshes during threshing season, and winnows during the windy season, what
will become of the Torah? But, when Israel performs the will of the Omnipresent,
their work will be done through others. As it says (Isaiah 61: 5), 'And
strangers shall stand and feed your flocks.' And when Israel does not perform
the will of the Omnipresent, their work will done by themselves, as it says,
'And you will gather in your grain.'
It is clear that the sages of the Talmud
believed that being absorbed with making money is not the ideal for an
individual. The following statements further describe the feelings of the sages
regarding preoccupation with business. Hillel stated (Babylonian Talmud, Avot
2:5): "Nor can one who engages too much in business become wise."
Rabbi Meir asserted (Babylonian Talmud, Avot 4:10): "Rather limit your
business activities and occupy yourself with the Torah instead."
Rabbi Nehorai said:
I forsake all professions in the world and teach my son only Torah, for a
person eats of the reward for learning Torah in this world and the principal
remains for him in the next world. Other professions are not like this: If a
person becomes sick or old or is in agony and cannot work at his occupation, he
will die of starvation. The Torah, however, is not like this. It will protect
him from evil when he is young and provides him with a future and hope when he
is older (Babylonian Talmud, Kiddushin 82a).
The Maharsha’s interpretation of the above
statement of Rabbi Nehorai is not that one should not teach his son a
profession since this would contradict the law that (Babylonian Talmud,
Kiddushin 29a) "One who does not teach his son an occupation, it is as
though he taught him to become a robber." Rather, what Rabbi Nehorai means
is that Torah studies should always be the primary preoccupation of an
individual and one’s profession should be secondary. Rabbi Nehorai’s advice,
therefore, is that one should always keep in mind that Torah is permanent;
one’s occupation, on the other hand, is as temporary as us mortals.
Another explanation is provided by the Iyun
Yaakov. One who has no other occupation may be paid for teaching Torah. Thus,
not teaching one’s son a profession and only instructing him in Torah will
enable him to earn his livelihood as a teacher of Torah.
Rabban Gamliel, son of Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi,
made it clear that Torah should indeed be combined with an occupation
(Babylonian Talmud, Avot 2:2):
The study of Torah
is good in combination with an occupation, since the toil of both makes sin
forgotten. All Torah that is not combined with work will eventually cease and
lead to sin.
Choosing an Occupation that Makes One Wealthy
The Talmud (Babylonian Talmud, Pesachim 113a)
records Rav’s business advice to his son Aibu, which included the idea to
"sell your wares while the sand is still on your feet" (i.e., do not
procrastinate, and sell as soon as possible). The idea of diversification – i.e.,
dividing one’s assets into thirds: 1/3 in land, 1/3 in business, and 1/3 kept
liquid – is also mentioned in the Talmud (Babylonian Talmud, Bava Metzia 42a).
The Talmud is providing some practical advice on how to become financially
successful since this is something that is desirable.
The question of what a person should do to
become rich is discussed in the Talmud; one answer is to engage in much
business and deal honestly (Babylonian Talmud, Niddah 70b). Rabbi Papa claimed
that he became wealthy by being a beer brewer and recommended this occupation
since it allowed one to become affluent and to be charitable (Babylonian
Talmud, Pesachim 113a). Rabbi Yochanan’s opinion was that raising small cattle
would make one wealthy (Babylonian Talmud, Chullin 84a-b).
Rabbi Elazar also
stated (Babylonian Talmud, Yevamos 63a): No occupation is inferior to that of
agriculture, because it says (Ezekiel 27: 29), "And they shall descend
from their ships… and they shall stand upon the land." Rabbi Elazar once
saw land that was plowed across its width. He remarked: ‘Even if you were
plowed along your length as well, engaging in business would still be more
profitable than you.’ Rav once entered a field among growing ears of grain.
Seeing that they were waving in the wind, he called out to them: ‘wave as you
will, engaging in business would still be more profitable than you.’ Rava
stated: A hundred zuz invested in business means meat and wine for every day
[i.e., you will become wealthy]; a hundred zuz in land, means only salt and immature
sprouts [to eat]. Moreover, it forces him to sleep on the ground [to watch the
field or because he becomes homeless] and involves him in discord [with
neighbors over title].
