The Rebbe’s Advice for Business

By COLlive reporter

The eleventh volume in the Advice for Life series, Learning on the Job: Jewish Career Lessons, has been released by Hasidic Archives. A collection of the Rebbe’s insights on various professions and guidance to business people, the book is a first of its kind.

The carefully edited volume, elegantly designed and illustrated with original artwork, continues the legacy of Rabbi Simcha Zirkind, of blessed memory. Rabbi Zirkind, who lovingly dedicated his life, as a Chabad representative, to the Jewish communities in Tunisia, Canada, and beyond, first yahrtzeit will be marked next month, and Learning on the Job is dedicated in his memory.

The Advice for Life series was Rabbi Zirkind’s brainchild, produced in collaboration with Dovid Zaklikowski, a researcher, archivist and writer. Since the first volume was published, the series has become one of the leading publications making the Rebbe’s teachings available to a wide audience. It includes art by acclaimed Chassidic pop artist Yitzchok Moully.

“It was always my dream to take the guidance the Rebbe gave to the myriads of people who corresponded with him and publish it,” Rabbi Zirkind said in a March 2015 interview. “Over the past four years, it has been my great privilege to publish the Advice for Life series, which has touched the lives of many.”

In a note to supporters that accompanied the new book, Rabbi Zirkind’s children described their efforts to continue the series. “It is a deep honor and joyous responsibility to continue our father’s work,” Rabbis Zalman and Mendy Zirkind wrote. “We can imagine Dad’s sparkling eyes, warm hand and encouraging words, urging us on. The joy we feel in maintaining his legacy softens our pain [at his loss].”

The new book collects and distills life lessons the Rebbe gleaned from more than 100 occupations, from astronomer and architect to telemarketer and train conductor.

Interspersed with the career lessons are stories from the Rebbe related to business, from reliable, in many cases first-hand, sources. The stories include “Don’t Deny Them a Livelihood,” “When to Give Advice,” “Lecture with a Secret Agenda,” “How to Speak to an Employee,” “Banking Happiness,” “Peace of Mind,” “Envy the Businessman, “Employment as Assistance,” “Passive Investors,” and “Inside Information.”

In an afterword, Rabbi Shmuel Lew examines the Rebbe’s uplifting approach to every aspect of life.

The new book was also printed in memory of Mrs. Brana Deitsch, Zalmon Jaffe and Aaron Chaiton.

Learning on the Job is available at your local Judaica store or Amazon.com. Bulk orders are available from [email protected].

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