I'm often frustrated throughout the day by people who either have no regard for anybody except for themself or who are simply too negligent or incompetent to act in a reasonable fashion. I'm in a management position and this is not just me. Every manager I work with comments they thought there was an enlightened way of managing, but once they actually had to supervise a bunch of people they become very frustrated and snappy. I feel like there is infinite, perfect wisdom in the Torah to deal with every issue, but I'm not so much of a Torah scholar. Per chance does anybody have advice from Torah or Talmud-based sources?
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With all due respect to Moshe Rabbeinu, but he was also frustrated and got angry numerous times. One of the times that he got angry, it cost him his opportunity to lead the people into Israel. That's not just a personal consequence, but a "managerial" consequence, as well. He was supposed to LEAD them (manager) into Israel. Anger cost him that opportunity. I think that this serves as a good example of what anger can do to anyone, esp. a manager. BTW - Ramba"m Sefer Ahava has a major section about anger. Would that serve your purpose?– DanFMar 16, 2015 at 17:37
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1Related: judaism.stackexchange.com/q/37531. Also somewhat related: judaism.stackexchange.com/q/40851 judaism.stackexchange.com/q/3796, and to a lesser degree judaism.stackexchange.com/q/51091.– FredMar 16, 2015 at 18:26
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2 Answers
The topic of anger is mentioned in Torah and Tanakh, discussed in the Gemara, by Rishonim such as Rambam, and by many later rabbis as well.
See here for a discussion of Rambam's view of anger.
See here for a chapter about anger in The Ways of the Tzaddikim, an anonymously-authored work that first appeared in the 15th century in Germany.
See here for a chapter on anger from Likutei Eitzot, a selection of practical advice from the teachings of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, compiled by his closest follower, Reb Noson.
For a more Litvish contemporary perspective, see Rabbi Zelig Pliskin's book on the subject of anger.
Regarding the Rambam's view on anger, it should be noted that in Laws of Tshuva (7:3) he writes that one must repent for becoming angry!
אַל תֹּאמַר שֶׁאֵין תְּשׁוּבָה אֶלָּא מַעֲבִירוֹת שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהֶן מַעֲשֶׂה כְּגוֹן זְנוּת וְגֵזֶל וּגְנֵבָה. אֶלָּא כְּשֵׁם שֶׁצָּרִיךְ אָדָם לָשׁוּב מֵאֵלּוּ כָּךְ הוּא צָרִיךְ לְחַפֵּשׂ בְּדֵעוֹת רָעוֹת שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ וְלָשׁוּב מִן הַכַּעַס
Don't say that repentance only applies to sins which involve physical acts such as licentiousness, or forms of theft, rather, just as one must repent from these, so must he examine his improper character traits which he possesses, and repent from anger, etc. (Trans. my own).