The rabbis cited above believed that
business, i.e., buying and selling merchandise, was more lucrative than farming
and therefore they advised people to avoid agriculture as an occupation. It is
apparent that the sages were advising people to pursue a livelihood that is
profitable, not very difficult, and does not cause one to fight with neighbors.
On the other hand,
Rabbi Yehoshua b.
Levi stated: Twenty-four fasts did the Men of the Great Assembly observe in
order that those who write Torah scrolls, phylacteries, and mezuzos should not
become wealthy. For if they were to become, wealthy, they would not write
(Babylonian Talmud, Pesachim 50b).
Normally, the sages would have been happy
that an individual became wealthy from his/her occupation. The above are the
exceptions because these items are vital for the performance of religious
obligations.
Occupations that are Easy, Pleasant, and Dignified
Ideally, a profession should be pleasant and
not back-breaking. Of course, if one has no choice, the sages still advocated
working rather than living off charity. The Talmud (Babylonian Talmud, Bava
Bathra 110a) asserts that a person should even hire himself out to do work that
is strange to him and beneath his dignity rather than be dependent on people
for charity. In fact, Rav told his disciple Rabbi Kahana (Babylonian Talmud,
Bava Bathra 110a): "Skin a carcass in the street and receive wages and do
not say I am an important person and this type of work is beneath my
dignity."
Bar Kappara stated:
A person should always teach his son a clean and easy occupation. What is it?
Rabbi Chisda said, needle work (stitching in lines and furrows) (Babylonian
Talmud, Berachos 63a).
Bar Kappara stated:
The world cannot do without either a spice-dealer or a tanner. Happy is he
whose occupation is that of a spice-dealer and woe to him whose occupation is that
of a tanner (Babylonian Talmud, Bava Bathra 16b).
It is not clear what Bar Kappara meant by
"clean and easy." Some commentaries take this literally. The
Maharsha, on the other hand, cites the Aruch who interprets "clean and
easy" to mean an honest and a low-risk occupation. Spices were used to
make perfumes and fragrances, whereas tanners were surrounded with noxious,
horrid odors.
The Maharsha on the next selection interprets
"clean and easy" to mean an occupation that provides one with ample
time for Torah.
Rabbi Meir said:
One should make sure to teach his son a trade which is clean and easy; then
pray to He who owns all the wealth and property of the world. For there is
poverty and wealth in every occupation. One's occupation does not cause poverty,
nor does it bring wealth. All is determined on the basis of one's merit
(Babylonian Talmud, Kiddushin 82a).
Whoever looks to
his wife's earnings or to [earnings from] a mill will never see a sign of
blessing (Babylonian Talmud, Pesachim 50b).
The Talmud explains that a woman who has to rent her services of spinning yarn by weight in the public market makes little profit and is involved in an undignified occupation. However, if she makes garments at home and sells them, this is praiseworthy. Tosafos adds that spinning yarn in public is undignified because the woman's arms are exposed while she is spinning. Renting mills is very difficult work and results in very little profit.
"Occupations" that Help Others and Contribute to the Welfare of Society
The Talmud (Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin
24b-25a) disqualifies certain individuals from being witnesses or judges. These
include gamblers. The Talmud describes various types of gamblers such as
dice-players and pigeon-racers. The reason given is that people who are
unproductive and do not further the welfare of society by holding down a job
are willing to lie and cheat. A productive occupation has a tendency to make a
person responsible and honest, whereas being engaged in something unproductive
such as gambling has the opposite effect.
Oleynu is one of the oldest of Jewish prayers (some claim that it goes back
to the time of Joshua making it more than 3,000 years ago) and it concludes all
congregational services. One phrase in this prayer deals with tikkun olam,
and describes the ideal society "when the world will be perfected under
the reign of the Almighty." The concept of tikkun olam
includes alleviating such world problems as poverty, racism, pollution, and
oppression. The sages of the Talmud used the principle of tikkun olam to
legislate various laws, amendments, and enactments to help society and to
prevent conflicts (e.g., Babylonian Talmud, Gittin 32a, 34b, 40b, 41b, 45a,b).
