מִיט דעֶר גרעֶסטעֶר האָרעֶוואַניעֶ קעֶן מעֶן נִיט פאַרדִינעֶן קֵיין אֵיין סעֶנט מעֶהר וִויפְיל הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרֵךְ האָט אָפְּגעֶשׁטעֶלט, אַז דעֶר אוּן דעֶר מעֶנשׁ זאָל פאַרדִינעֶן. מעֶן בּעֶדאַרף טאָן וִויפְיל עֶס אִיז נוֹיטִיג, אָבּעֶר מעֶן מוּז געֶדֵיינקעֶן, אַז דִי גאַנצעֶ אַרבּעֶט, אִיז מעֶר נִיט וִוי אַ טָפֵל, דעֶר עִקָּר אִיז דִי בְּרָכָה פוּן הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרֵךְ, אוּן דִי בְּרָכָה פאַרדִינט מעֶן וועֶן מעֶן אִיז אַ עֶרליכעֶר אִיד: תְּפִלָּה בְּצִבּוּר, שְׁמִירַת שַׁבָּת בְּהִדּוּר, כַּשְׁרוּת בְּהַשְׁגָחָה גְּדוֹלָה, חִנּוּךְ הַבָּנִים בּאַ מְלַמְּדִים עֶרלִיכעֶ אִידעֶן.

Even with the greatest toil, one cannot earn one cent more than G‑d has ordained for him.

We must do what is necessary, but we have to remember that all our labors are only of secondary importance. What counts is G‑d’s blessing, and this is earned by acting in a way appropriate for a Jew:1 praying with the congregation, observing Shabbos with loving punctiliousness,2 keeping kosher vigilantly, and having one’s children educated by teachers who are G‑d-fearing.3

Living in This World

The Rebbe Rayatz prefaced the above teaching with these words: “Some people assign primary importance to secondary matters and relegate those of primary importance to a lower status. Educating a child on the just path… so that he will be G‑d-fearing is of primary importance. Business is of secondary importance. It is a medium for G‑d’s blessing…. The foolish, fatigued individuals who have lost the proper understanding of what is first and what is second are to be pitied.”

The Tzemach Tzedek4 compares a business to a garment. Just as a garment should not be too small, it should also not be too large. When we invest ourselves in our businesses to the point that we forget our true purpose in this world, the “garment” is too large. This is counterproductive, even from a purely business standpoint. A business will be successful only to the extent of G‑d’s blessings, which He grants far more bountifully to those who are dedicated to doing His will.5