Listening to Life’s Messages

By Dovid Shraga Polter

If all our life experiences are intended to give us opportunities for self-mastery and growth, this is especially true regarding a person’s career. We often spend more time in the pursuit of our profession than in any other single activity. Obviously, one’s work represents much more than simple livelihood. It presents each individual with a unique vehicle to interact with the world around him and apply his special interests and talents to affect the world.
The Baal Shem Tov’s philosophy holds that, in each profession, a model can be found which offers a fundamental lesson to guide the practitioner in his spiritual service and relationship to G d.
For the most part, this book is a compilation of writings by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson though a few ideas have been included from the works of the Previous Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn and from the founder of Chabad Chassidus, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi. The Rebbes of Chabad expounded upon the fundamentals of the Baal Shem Tov and molded them into a cohesive body of thought. Over the course of more than 40 years, these ideas were articulated in the Rebbe’s personal correspondence and in his public discourses. The Rebbe translates mundane activity into a metaphor for spiritual practice. The reader should note that the Rebbe’s writings have been translated freely.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sichos In English
• Release date: Aug 16, 2011
• ISBN: 9781465745729

Book preview

Chapter 1: Introduction

Dedicated to the Lubavitcher Rebbe

whose teachings and example are a never-ending source of life for all mankind. May we continue in his paths, and complete the mission with which he has charged us: to make the world conscious of the imminent Redemption and to prepare an environment where this ideal can be realized.

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Acknowledgments

The morsels appearing in this book are selected from among the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. His innovative insights continue to inspire Jews from all walks of life.

My parents, Rabbi and Mrs. Moshe Polter, have guided me thoughtfully over the years, and the patience of my wife Rochel has encouraged me throughout this undertaking. May this zechus bring us nachas from our children.

Among those who enriched the manuscript with their helpful editorial suggestions I would particularly like to thank Rabbi Yonah Avtzon and his staff at Sichos In English; Nacha Sara Leaf; and Rabbi Eli Cohen.

D. S. P.

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Many people think of Judaism as a religion, concerned mainly with the divine and the mystical, belonging in the synagogue. It may therefore be surprising for some to discover that Jewish teaching addresses the mundane and practical, finding meaning in all areas of everyday life. This idea is clearly expressed in King Solomon’s well-known adage from the Book of Proverbs:¹ "In all your ways know Him."

Simply put, the life of every Jew is an organic whole. His practice is not peripheral, or limited to isolated situations; rather, it encompasses the spectrum of everyday life with its multitude of experiences. Spirituality, defined in Jewish terms, is a garment woven from a person’s thoughts, speech and actions. It is expressed as a cohesive and homogeneous lifestyle, without the personal fragmentation so prevalent in modern society.

These beliefs were first expounded in an approach to Judaism known as Chassidism, a doctrine revealed by the saintly Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov in the 18th Century. Besides seeing the presence of the Divine Hand in everything, Chassidism emphasizes serving the Creator with joy and simple piety. This approach brought the mystical dimensions of Judaism within reach of common folk, invigorating a people oppressed by poverty and persecution. The Baal Shem Tov empowered the masses by validating their less sophisticated but sincere service of G-d.

According to the Baal Shem Tov,² everything a person sees or hears in his lifetime is to be taken as a lesson in serving the Creator. No circumstance or event occurs at random: all the seeming variables of our lives are in fact an intricately choreographed set of circumstances presented to us only so we may use their potential to create a world in which G-dliness can dwell and abound.

If all our life experiences are intended to give us opportunities for self-mastery and growth, this is especially true regarding a person’s career. We often spend more time in the pursuit of our profession than in any other single activity. Obviously, one’s work represents much more than simple livelihood. It presents each individual with a unique vehicle to interact with the world around him and apply his special interests and talents to affect the world.

The Baal Shem Tov’s philosophy holds that, in each profession, a model can be found which offers a fundamental lesson to guide the practitioner in his spiritual service and relationship to G-d.

As occupations become more abstract and complex, people tend to feel alienated from the work they perform. By pointing to the spiritual messages encoded in that work, this little book can help one create cohesion between his professional activities and other aspects of his personal life.

Furthermore, according to Chassidic teaching, people involved in worldly matters such as business and commerce have an advantage over secluded scholars. The scholar is often insulated from events outside the hall of study, whereas the merchant actually sees the hand of G-d in the opportunities and the fortunes which come his way each day.

We now see how King Solomon’s dictum takes on a deeper meaning. "In all your ways know Him: a person’s mundane" livelihood becomes more than just a means