The title of this post is taken from the title of a book written by Maria Bartiromo. While her book is geared for the young graduates from college starting their careers, as I read through her book, I thought about what her “laws” meant to me as a Torah Teacher. These are my thoughts, not hers, nor am I speaking for any one else. The following apply only to me and is not intended as a general rule for Torah teachers throughout the wider Hebrew Roots/Two House communities.

These are her “10 Laws of Enduring Success”.

  1. Self-knowledge
  2. Vision
  3. Initiative
  4. Courage
  5. Integrity
  6. Adaptability
  7. Humility
  8. Endurance
  9. Purpose
  10. Resilience

Self-Knowledge

I know myself, and I know who I am. First and foremost, I am a sinner, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb Jesus Christ, Yeshua haMaschiach in Hebrew. Because He redeemed me, I belong to Him and am His vassal. That means I follow Him as He leads, and we walk together on the Way until I take my final step and pass from this life into death.

My personality type is predominantly that of a Visionary. I also have some Commander and Steady traits (see Michael and Debi Pearl books).

Vision

When thinking about this “law” the first thing that came to me was the famous passage from John Milton’s Paradise Lost.


“And chiefly Thou O Spirit, that
does prefer
Before all Temples th’ upright heart
and pure,
Instruct me, for Thou know’st;
Thou from the first
Wast present, and with mighty
wings outspread
Dove-like satst brooding on the
vast Abyss
And mad’st it pregnant: What in
me is dark
Illumine, what is low raise and
support;
That to the highth of this great
Argument
I may assert th’ Eternal Providence,
And justifie the wayes of God to
men”

John Milton, “Paradise Lost”

To put this into plainer (and more modern) language, as I seek my Head, Yeshua haMashiach, like a deer that seeks water (Psalm 42:1), so I desire to justify the ways of YHVH to men, and for as long as life lasts, to teach men to know Yeshua and His Great Father, YHVH. In addition, I want to help Yeshua restore His Kingdom on Earth.

Initiative

Maria Bartiromo describes initiative as the drive to take the next step, then the next one.

Well, starting the Kol Yisrael group on social media was the first step. The next step was to start this WordPress blog. I am planning the next step and considering future possibilities as I am led.

Courage

I have not had my personal physical courage tested like the men who jumped out of the landing craft to forge ashore in the face of heavy machine gun fire nor like the Jews of Warsaw who rose against the Wehrmacht.

But followers of the Way need to have courage because the cost can be as great as one’s life. I am willing to pay that price if need be. After all, my Head laid down His life for me, and I am not greater than my Lord.

Integrity

“To thine own self, be true” wrote Shakespeare. Integrity is the foundation of honor. If I cannot be true to myself, I cannot be true to my Head.

What that means in my role as a Torah teacher is that I diligently teach what I know to be true, whether popular or not. I cannot teach my opinions as fact, nor suppress unpopular positions to keep followers. It also means that as I learn more, I discard previous errors, confess them and update. Ultimately, I answer to my Head as these truths are His, not mine.

Adaptability

I started Kol Yisrael Torah and Prophecy on Facebook back when it was a fun place to be. But Facebook has darkened and become a cesspool and I migrated this group to MeWe. If further changes are required, I will consider the best way to implement them.

Humility

I owe great debts to those who have gone before me. I don’t claim any special insights around which to build a ministry. All I ask for is the opportunity to justify the ways of God to men as I study His Way contained in the Torah, Prophets, Writings, and New Testament.

Endurance

I’m in this for the long haul, whether my life be short or long, it doesn’t matter. I will walk the narrow way that leads to life, and be conformed to the image of my Master, whether easily or painfully. It has been painful at times, and I don’t see that changing too much. But the pain teaches hard lessons that I need to learn, and I am nothing more than a big olive that needs pressing to make the oil needed to enter the wedding of the Lamb.

Purpose

My purpose is to be one of Yeshua’s faithful servants. I am a husband and a father. I teach my wife and our sons. I also teach others in our online congregation “Shabbat Service in ASL” and the readers of this blog. Again, I seek to justify the ways of God to men.

Resilience

I’m going to get knocked down, and I’ll get up. People will challenge me and disagree with me. I will get unfriended, shunned, and possibly lose close family and friends. I’ve been called some pretty nasty names; it comes with the territory. I just look to my Head and lean on Him for renewed strength and keep going.

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