Why is making money so important? Who is good at making money? If you read the Forbes 400, the definitive list of wealth in America, you will find out whom – but if you read Thou Shall Prosper: Ten Commandments For Making Money – you will find out how! Ever wonder why so many Jewish businesses are so profitable? Did you know that Jews make up only 2% of the American population yet in any given year make up to 25% of the Forbes 400 list? Similar data for the average population reveals that the percentage of Jewish households with income greater than $75,000 is double that of non-Jews. Why?

King Solomon the richest and wisest man who ever lived said,

 

The crown of the wise is their wealth

Proverbs 14:24

 

If you are willing to read just one book that will add value to your understanding of making money, let it be Rabbi Daniel Lapin’s book Thou Shall Prosper: Ten Commandments For Making Money.

 

Does God want us to be rich? Lapin says, “God wants us to be obsessively preoccupied with the needs of others.”  When you focus on serving others, you can become rich in the process.  Rabbi Lapin points out that money is a testament to your having served another human being.  “Having money is not shameful; it is a certificate of good performance granted to you by your grateful fellow citizens.”

 

The pursuit of money and business is often portrayed as evil.  If you don’t read this book you’ll miss out on understanding why Jewish culture makes people so successful.

 

“Learning how to increase your ability to make money and produce wealth suffuses every aspect of your existence.”

 

Once we recognize the more we serve, the more we earn, we gain the correct frame of reference. Money comes from serving others.  God wants to prosper us by being of service to others. If you want a short cut to making money and the correct frame of mind for handling it; this book is for you.

 

Rabbi Lapin’s 10 Commandments:

1.  Believe in the Dignity and Morality of Business.  Recognize:

a) you are in business, and b) the occupation of business is moral, noble and worthy.

2.  Extend the Network of Your Connectedness to Many People. Only by actively and perhaps even joyously interacting with other people can the circumstances of wealth creation be set in place.

to Know Yourself.  Even if you work for someone else, prosper in it by seeking new responsibilities and over deliver to exceed others expectations.

4. Do Not Pursue Perfection. In both business and your personal life, try to become comfortable with the second best solution if the very best solution is unattainable.

5. Lead Consistently and Constantly. Don’t try to become a leader; start leading!

6. Constantly Change The Changeable, While Steadfastly Clinging to the Unchangeable. Convert change from enemy to ally by understanding when to enjoy the exhilaration of change and when to fight it and steadfastly defend the unchangeable.

7. Learn To Foretell The Future. Wisdom is seeing tomorrow’s consequences of today’s events.

8. Know Your Money. Your money is a quantifiable analog for your life force- the aggregate of your time, skills, experience persistence, and relationships.

9. Act Rich: Give Away 10 Percent of your After Tax Income. Don’t live beyond your means: instead give beyond your means.

10. Never Retire. Integrate your vocation and your identity by thinking of life as a journey rather than a destination.

 

This book is inspiring, encouraging and challenging. I value the healthy view Rabi Lapin brings to the subject of money and business.  Every person can learn to become better at making money by reading Thou Shall Prosper.

Apply the principles in this book and reap the rewards.

 

Attitude            Do you have a healthy attitude to business and profit?

 

Action                Order Thou Shall Prosper

 

Question           Would you describe your work as a means to an end, or a way to serve others?

 

Resource           Thou Shall Prosper: Ten Commandments for Making Money by Daniel Lapin