Jewish People in Business: What Works Best - (Revised Edition)

Author: Guo Lin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-12-01
Features: "Knowledge is power," this phrase may sound cliché today. But it's not. Think about it: even if you currently have great wealth and a worry-free life, "the sky can fall at any moment." When your career faces difficulties and you go bankrupt, or when you lose everything for some reason, the knowledge you possess will always belong to you—it cannot be taken away by others! At that point, you are not truly penniless. You can use the knowledge you have to create new wealth. The Jewish people, a smart and knowledgeable nation, place great importance on knowledge. For a long time, they endured oppression and sometimes struggled even to secure basic living necessities. However, as soon as they had even a short period of stability, no matter how brief, they could create astonishing wealth. This is because they are actually rich—a latent richness, which is the vast knowledge they possess.
In traditional Jewish families, there is a generations-old custom: bookshelves must be placed near the head of the bed, never at the foot. This rule serves as a reminder to the Jewish people that books are sacred and should never be treated with disrespect. Legend has it that in ancient times, Jewish cemeteries often contained books. It was said that at night, when it was quiet, the dead would come out to read. Of course, this practice had a symbolic meaning: while life has an end, the pursuit of knowledge is endless. This also reflects the Jewish people's unwavering dedication to learning.
Jewish people also have a rule: when hardship forces them to sell their belongings to survive, they should first sell gold, jewels, houses, and land. Only as a last resort, when absolutely necessary, should they sell their books. They believe that gold, jewels, houses, and land are things that can change and fade away, while knowledge is a lasting form of wealth.
In 1736, the Jewish people passed a law regarding books, the first in human history to legislate for books. This law stipulated that if the owner of a book refused to lend it, they would be heavily fined. This clearly shows the Jewish people's deep reverence for books and their commitment to learning.
From a young age, Jewish children are taught that books are sweet. When a child in a Jewish family begins to understand the world, their mother will open the Bible, drip a little honey on it, and ask the child to kiss the honey. The meaning of this ritual is obvious: books are sweet. It helps children develop a habit of interacting with books from a young age. Gradually, they grow to love reading. When they are young, it's because of the honey; when they grow older, they come to appreciate the "sweetness" of books through their content.
The Jewish people view knowledge as wealth, believing that "knowledge cannot be stolen and can be carried with you wherever you go," and that "knowledge is power." Therefore, they place great importance on education. There is a saying among the Jewish people: the first task in a Jewish person's life is to educate their children, with the goal of enabling the next generation to survive and thrive in a competitive society and strengthen the power of their nation.
When Jewish children are young, their mothers often ask them, "What if one day, your house is