Listening to Life's Messages - Part 4

00:01 The hemsek in continuation to the earlier installments where we discussed that one can and needs to derive lessons in life by listening to life's messages and incorporating or internalizing them in one's personal service to the Creator. We now continue with installment number four, elaborating on additional professions as messages in life as they were articulated in the Rebbe's talks or writings. The profession of an attorney. The practice of law teaches us a very important lesson. The primary pursuit of an attorney is the search for evidence that will exonerate his client. Whatever the circumstances and however flimsy the case, the lawyer puts all his efforts into building a defense. In like fashion, each of us should attempt to find all that is good and worthy in our fellow Jew. If one digs for water and does not find any, this does not mean that water isn't there. One must dig deeper in order to find the source. The same principle applies to seeing good traits in another person. Although these may not be readily apparent, if one looks with honesty, he will certainly find positive attributes in his fellow. If in the end, a person can only see negatives in others, this suggests that the deficiency actually lies within himself. This is closely related to one of the precepts of Judaism, to judge others favorably and to always ascribe good motives to their behavior. The second profession title will be businessman. The Rebbe writes, "There is a big difference between a business owner and his employees. The

02:24 hired man puts in his required hours and leaves the concerns of the business behind him at the end of the day. Even the most conscientious employee does not demonstrate the same level of involvement as the business owner. By contrast, the businessman is always concerned with the demands of his enterprise. He may be eating or socializing, but not for a moment does he forget his business affairs. Although the business may be running smoothly, he always looks for ways to improve or expand his holdings. A Yid must approach his spiritual quote-unquote business, and especially the study of Torah with the same dedication that the entrepreneur displays towards his business. Whatever our occupation during most of the day, Torah should be our real business to the extent that we cannot detach ourselves from it. However short our actual study session may be, we should still be preoccupied with it hours after we have returned to our more mundane activities. According to the Talmud, when a person becomes preoccupied with Torah, it is as if he has redeemed the Shechinah, Hashem's presence from exile. This will surely benefit him in all aspects of his life." A third professional title, the carpenter. The previous Rebbe says in a sicha, "When a master craftsman begins repairing a piece of furniture, he proceeds extremely carefully. His first step is to carefully take apart the item piece by piece without damaging any part, not even the one which is defective. He proceeds to evaluate each component, determining whether it is in excellent, fair,

04:34 or poor condition. Some parts will have to be replaced, whereas others can be refurbished. He must establish the order in which he will execute his work and the exact approach for each separate component. All of these stages are important when an educator wishes to have a proper impact on a student. He must carefully review the virtues and shortcomings of his pupil, reflecting on them with great deliberation. He must then assess each factor in the student's makeup. A competent teacher who follows this process will meet with tremendous success. Above all, an educator must be calm and patient, directing his mind and heart to the minutest details pertaining to a student and his education." We will, im yirtzeh Hashem, continue in the next installment.