Brother’s Wedding or Business Retreat
Question
I have spent the past seven months planning a retreat in Mexico this upcoming December. I already signed contracts agreeing to the dates of the retreat and to be there for the event. Lots of people paid their dues, expecting to see me in person. This is all binding, and if I renege on my agreement, I lose an opportunity to make a lot of money and disappoint a lot of people and damage my reputation and that of my business.
My brother got engaged recently and he and his fiance went and planned the wedding on one of the days of the retreat, unaware I had this scheduled. They tell me they cannot change the date of the wedding. My parents and my brother want me to forget about the retreat and come to the wedding to see my only brother get married.
What should I prioritize, the wedding that my parents and brother want me to be at, or the retreat, which is important for my business?
Answers
What a difficult dilemma. It is equally difficult for me to know what to suggest as I do not know you or your family personally. In general, there are some details that are missing from your question that could possibly help to make the situation a little clearer. For example, how long is your retreat for? Is there a possibility for you to be at most of the retreat and to be at the wedding? Why is it not possible to change the date of wedding? What are the relations like between yourself and your parents and yourself and your brother?
Personally, I would suggest that it might be more effective to approach a spiritual mentor who knows you and your family because, that way, they would be better able to make a judgment call.
Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team