Two individuals work at the same company, one as an employee and the other as the CEO.
If you observe them in the office, you might see two dedicated and enthusiastic workers. It may not be easy to discern which of the two is the owner, until after work.
When the employee finishes a solid day’s work and returns home, he earns his time to relax, switch mental gears, and get a good night’s sleep. However, the owner finds it much more challenging to disconnect, bearing ultimate responsibility for the business, which often deprives him of a peaceful night.
In essence, for the employee, there is a clear distinction between himself and the business. For the owner, however, he and the business are intertwined.
Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok of Lubavitch (my namesake) was arrested by the Soviet communists in 1927 due to his tireless efforts in preserving Judaism at any cost. He later recounted that his deepest pain did not stem from personal suffering, but rather from seeing his work abruptly halted and its future thrown into uncertainty. But, why was he so profoundly disturbed by that specifically, despite knowing he had given his all?
The answer lies in his ownership of his Judaism and his G-d-given mission. He was so intertwined with his mission that the impossibility of advancing it, disturbed him to the core.
We can all learn from his example. The extent to which we invest in our own and our children’s Jewish education and engagement depends on our mindset. Are we mere workers, or do we see ourselves as owners?