“By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread”

To this day, earning a living has generally been associated with toiling and great effort. At the same time, many find joy and fulfillment in their work, and have turned this curse into a blessing. In Israel, Orthodox Jews are primarily employed in traditional religious professions, which, in addition to allowing them to earn a living, helps enable the rest of the religious community to fulfill the biblical commandments. The Orthodox baker prepares challah bread for Shabbat, the tanner makes tefillin (phylacteries) for daily prayer, and the musician joyfully fills the hearts of passersby. All contribute to the sacred economy…