Professions that improve the world are certainly admirable. Tikkun olam is a
major part of the cabala of Rabbi Isaac Luria (1534-1572). In fact, Rabbi Luria
once remarked that the reason for so much of the world’s problems such as
hunger, hatred and war was because God needs mankind’s "help" in
repairing the world.
Rabbi Beroka Hozaah
asked Elijah the Prophet: Is there any person in this market who is destined
for the world to come [i.e., Paradise]? He replied, no. ... While they were
conversing, two people passed by. Elijah said: These two are also destined for
the world to come. Rabbi Beroka approached them and asked them what they did.
They replied: We are jesters, and we cheer up people who are depressed. Also,
when we see two people who are quarrelling, we work hard to make peace between
them (Babylonian Talmud, Taanis 22a).
Elijah also told Rabbi Beroka of another
individual who was destined for the world to come. He was a jailer and used his
position to make sure that the men in the prisons would not harm the women
prisoners. He also used his position to warn the rabbis when the authorities
were planning to issue decrees against the Jews.
The Talmud (Babylonian Talmud, Taanis 21b)
tells the story of Abba, the bloodletter who received greetings from the
Heavenly Academy daily. Abaye, who received greeting only once a week, was
perturbed over the special honor shown to Abba. He was told that he could not
do what Abba did. Abba was especially concerned with modesty and treated men
and women separately, and he would put a special garment on woman patients to
minimize the amount of exposed flesh. His patients paid him by putting money —
as much as they could afford — in a box which was in a place away from public
view. He would take no money from students and instead would give them money so
that they would be able to buy food to speed up their recovery.
A person should
always be willing to sell all that he possesses and marry the daughter of a
scholar. If he cannot find the daughter of a scholar to marry, then he should
marry the daughter of the great people of the generation [i.e., righteous
people who perform many good deeds]. If he cannot find the daughter of the
great men of the generation, then he should marry the daughter of the community
leaders. If he cannot find the daughter of the community leaders, then he
should marry the daughter of charity treasurers. If he cannot find the daughter
of charity treasurers, then he should marry the daughter of teachers of
children. But he should never marry the daughter of an ignorant person
(Babylonian Talmud, Pesachim 49b).
This passage makes it clear that individuals
who work to help others are to be admired. Note that the Talmud holds
schoolteachers in high esteem. The "ignorant person" referred to here
is one who is immoral and despises spiritual values.
A matron once
asked one of the Talmudic sages what God has been doing since He created this
world (Midrash Genesis Rabbah 68:4). The response was that God matches up
people, i.e., God is a matchmaker. Matchmakers are certainly involved in
helping people and this may also be a ideal occupation for people. What makes
this homiletic Midrash even more fascinating is that there is an assumption
that God has to be occupied with something. The answer provided was not that
God was studying the Torah, but that God was improving the world by helping
humanity find proper matches.
CRITERIA
FOR OCCUPATIONS TO AVOID
The Talmud also provides guidelines for
occupations to avoid. These may be professions that encourage dishonesty,
immorality, strife, and arrogance.
Occupations that Cause One to Engage in
Dishonest Business Practices
Solomon said (Proverbs 15:16): "Better a
little with the fear of the Lord, than a great treasure and turmoil with
it." This means that it is better to have less wealth, but acquired
honestly, than a great deal of wealth obtained dishonestly. Money acquired
dishonestly causes a great deal of "turmoil" because the individuals
who are cheated will scream and fight for their property. This is similar to
the view of Ecclesiastes (4:6): "Better is one handful with quietness, than
both the hands full with travail and vexation of the spirit."
Honestly-acquired wealth comes with peace; assets obtained through deceitful
means cause strife and aggravation.
Abba Gurion of
Zadyan in the name of Abba Guria stated: One should not teach his son to become
a donkey-driver, camel-driver, wagon-driver, sailor, shepherd, or storekeeper,
for their profession is the profession of thieves. Rabbi Yehuda said in his
name: Most donkey-drivers are wicked, most camel-drivers are righteous, and
most sailors are pious. The best of doctors are destined for Hell and the most
righteous of butchers are partners of Amalek (Babylonian Talmud, Kiddushin
82a).
