True or False?
If you were to predict the future, which companies, movements, trends, or relationships would you bet on to endure thirty years from now?
History and modern data suggest the odds are against most. A recent McKinsey study revealed a startling decline in corporate longevity. According to research by McKinsey & Company, it’s estimated that 75% of the companies currently on S&P 500 will have vanished within 15-20 years.
In a world of shifting trends and evolving social norms, we find ourselves on shaky ground. What was fashionable yesterday is obsolete today; what was taboo yesterday is celebrated now. In this sea of volatility, Judaism offers a definitive metric for endurance: the distinction between Truth and Falsehood.
The Anatomy of Longevity
Judaism teaches that falsehood is inherently short-lived. It may flare up, dominate a generation, or even conquer a continent, but it eventually collapses under its own weight. Anything preoccupied solely with self-preservation, profits, or power is a "machine"—and machines eventually break.
In contrast, anything connected to an inherent positive purpose and objective truth is a "living entity." These do not just survive; they endure.
History bears this out. The once “invincible” ancient empires of Egypt, Greece, and Rome—and, more recently, the evil regimes of Nazi Germany and the Communist Soviet Union—now reside in the dustbins of history. Yet the Jewish people, persecuted, exiled, and vastly outnumbered, are still here and thriving. The Land of Israel, despite decades of relentless attacks from its neighbors and terrorist groups, has not only survived but emerged stronger. This is no historical fluke; it is the result of an identity rooted in truth rather than evil and falsehood.
Profit as Oxygen, Not Purpose
This contrast appears not only at the obvious extremes of truth and falsehood, but more subtly in how we understand our lives and our purpose. When we view life solely through a selfish materialistic lens, our work, relationships, and accomplishments become mechanical—and ultimately short-lived. But when we recognize that we live for a higher, Divine purpose, our careers and family lives gain the ability to prosper and endure.
The difference between a machine and a living identity lies in how each understands its resources:
The Machine: Exists for profit. When profit disappears, its justification for existence disappears with it.
The Living Entity: Understands profit as oxygen. Oxygen is essential for survival, but it is never the reason for living.
When an organization—or a family—understands its mission as a soul rather than a spreadsheet, it behaves differently. It protects its people during downturns, preserves its values when fashions change, and invests in a future decades away. Such leaders see themselves as stewards rather than owners, guided by one simple question:
“Is this entity healthier now than when I received it?”
The Danger of the Mechanical Worldview
When we treat cultures or people like machines, the results are tragic. When an individual is no longer "productive"—due to age or illness—a mechanical society views them as a burden. Families fracture and reverence erodes.
Just as a company fails when it loses its purpose, a relationship collapses when it is built on a 'transactional' foundation. If we treat our partners like machines—valued only for what they produce or provide—the connection is destined to break. True endurance is found in unconditional love. As the Ethics of our Fathers (5:16) teaches: "Any love that depends on a specific thing—when that thing ceases, the love ceases. But love that does not depend on anything will never cease."
The same danger exists in faith. When Judaism is treated as a mechanical obligation—a checklist of holidays and life-cycle events—it loses its vitality. "Mechanical Judaism" cannot be passed down; it usually fades within two generations into the mist of assimilation. Only a "Living Judaism"—vibrant, joyful, and purposeful—has the power to capture the hearts and souls of our children and grandchildren.
The Eternal Legacy: Lessons from Jacob
This concept is anchored in this week’s Torah portion, Vayechi ("And he lived"). Paradoxically, the portion titled "And he lived" focuses almost entirely on the illness, final blessings, and death of the patriarch Jacob. Moreover, the Torah does not explicity use the word “death” in relation to Jacob.
Our sages explain this paradox with a profound statement: "Jacob our ancestor did not die. Just as his descendants are alive, so too is he alive" (Talmud, Taanit 5b).
Jacob’s life was not a machine that ceased to function; it was a mission. By infusing his life with Divine purpose, he transcended mortality. Because his children remained faithful to his values even in the corrupt environment of Egypt, Jacob’s spirit remained intact. He lived—and lives still—through the continuous, unbroken chain of his descendants.
Truth That Transcends Time
Human wisdom is often bound to its era, fading as circumstances change. But truth, by definition, is that which remains unchanged in every environment.
The continued existence of the Jewish people is living proof of this. Our connection to G-d, Torah, and mitzvot is not dependent on a specific land, a specific economy, or a specific political climate. It is an "undepending" truth. The fact that the Jewish people today continue to remain connected to G-d, His Torah, and His Mitzvot, is the greatest proof that “Jacob did not die” and “Am Yisroel Chai."
Building a Living Legacy
A lasting legacy is not built on material success, but on how that success is channeled to uplift others. When we live with Torah values, perform Mitzvot and acts of kindness, and raise our children with a "living" tradition, we rise above our immortality.
Some practical ways to bring these eternal values into our careers and personal lives:
Install a tzedakah pushka (charity box) in our offices and homes, and place some money in it each weekday, reminding us to infuse profit with purpose.
Begin corporate meetings with a brief, positive lesson, expression of gratitude or share a moral insight that reinforces the purpose of our work, encouraging acts of kindness, and helps ensure our priorities are in proper order.
Take a few minutes during the workday to learn Torah, elevating our minds and bringing greater meaning to our work.
Host Shabbat dinners for family and friends, beginning with candle lighting (before sunset) and Kiddush, and bond over good food and company while joyfully transmitting our Jewish traditions to the next generation with meaning and warmth.
In describing the world to come (i.e. the Messianic era), the prophets of Israel spoke of a time when all who died will be miraculously restored to life: their bodies will be regenerated and their souls restored to their bodies. Maimonides includes this belief in the Thirteen principles of faith: “I believe with complete faith in the resurrection of the dead”.
In the times of Moshiach, absolute truth and goodness will prevail and permeate everything, even the most corporeal and mortal aspects of the world including the physical body thereby infusing it with eternal life. As our prophets declared, “Death will be eradicated forever”.
