Yesterday in synagogues around the world the final chapter in the Abraham story was read. Last week I went to study with Rabbi David Hartman, one of my favorite modern day philosophers of theology...with Hartman, its applied philosophy, which is only kind I can tolerate [for more on Hartman, see www.hartmaninstitute.com]. Hartman pushed us to juxtapose the Abraham of Sodom with the Abraham of the Akeidah (almost-sacrifice of Isaac).
I beg to differ a bit with my teacher, and to transpose on top of his thoughts my own take on Abraham as if I were his venture investor/board chair.
Hartman looks at the Abraham of the Sodom and Gomorrah story as the ultimate promotion of personal ethics in the face of divine wrath. God tells Abraham (Genesis 18:21) that Sodom and Gomorrah have gone too far...and in Genesis 18:23 Abraham begins to argue with God. You know the story (well, you should)...Abraham starts negotiating with God over the potential value of Sodom...maybe there are 50 righteous people...maybe 45...40...30...20...10...God keeps agreeing, yes if so, will save the city. Now Hartman thinks this is great, Abraham is arguing with God, and I agree. But the something happens -- when Abraham passes the minimum of 10, HE GIVES UP!! Abraham stops negotiating, and walks away.
As board Chair, mentor to Abraham as start-up CEO, I would say -- Abraham, you have God on the line, don't let the negotiations end without getting something, don't just walk away from such an exhaustive process. Abraham runs out of steam. Maybe God would have agreed on five, maybe on one?
Often I hear start-up groups saying, well, if we raise a minimum of $XXX,000, or sometimes more, we will get started. Or I hear entrepreneurs saying, well, the price is $XXX, and scaring away potential partners. A lack of creativity, and sometimes passion.
Now lets quickly turn to Abraham of the Akeidah, the "binding of Isaac." In Genesis 22 God puts Abraham to the test, and as read by Hartman, with whom I completely agree, Abraham fails. The Abraham of arguing with God is gone completely, now we have middle management, large corporation Abraham. Small cog Abraham, following orders. God tells Abraham to kill his son Isaac, and we don't hear a peep. Nothing about morality, no questioning. No passion. Just obedience. And we know where that leads. Thank God an angel calls out to Abraham, and stops him. It is not God that stops him, but an angel. God has given up on Abraham.
In start-up life, we need to re-charge our passion day in and day out. We get beaten down by forces that seem almost God-like in their wrath (ever get diluted down to sub .1% from 20%?). But we need to come right back and in the face of the next "test" be as passionate as we were in the first deal...
I will right a bit more tomorrow on straight theological and geo-political implications of yesterdays Biblical portion..stay tuned.
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