“Stay Hungry Stay Foolish”

“Stay Hungry Stay Foolish” was the title of a book on entrepreneurship. A phrase made popular by the late Steve Jobs.

Whilst it serves well as an aspirational slogan which captures the thinking of one of the most successful entrepreneurs of modern times, it can also be amply applied to our life as Jews.

I would like to share with you a story I recently heard, which made a profound impression upon me.

A lifelong entrepreneur had sometime ago taken a company public which achieved huge success.

As he was about to ring the opening bell of the Nasdaq, he asked his partner how he was feeling. To his surprise his partner responded and said “I'm afraid!”

“Why,” my friend asked. “Because once I ring the bell I will not have to work any longer. I’m afraid therefore, that I will lose any incentive to continue working”.

“What about you?" asked the partner. My friend responded “I’m not afraid I will lose my motivation to continue to work. So long as there are hungry people in the world, I’ll remain hungry”.

This message beautifully encapsulates the lives and teachings of the Baal Shem Tov and the first Lubavitcher Rebbe.

We are all like “one man with one heart”. Each Jew is interconnected and interdependent with each and every Jew in the world. Irrespective of one’s beliefs, attitudes or behavior.

This message is the essence of the vision of the Baal Shem Tov and all the Chassidic leaders who continued his legacy. Each and every fiber of their beings was permeated with the most profound sensitivity to the material and spiritual well-being of every single Jew.

Even if one is physically or spiritually satisfied, always remember: As long as there is even one Jew who is not fully nourished, either spiritually or physically, “Stay hungry”.