A Lasting Legacy
A Lasting Legacy
A recent study by McKinsey found that the average life-span of companies listed in Standard & Poor’s 500 was 61 years in 1958. Today, it is less than 18 years. McKinsey believes that, in 2027, 75% of the companies currently quoted on the S&P 500 will have disappeared.
General Electric, Exxon Mobile, Procter & Gamble and DuPont are among the oldest companies on the New York Stock Exchange. Nevertheless, the largest market capitalizations today have new names: Apple, Alphabet, Microsoft or Amazon.
The good news is, as the life expectancy of companies drops, ours is increasing. These startling statistics can help us better refocus our energies and prioritize the truly important aspects of our lives.
We live in a world that is constantly changing. What was trendy and fashionable in earlier generations is often considered old-fashioned today. What is considered “accepted” in today’s society may have been off-limits just a few decades ago.
At the same time, there are certain ideas and beliefs which despite all obstacles have withstood the test of time and continue to serve as guiding principles to positively impact the world. There are certain individuals who despite all odds have persevered and left a lasting legacy which persists even thousands of years later.
What is their secret?
The answer to this question can be found in the name of this week’s Torah portion “Vayechi” (meaning: “And he lived”), referring to our forefather Jacob’s last years of his life in Egypt.
Our sages teach us that the Hebrew name of a particular person, animal, object or idea represents the essence of who or what they represent.
That said, the name of this week’s Torah portion raises an obvious question: Vayechi means “And he lived”. Nevertheless, the entire Torah reading focuses on the very opposite of life: Jacob’s final sickness, his farewell blessings to his children, and his burial.
By choosing this name, the Torah teaches us fundamental lessons about life and death. True life is eternal, continuous, and ongoing. There is no way it can pause for a moment. How can a mortal share in eternal life? Through infusing one’s life with meaning and purpose connected to one’s G-d given life’s mission.
This was our Sages’ intent when they said: “Jacob our ancestor did not die. Since his descendants are alive, he is alive (Talmud).” Jacob was alive, for he was connected to G‐dliness in a complete manner. He had no individual existence of his own; every element of his life was lived for G‐d’s sake. While this can be said by many of our Sages and holy leaders, Jacob was unique in that despite raising his family in a challenging and immoral environment, all of his children and grandchildren remained committed to their Jewish beliefs and continued to live in the spirit of Jacob.
When his descendants continue living in Jacob’s path despite all the challenges they endured, perpetuating the values and principles that he communicated, we see that Jacob truly lived. And therefore, even now, he is alive, for his message is timeless.
Ordinary mortal wisdom is relevant at a specific time and place. If one’s insight is unique, his or her words can speak perhaps beyond their immediate circle of influence. But the only way a person’s message can remain relevant to coming generations in different situations is when it has its roots in G‑dliness.
In his passing, Jacob showed the eternality of his life, how he had tapped the spark of G‐d within his soul and taught his children how to perpetuate this legacy. By naming this portion Vayechi, the Torah highlights this quality, showing each of us how we can step beyond our mortality and connect with the infinite.
The accurate definition of truth is something that remains intact, relevant and unchanged in any circumstance or environment. This applies to all areas of life including love, character, relationships, religion, business ethics, marriage, and values.
As our Sages state, “All love that depends on something, [when the] thing ceases, [the] love ceases; and [all love] that does not depend on anything, will never cease (Ethics of our Fathers, Pirkei Avot 5:16)”.
The very existence of the Jewish people today, notwithstanding the challenges of persecutions or the tests of affluence and assimilation throughout our long history, is a testament to the truth and eternality of Judaism. 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".
Creating a lasting legacy is not based on one’s personal material successes alone but rather it is how we channel our achievements to make a positive impact on the world around us. Living a life filled with purpose and meaning based on the teachings of the Torah and performance of Mitzvot, raising one’s children and grandchildren in the Jewish way, and contributing generously to charity is the greatest legacy one can create.
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,” and “the world will be filled with the knowledge of G‐d as the water covers the seabed (Isaiah 25:8-9)”.
