Jewish Business Ethics

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Professor Hershey H. Friedman

Business Practices and the Jewish Tradition

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WHY STUDY JEWISH BUSINESS ETHICS?

Some Sources:

"Whoever conducts his business dealings honestly is liked by humankind and it is considered as though he observed the entire Torah." (Mechilta, Exodus 15:26)

"The first question an individual is asked in the afterlife at the final judgment is: 'Were you honest in your business dealings?'" (Babylonian Talmud, Shabbos 31a)

"One who wishes to become pious must be scrupulous in observing the laws dealing with damages and torts." (Rabbi Yehuda, Babylonian Talmud, Bava Kama 30a)

"G-d, Who may sojourn in Your tent? Who may dwell upon Your holy mountain? One who walks in total integrity, does what is right, and speaks truth form his heart. One who has no slander on his tongue, who has done his fellow human no evil nor cast disgrace upon his close one... Whoever does these things shall never falter." (Psalm 15)

"If I am not for myself, who will be for me? And if I only care for myself, what am I?" (Hillel, Babylonian Talmud, Avot 1:14)

"'What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow human,' that is the whole Torah, the rest is commentary." (Hillel, Babylonian Talmud, Shabbos 31a)

"The world endures on three principles: truth, justice, and peace." (Rabbi Shimon b. Gamliel, Babylonian Talmud, Avot 1:18)

"Woe to him who builds his house with unrighteousness and his upper stories with injustice ... But your eyes and your heart are only on your profit" (Jeremiah 22: 13, 17)

IMPORTANT RESOURCES FOR JEWISH BUSINESS ETHICS

JewishBusiness.com Articles on Jewish Business Ethics

Jewish Law.Com More Articles

Jewish Association for Business Ethic

Jewish Business Ethics--Darche Noam Yeshiva

The AishDas Society

http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/index.jsp free online Jewish Encyclopedia

Torah.Org

Navigating the Bible A simple text search of the Torah; Learn to read the Torah and Haftorah

A CEO Who Lives by What's Right Aaron Feuerstein, CEO of Malden Mills, cares about his employees.

Marsha B. Cohen's Jewish Personal Training Website

Marsha B. Cohen's Jewish Ethics Resource Site

The Carol and Lawrence Zicklin Center of Business Ethics Working Papers

Jewish Virtual Library Bibliography of Web Sites

Judaism and Jewish Resources Andrew Tannenbaum

Judaism 101

A Page from the Babylonian Talmud

WebShas: Online Learning Index to the Talmud

The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire If you think that business ethics is not important, read about the worst factory fire in NYC history

Impact of the Jews Impact of the Jewish people on civilization