A modern-day parable from a `newcomer' to the work-
force
Sometimes we feel overwhelmed by the events which take
place. It may seem that we have too much on our plate even
though we didn't fill it ourselves. When the day ends and we
still see so many loose ends dangling, so many projects
unfinished, and so many issues begging for our attention, we
become frustrated with our ability to cope. Perhaps that's
not the right attitude!
Boruch Hashem, there's no end to the good which we can do!
Before I converted, I thought I was a pretty nice person and
I though that by converting, I'd connect to what was missing
and quickly climb up to perfection.
That was twenty-one years and umpteen jobs ago. With each new
challenge, I ask myself if I'm really qualified for such an
exalted position. As a Jewess, I have found that I can't just
sit back and enjoy life without responsibility and
accountability, which grow along with me. Perfection is
impossible for we can never come anywhere near to true
perfection which is, of course, Hashem Himself.
No one can fathom the extent to which the chareidi commits
hmself to being busy for Hashem's sake, or the myriad
imperfections he is confronted with in honing his capability
to relinquishing his creature comfort. But we do find
immeasurable satisfaction in being part of the team and
moving ever forward.
We produce quality merchandise and are constantly in need of
diligent workers, as we have orders to fill and we work round
the clock in three shifts. We welcome anyone who is eager to
join the team and our Boss pays well. He gives an hourly wage
and pays a handsome bonus for piece work.
Do you know what piece work is? Well, that means that if you
finish your hour of work with more than an average number of
pieces finished, you get an added bonus for each extra piece!
Believe me, my Boss is the best Employer there is!
When I was looking for work, I first started with another
company. It looked like a serious outfit. The factory was
clean, spacious and the offices luxurious. They wanted to
hire me especially for this job and they promised good wages.
The day I came to start, they taught me the ropes. The job
was really straightforward. Every day the orders came in and
I'd get busy filling them and billing the customers. After
about a week or two, I realized that the same customers
always ordered the same goods. The bills, letters and orders
repeated themselves over and over gain.
I asked the boss if I should try to awaken an interest for
new products or promote new customers but he said it's better
not to rock the boat. He was satisfied with his business as
it was. I felt so useless on the job. Anybody could have done
this work. I felt that I had more potential for growth and a
duty to use my talent for a better purpose. Really, the pay
was O.K. and the boss was nice but a sense of challenge was
lacking. I felt I was stagnating.
So, I finally began to look for another position. That's when
I met a friendly guy who invited me to apply for a job where
he worked. At first, I went to the personnel office and they
examined me up and down. I couldn't imagine what they wanted
from me. They hauled out a big book full of information about
the way things were run and I could see that there were a lot
of areas in the factory where one had to be very careful.
There were stockyards full of explosives and other areas
where complicated machinery was run. One had to be careful
not to bump any of the control buttons without reason and the
personnel managers had to be sure that prospective employees
knew of the dangers inherent in the system. Also, one needed
to know the layout of the plant in order to get from place to
place and not get lost along the way.
At first I thought that they were trying to put me off. I was
afraid that they didn't have the heart to tell me that I
wasn't suited and that they'd drill me on silly things until
I'd lost patience and walked away on my own. Thank goodness I
was wrong. The more they pumped the information in, the more
I began to see the reasons behind the whole set-up.
When they told me I could join the team, I was ecstatic. The
work turned out to be challenging and satisfying. The
managers encourage teamwork and I've never seen such eager
employees. You can feel the way they love and respect their
foremen. This general good feeling of working together to
accomplish the quota for the day or for the week is generated
on all levels. Everyone feels he is hand-picked for the job
he is given and he rushes to make his superiors as happy as
possible. This sense of purpose which drives all of the
employees permeates the business from the cleaning team right
up to the top. The whole staff is loyally dedicated to the
One Who runs the factory, its Founding Owner.
He's the One upon Whom all the responsibility rests. He
supports every one of His many employees. He's always
bringing extra work, special orders, interesting and
provocative assignments and the pay is out of this world!
I can't imagine how He manages to keep all of His workers
busy and satisfied. Why, there seems to be no end to His
creativity and ingenuity. Time is never a problem for Him,
and He knows everyone's name, address, family status and
capabilities. Hundreds of times in the last month, when His
employees had tough questions or decisions, He was literally
always available to give a helpful hint, point out some
discrepancy or send in another experienced foreman to
supervise.
The wages come on time; He hires anyone who needs a job, even
with no former experience, and He has arranged a fantastic
retirement package to provide for those who need to terminate
their employment for whatever reason.
So if you know anyone out there who's dissatisfied with their
work or unemployed and looking for a really dynamic position
with an old established company, just give them our address
and send them over. The Boss is expanding the scope of an
enterprise with unlimited personal-growth potential.
