Jewish Business Ethics I Jewish Values in the Marketplace
H
ow can Jewish values direct our conduct in the workplace? Some people are under the impression that Judaism concerns itself only with kosher food, prayer in the synagogue, and the celebration of Shabbat and Festivals. Business affairs, they reason, are governed by common sense and one’s personal sense of ethics. One’s conduct in the workplace has little to do with being Jewish. Nothing could be further from the truth! Business ethics revolve around the virtues of faith, integrity and honesty. The way we conduct our business affairs reflects our own belief in God, and may also make an impact on how others view the Jewish people and by extension, Judaism. In this first Morasha class on Jewish business ethics we will explore the Jewish attitude toward conducting business honestly. The next class will deal with specific ethical dilemmas faced in the workplace and how Jewish law would resolve them.
Some questions we address in this class include: What does one’s conduct in business say about his religious beliefs, or lack thereof? What does Judaism have to say about ethics in the workplace? What does religion have to do with running your business? Why should we, as Jews, be concerned about the impressions made by the way we conduct our business affairs?
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Ethics