December 4, 2013  / Rosh Hodesh Tevet,  5774

Happy Chanukah, everyone!

Now that I have gotten off my chest the issue that I have with people not RSVP'ing, I would like to turn the attribute of self-interest inside-out, and disclose some of its constructive outcomes.

Can anyone afford to be completely selfless?  Truly, in order to survive as human beings, as families, as like-minded friends, we need to watch out for our interests.  In fact, the Rabbis teach, without an innate sense of looking out for ourselves, the world as we know would cease – people [and animals] would no longer be driven to build, to create, to have children. However, the traditional Jewish term for this motivation is yetzer ha-ra, or “the evil inclination.”

This linkage of the evil yetzer and self-interest infers a very dangerous risk when all that we look out for is ourselves.  Basically, our priority is looking out for “#1,” and all of our time, resources, and energy become obsessed with staying ahead and on top.

Nonetheless, without a vigorous spirit to be productive and to create a personal legacy, one will inevitably fall short of true and lasting achievements in this world.  And, when we look to create collaborations and alliances with others, how can we not seize those interests that we have in common?  Self-interest is a vital glue to society, insofar as we can limit its application.

The Rabbis, as you may know have an antidote to too much self-interest, otherwise known as the yetzer ha-tov, or “the good inclination”  - the altruistic desire through which we can perform acts of kindness and which informs us about our duties to others.

This balance of the two inclinations brings us to a fascinating theory within Jewish thought about which came first … to be addressed in my next (and final) posting about self-interest.