It’s All In The Details
It’s All In The Details
This Dvar Torah was originally published in Torah && Tech, the weekly newsletter I publish together with my good friend Ben Greenberg. To get the weekly issue delivered straight to your inbox click here.
Last week, after the weekly Torah && Tech newsletter went out, we were saddened to hear about the passing of Ben’s father, Dan Pesach ben Baruch Shmuel Hakohen Greenberg. The T&&T team would like to extend our warmest wishes to the Greenberg family, and may they be comforted among the mourners of Jerusalem. This week’s issue is dedicated to his memory.
In this week’s Torah portion, Parshat Vayishlach, we read how Yaakov, who, after spending 21 years in Charan in the home of his uncle Lavan, was now on his way home to the Land of Israel.
On the way, the Torah describes how Yaakov took his family and belongings across the Yabok river. The Torah then describes how “Yaakov was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until dawn.” (Bereshis 32:25)
Why was Yaakov on his own? The Talmud (Chulin 91a) says that Yaakov went back across the river in the middle of the night to retrieve some “small jugs” that were left behind.
From this, the Talmud learns the value of even little, seemingly insignificant things. Even a few “little jugs” weren’t too insignificant for him, and he refused to leave them behind.
As developers, we are all too painfully aware of the importance of the little things.
How many times have you spent time hunting down a bug that turned out to be a misplaced closing bracket or a forgotten capitalization?
What we need to keep in mind is that the “little things” count in our interpersonal relationships as well. In our interactions with our teammates and co-workers.
We have no idea what a good morning said with a smile and a genuine interest in the well-being of a teammate who seems to be burning out can accomplish.
Let us try our best to pay attention to the little things, the ones that make the biggest difference!
Shabbat Shalom!
Yechiel
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