Sustainability vs. Profitability: Adjusted Times Require Adjusted Thinking and Planning

I recently saw an interview on television with a restaurant owner that impressed me greatly. The owner was asked how he was dealing with the reality at present and what it was doing for his business. He remarked that he is not really making money per se, but is dedicated to putting food on people’s tables and insuring that his employees can do the same for their families. He is not looking for profitability in this time just sustainability – can he break even or not lose too much financial viability. I think this is a wonderful role model for all in thinking about how we look at what is happening at present and the adjustments we must all make. One question that is getting a great deal of attention at this time is vacation home owners and those who have rented their properties for periods in the summer. If the ones who were planning a vacation can no longer benefit from the offerings of their vacation home site, then should they be entitled to refunds? One shore home owner is quoted as saying that the would-be-vacationers were renting their home, not the area, and the deal stands. Now we all know that is not really what they were renting…. Others are being more understanding. But so it goes. We, along with so many others, are waiting to hear about refunds for our plane tickets to Rome, which has been totally shut down and we have nothing to go to there now in June. So how should we handle these situations?

A few days ago, in my Gemara learning I came upon this text in BT Mas. Arachin 20:b for those who want to check it out: “The one who rents a house to his friend and the walls become infected with leprosy….” Of course, the question is, what is his obligation to refund the renter’s money? In this discussion, there are several situations (as is the habit in Talmudic discourse) about different conditions that can rise and what options we should exercise, whether through obligation or because it is the proper thing to do or because it will maintain a peaceful and viable community. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if everyone would approach our present situation with that type of thinking and follow the lead of the restaurant owner in the first situation cited above?

Some of our car insurance companies realize we are not driving and cutting rates or providing refunds. Some land owners and landlords are acting with the same thinking. There are those businesses and individuals who are acting honorably and I am sure this will bode well for them when we move out of our present cloud of existence. I would suggest we all note who is acting in a caring empathic manner towards all of us and support them later while for those who are still focused on profitability, well….

I think there is an opportunity here – to act honorably, to stop worrying about what is best for each individual in isolation of the group but rather to be concerned about the health of all from which we will ultimately benefit in the long run. I and many of my colleagues are presently providing free programming on line and I know it is appreciated. We are doing this because we care and because as long as we can sustain ourselves, we are not concerned about profit at this time. That should not be our focus – there is too much else to attend to and do.

Often in the Gemara, there are rulings that are cited “for the benefit of X.” In other words, sometimes it is more about what we should do than what we have to do. That would be a great guiding principle at this time in our lives. As we have learned, we are indeed all in the same storm, but not in the same boat. Some of us are quite comfortable, while others are not so blessed. Let us all watch out for each other and when we are thinking about our property we have rented for vacation, or tickets we have sold or any other agreement we have made while so much of our reality has been upended, let us all ask ourselves – what do we need to sustain us and where can we not worry about the profit, and instead use that potential resource to benefit others, so their boats can sustain them more readily.

Be well all and stay safe!