Listening to Life’s Messages

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.