Abba Gurion felt that donkey-drivers,
camel-drivers, wagon-drivers, and sailors often steal when they are traveling
and generally do not abide by their agreements with clients. Shepherds graze
the cattle in private property and retailers often add water to the wine and
pebbles in the flour they sell (Rashi). The sages of the Talmud frowned on
professions that were very likely to cause one to become dishonest. Rabbi
Yehuda disagrees with Abba Gurion (see Maharsha). According to this latter
opinion, camel-drivers are righteous people because they are in a dangerous
profession that requires that they go into the wilderness and can be attacked
by robbers and wild animals. Sailors are in an even more dangerous profession
at the mercy of the elements, Individuals in dangerous occupations become more
devout and pray to the Lord to keep them safe.
The "best of doctors" are destined
for hell because, with their ability to heal themselves and the means to afford
good food, they are rarely ill and thus are not very devout. In addition, they
will often not treat indigent people who are ill (Rashi). Another interpretation
is that "best of doctors" refers to doctors who consider themselves
as such, i.e., consider themselves experts and thus do not consult with other
doctors. This results in the death of some of their patients (Maharsha, Etz
Yosef).
The "most righteous of butchers"
will often sell unkosher meat as kosher because they do not want to take a
financial loss (Rashi). Alternatively, butchers can become cruel because they
are constantly slaughtering animals and become like Amalek, a bloodthirsty
people who attacked the Israelites when they left Egypt (Exodus 17:8-16).
Seven have no share
in the world to come: a scribe, a teacher of young children, the best of
doctors, a town judge [who sits alone as a judge without consulting others], a
shop-keeper, a law-officer, and a butcher (Babylonian Talmud, Avot D'Rabbi
Noson, 36:5).
All of the above can easily sin if they are
not especially careful. For example, an arrogant doctor may refuse to consult
with other doctors and thus may cause patients to suffer needlessly. The Talmud
is not advising one not to go into these professions, but pointing out that
these are professions where mistakes can result in serious consequences. Thus,
it is easy for one who does not take his work seriously to lose his share in
the world to come.
The Talmud also felt that tax collectors
(Sanhedrin 25b) were disqualified from becoming judges or witnesses since they
were no better than robbers. In Talmudic times, people paid the government for
the tax-collecting franchise and were often extremely dishonest and unfair in
calculating the correct tax.
As noted above, many of the Talmudic sages
felt being a merchant was a better profession than being a farmer. There was,
however, a danger that individuals working in buying and selling might be
tempted to hoard food in order to resell it at a higher price. In fact, in
Talmudic times, when ships carrying necessities arrived sporadically, it was
not very difficult to purchase a shipment of food, hoard it, and then resell it
at an excessive profit. This the Talmud was very much opposed to (Babylonian
Talmud, Bava Bathra 90b).
The ninth blessing of the "amida"
prayer recited three times a day reads as follows: "Bless on our behalf, O
Lord our God, this year, and every species of its produce, for the best; and
bestow a blessing upon the face of the earth and satisfy us from its
bounty…" Although there is no direct reference in this prayer to hoarders,
price predators, or cunning profiteers, the Talmud states that this prayer was
established as a prayer for divine protection against individuals who would
raise prices unjustly (Babylonian Talmud, Megilla 17b). Shmuel and his father
were known to buy and subsequently sell produce in such a manner as to keep the
market price stable and low throughout the year and were praised for this by
the Talmud (Bava Bathra 90b). Keeping consumer prices low was something looked
at quite favorably by the Talmud.
Yehuda b. Tabbai
said Do not make yourself to be like lawyers (Babylonian Talmud Avot 1:8).
Here Rabbi Yehuda b. Tabbai advised judges
not to advise litigants how to plead their cases since a judge must be
impartial. In the Talmud, we have two different cases where sages were upset
that they advised relatives how to escape from an obligation. Each of them
remarked: "We made ourselves to be like lawyers" (Babylonian Talmud,
Kethubos 52b, 86a). Apparently, teaching people how to evade obligations using
the legal system is not something to be admired.
