Photo credit: Michael Giladi/Flash90
scheitels Set up and sold from the garage. People flipping houses. Private tutoring for students after a hard day. People who sell things on Amazon. No matter where you go, everyone seems to have a side hustle. It’s no different than 50 years ago, when her mother went to a basement in Brooklyn to buy stockings and socks. Schmattas From women who are working hard.
Many people take on side jobs not necessarily because they need to make ends meet, but because they want more expendable income and financial freedom. They are not satisfied with mediocrity and choose to go the extra mile and go the extra mile. Because they want dividends.
Interestingly, side hustles are not only limited to economic activities. In fact, the idea of not being satisfied with the status quo and trying harder is what separates super talented people from average people.
I was reminded of this point recently in a conversation about people in our community. Some believe that many people are content to accept mediocrity, do the bare minimum, live their lives, practice Judaism, raise nice families, and almost stop there. I observed. But then there are those who go above and beyond the call of duty. Many of these people have their names on buildings, and of course many others also have names on buildings. Kral Israel Although they are nameless, they are busy with their own “side jobs.”
I think the first person who did more than just write a check and go to shul was my father, who served as president of and eventually built the Hebrew Academy in Miami. eruv At Miami Beach. During the first intifada, his foundation purchased electronics and gifts for many victims of Arab terrorism and even visited many families in hospitals. And this was in between his many other obligations.
No doubt this inspired my brother Jason to do more than just give. Shurim and rain Although he worked without pay, he was also one of the founders of the Jewish Student Union. Starting October 7, he ordered and distributed thousands of rubber bracelets that read: Belo Nevosh (Don’t be shy) I bring you a message. Akdus and Chizuku To all Jews around the world.
In my old cabin sat a humble math and social studies teacher, affectionately known as Mr. K. Not only was he a legendary educator over the years, he was also responsible for achieving thousands of grades. Tahara And we have trained countless people.of mitzvos he has built through himself Agmas Nefesh It goes without saying that he was a most wonderful gentleman, and his heavenly mark will remain forever.
Yakil Wachstock is a hard-working man who works in the yeshiva world, dabbling in Amazon to supplement his income. One day, he received a call from Major Daniel Jacobs of the Israel Defense Forces, explaining that he was in dire need of tactical combat boots. This humble man, who received no pay and even refused to be photographed for the newspaper article that featured the original story, spent countless hours every day raising money to buy tactical boots. To date, he has helped thousands of people, and the number continues to grow. I know this because he walked up to my shul on Shabbos and gave a quick speech. On his way home, he said he walked hundreds of miles around Shabbos Island to raise money to buy the coveted boots, but he didn’t have a penny.
Aki Stein came up with a way to help soldiers at the same time. Kral Israel His wonderful site, www.sharejustonething.com, allows someone to do a mitzvah. Zex For the soldiers. To date, he has helped over 50,000 people light candles and tefillinstore and wear Shabbos tzitzit…. It’s all due to the selfless dedication of a true rock star.
In my hometown of Hollywood, Florida, there lives a kind, loving, and talented heart surgeon known as Larry. He spends many hours each week teaching students without pay and publishing beautiful reports each week. Dvar Torah.
Years ago, Dov Katz, an unassuming gentleman from North Miami, noticed that many families needed food for Shabbos. Seeing an opportunity to help, he left his comfort zone and started the Tomchey Shabbos Company of Florida, which successfully fed thousands of people. But you would never know it, thanks to Tomchey’s humility as he always refers to it as a “team effort”.
Fifty years ago, Rav Dovid Reeve Cohen and his colleague Rav Chaim Goldberg… z”ldecided to raise money for the underprivileged without being paid, and in 2023 they have raised “millions” of dollars without leaving a cent.
A generous man bought nearly $500,000 worth of airline tickets for soldiers heading to Israel, organized and shipped thousands of duffel bags filled with protective gear, boots, snacks, cell phone chargers, and more. Let’s not forget the countless people who have raised millions of dollars. tzitzit (many of which were made by caring fellow Jews) and so on.
It is said that Noah walked with G-d and Abraham walked before G-d, always wanting more. This is what separated them (Noah saved no one but his family, while Abraham left “every soul he had made” in Charan.) This is why he was given an additional 606 commandments. This is why Noah was obligated to only seven commandments, as opposed to Abraham’s children.
Hashem wanted someone who would reach higher and actively seek out Hashem, and that came in the form of Abraham Avinu. Even when Gd Almighty came to visit him after his death. Bliss, when he had good reason to silently ignore the doorbell, he ignored the pain and greeted the guests. (Remember, this was before Advil and Vicodin.)
Moshe Rabeinu could have easily remained in the palace. After all, they had a great pension plan (we won’t even mention the 401K) and all of his needs were met, but true to his character, he observes the “brothers’ burden” I went out for ” This quality of looking beyond himself is the key element that elevated him from an Egyptian prince to the greatest leader and prophet the world has ever known.
So the next time someone asks you about your side hustle, forget about Amazon for a second and think about your legacy. Sure, you’ve had a tough day at work, but remember the immortal words of Aiden Wilson Tozer, who warned that complacency is the deadly enemy of spiritual progress. baruch hashemThere is a great opportunity while you are here to do Tomchei Shabbos. Tahara, haknasat orkim, Bikul Cholim, charity projects (my son Vinny has raised over $300,000 for Chai Lifeline and he’s only 17!), and community events are many things we can all do to increase participation costs. That’s just part of the story. What’s remarkable about all the people I mentioned is that they are just normal people like you and me, except they stepped out of their comfort zone to do something for others.
My cousin Rose Rubin, one of the many lone soldiers who tragically left us too soon, said this at her bat mitzvah: So what should I do? I will do something great for the world. I don’t wait for the world to do things for me. ”
She certainly did. She finds strength in the many people who choose to do a little more for someone else.
Mi Kamcha, Israel!
