Reflections - Torah.org

Delay -- You Pay

By Rabbi Raymond Beyda

One of the techniques of selling is called "closing". Many people who are good at getting the prospective buyer to look at their product and others who are very good at presenting their wares are weak at closing and therefore come away from their sales presentation without the order. The potential buyer evades the sales pressure with delaying tactics like "I will look around and let you know" or "I have to ask my spouse" or anything that will avoid making the final commitment to buy.

A good salesperson tries to create a sense of urgency. The one who gets the order makes the buyer feel that if they do not act NOW he or she will miss the great opportunity to acquire the product. "Today is the last day of the sale" or "This is the last one that I will have for at least a few weeks" or "I have another customer who is coming back soon and he wants this item" are just some of the many tales that will make a customer feel that "if I don't act now I will lose out at the end of the day".

Sometimes it pays to delay and some times it can be quite costly. The evil inclination does not try to prevent one from doing good -- he tries to get one to say, "I can't do it now but I will do it in a little while" and the good deed is lost in oblivion forever. On the contrary, one who wants to do good should realize that by waiting one might lose an opportunity forever. When you see that golden chance to score on the Heavenly scoreboard -- don't delay --jump at the opportunity before it is too late.

Today, when you can't decide whether to do it now or maybe later -- stop. Consider whether the action is a chance to do good or if you are being pushed from behind by the evil inclination that is trying to trip you up. Once you know where you stand -- if it is good --don’t delay or you will pay. It only takes a minute to make it happen and that same minute of delay can blow a platinum opportunity.

NOTE: A Rabbi was once asked, "How do I know if I am being pushed by the evil inclination or if I am experiencing a kosher urge to do good?"

The wise man answered: "Do like the tightrope walker. Whichever way he feels he is being pulled he leans in the other direction in order to achieve balance. When you feel yourself being pulled to rush into something --slow down it is probably your Yeser Hara. If you feel you can't get yourself to move -- jump -- he is probably holding you back."

DID YOU KNOW THAT

If one took a fruit in one's hand to eat, and said the blessing, and the fruit fell from one's hand and was lost or became inedible, one must say a new blessing on the next fruit one takes to eat. Even if the second fruit was in front of the person when the 1st blessing was said one must say a new blessing. However, if the person's intention was not exclusively on the first fruit, for example if one said a blessing on a cherry while a bowl of cherries was on the table, knowing that he or she was going to eat more than 1 cherry, then it is permitted to take the second cherry and continue eating without a second blessing because we assume that the first blessing was for any cherries that he or she might eat from those that were on the table. [Source Yalkut Yosef, vol 3, Siman 206:16]

CONSIDER THIS FOR A MINUTE

The Mussar masters say a good technique for deciding whether to do something or to refrain. When one has to decide -- one should imagine that another person asked his or her advice on the matter. Usually when one is advising another one sees clearly and without personal interest and prejudice to cloud the issue. What one would advise another -- is how one should act them self [Source: Sefer Hasidim: 155]

Raymond J Beyda
www.raymondbeyda.com