Harnessing Our Moral Courage

Dr. Binyamin Tepfer: “Learning things in yeshivah that emphasize how you can have a relationship with G-d even outside of the beis medrash would help young men feel positive and empowered when entering the workforce” (Photos: Amir Levy)

E veryone faces ethical challenges and dilemmas in the workplace especially young people as they transition from the yeshivah and seminary world to a secular workplace environment.

If we identify these challenges for what they are and deal with them expeditiously honorably and responsibly we can grow professionally from the experience and become more virtuous people. Failure to deal promptly and wisely with ethical dilemmas on the job can seriously derail or prematurely end a person’s career or land him in trouble with the law.

For Orthodox Jews the workplace presents a unique set of challenges. We must also take halachah into account alongside professional ethics. At times the two clash. It takes qualified and experienced hands to guide people in the grips of a dilemma to make the wise and correct choice.