Occupations that Result in Sexual
Immorality
Some occupations require that a person be
alone with members of the opposite sex. The sages were concerned about this and
therefore discouraged such occupations. The Talmud explicitly states
(Babylonian Talmud, Kiddushin 82a): "A person should not teach his son a
trade that requires that he be among women."
If a man's profession requires that he be
constantly with women (and often alone with these women), it can result in sin.
The Talmud lists trades that require that a person often be alone with women:
Our Rabbis taught:
Whoever’s business is with women has bad character, for example: goldsmiths
[who make jewelry for women], carders, handmill cleaners, door-to-door perfume
salesmen, barbers [women bring their children to him for haircuts], launderers,
bloodletters, bathhouse attendants, and tanners [who make clothing from skins
for women]. These cannot be made appointed neither as kings nor as high
priests. Why? Not because they are legally disqualified; but because their
profession is undignified (Babylonian Talmud, Kiddushin 82a).
The Talmud (Kiddushin 40a) relates the story
of Rabbi Kahana who used to sell baskets to women. One day, a Roman matron
tried to force him to have illicit relations with her. To escape, he went to
the roof and flung himself from it. Elijah the prophet caught him and
complained that he had to travel a distance of four hundred parsangs to save
him. Rabbi Kahana explained that it was his great poverty that caused him to go
into this line of work. Elijah gave him a vessel filled with golden dinarim.
Occupations that Make One Haughty
In Talmudic times, the bloodletter was
arrogant as the following passage from the Talmud (Babylonian Talmud, Kiddushin
82a) indicates:
Our Rabbis taught:
Ten things were said about bloodletters. He walks on his side [arrogant way of
walking], is conceited, and reclines when sitting. He has an envious eye and an
evil eye. He eats much but defecates little [because he eats fine bread and
fatty meat]. He is suspected of committing adultery, robbery and murder.
Shemaya stated (Babylonian Talmud, Avot
1:10): "Love work, hate being in a position of authority, and do not
become overly intimate with the ruling authorities." Shemaya felt that
people in positions of authority are arrogant, pompous, and overbearing.
Occupations that Produce Strife
Vendors selling
from market-stands, those who raise small cattle, those who cut down good
trees, and those who cast their eyes at the better portion [whenever a division
of an asset has to be made] will never see a sign of blessing (Babylonian
Talmud, Pesachim 50b).
As noted above, one reason some sages did not
encourage agriculture as a profession because it frequently caused one to fight
with neighbors of adjoining fields. While it is true that the Talmud
(Babylonian Talmud, Chullin 84a-b) notes that one who raises small cattle
becomes wealthy, this refers to one who raises them in isolated areas. Raising
small cattle in settled areas causes strife since the animals graze in other
people’s property (see Tosafos).
Individuals who send their bird decoys to
other people’s coops to lure away the pigeons are not quite thieves but are
still disqualified as judges or witnesses (Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 25a).
The reason given is that they are not engaged in "ways of peace." While
it is certainly true that pigeons living in someone’s coop are not quite
private property, one would be very upset with people who find a way to
"steal" their pigeons. Occupations should produce peace not
contention.
Rabbi Yehudah stated (Babylonina Talmud, Bava
Kama 30a) that one who wishes to become pious must be very careful about
observing the laws of damages and torts, i.e., be especially careful never to
cause anyone any harm, physically or financially. Professions that harm others,
even if it is the way waste material is disposed of, would not be proper.
SUMMARY
AND CONCLUSION
The ideal occupation has the following
characteristics:
(1) It provides an individual with time to
pursue spiritual pursuits.
(2) It does not tempt one to become dishonest
or sexually immoral.
(3) It allows one to help people and society.
(4) It is profitable and enables one to
become wealthy.
(5) It is clean, pleasant, and dignified
work.
(6) It is not overly strenuous.
It is highly unlikely that any one profession
should have all of the above characteristics. It is important, however, to know
what one should consider before selecting an occupation. Making money may be
important, but it should not be the sole criterion in choosing one’s
livelihood.
Reference
Steinberg, Avraham
and F. Rosner (1996). "Sources for the Debate: Torah Alone or Torah
Together with Worldly Occupation," The Journal of Halacha and
Contemporary Society, vol. 32 (1), pp. 65 - 93.