To explain the precise choice of the term tirdos haparnassah, the anxiety and preoccupation involved in earning a livelihood:וּבֵאוּר דִּיּוּק הַלָּשׁוֹן "טִרְדוֹת הַפַּרְנָסָה"
As the maamar proceeds to explain, the intent is not that there is anything wrong with working for one’s livelihood. On the contrary, such work is desirable. For,
behold, it is written,1 “When you eat of the labor of your hands….”הִנֵּה כְּתִיב "יְגִיעַ כַּפֶּיךָ כִּי תֹאכֵל" גוֹ'',
From the continuation of the verse, “It will be admirable and pleasant for you,” it is obvious that work is a positive virtue. Why, then, is investing oneself in earning one’s living seemingly frowned upon in the maamarim cited above?
This question can be resolved through analyzing the extent to which one is invested.
As is well known,2 “the labor of your hands” is interpreted to mean that a person should work with his handsוְיָדוּעַ הַדִּיּוּק בָּזֶה, יְגִיעַ כַּפֶּיךָ דַּוְקָא
but not labor with his mind and heart.אֲבָל לֹא יְגִיעַת הַמֹּחַ וְהַלֵּב.
This applies even in the present era when, by and large, we work with our minds and not only with our hands. Nevertheless, as the maamar proceeds to explain, the emphasis is on the degree of involvement of one’s mind and heart, i.e., how much of himself the person invests in his work.
True, (because the Divine blessings granted in this world are drawn down through the garments of the natural order),3 וְהַיְנוּ דַּהֲגַם אֲשֶׁר (מִצַּד זֶה שֶׁהַשֶּׁפַע בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה נִמְשֶׁכֶת דֶּרֶךְ לְבוּשׁ הַטֶּבַע)
there must be activity on man’s part in which the blessings from Above will be enclothed.צָרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת עֲשִׂיָּה שֶׁבָּזֶה תִּתְלַבֵּשׁ הַשֶּׁפַע שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה
The Rebbe Maharash would say4 that even today, in the era of exile, our sustenance descends like manna from Heaven. True, unlike the manna gatherers, we must labor for our sustenance. Nevertheless, the need to work comes only from the need for G‑d’s blessings to descend and reach us on our level. Hence, our work is necessary as a garment, i.e., a medium to enable the descent of those blessings. Nevertheless, the source for our sustenance is not the work, but G‑d’s blessings.
As it is written,5 “And G‑d will bless you in all that you do.” Implied is that man’s activity, i.e., “that which you do,” is necessary.וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב וּבֵרַכְךָ הֲוָיָ׳ אֱלֹקֶיךָ בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשֶׂה (דַּוְקָא)
Thus, on this verse, the Sifri comments, “Is it possible that a person should sit by idly,6 [expecting his livelihood to be granted to him without effort on his part]? The Torah teaches, ‘in all that you do,’” indicating that our work is required.
Indeed, at times (because of the great concealment and hiddenness that prevails), intensive labor is necessary, i.e., not mere work, but strenuous activity, pushing a person to his limits.וְעַד שֶׁלִּפְעָמִים (מִצַּד גֹּדֶל הַהֶעְלֵם וְהַהֶסְתֵּר) צְרִיכִים גַּם לִיגִיעָה,
When is labor necessary? In a situation where G‑dliness is concealed. In general, that concealment comes about as a result of man’s conduct. Thus, on the verse,7 “G‑d is your shadow,” the Baal Shem Tov explains8 that just as a shadow follows the movements of one’s limbs, so too, every action that we perform spirals upward to the spiritual realms, generating intense light (or, Heaven forbid, the opposite) in those realms. Thus, when a person turns away from G‑dliness, he engenders a spiritual climate where G‑dliness is hidden, and thus, greater energies – a greater garment, to refer back to the analogy used above – are necessary for G‑dliness to be drawn down to this physical plane.
[In that vein,] it must be noted that the decree,9 “By the sweat of your brow” [– i.e., through labor and exertion –] “shall you eat bread,” was first issued after the sin of the Tree of Knowledge.10
Nevertheless, even when labor is necessary, only one’s external energies should be invested in this activity. It should be, as the verse states, only “the labor of your hands” (and one’s other external limbs),11מִכָּל מָקוֹם אֵין צָרִיךְ לְהַעֲסִיק בַּעֲשִׂיָּה זוֹ כִּי אִם רַק אֶת כֹּחוֹת הַחִיצוֹנִים שֶׁלּוֹ, יְגִיעַ כַּפֶּיךָ [כַּפַּיִם וּשְׁאָרֵי אֵבָרִים הַחִיצוֹנִים]
but it should not involve the inner and more elevated powers (in his mind and heart).אֲבָל לֹא אֶת כֹּחוֹת הַפְּנִימִיִּים וְהַנַּעֲלִים (שֶׁבַּמֹּחַ וָלֵב),
For these powers have to be dedicated to the service of his Creator, for that is the purpose of his creation,כִּי כֹּחוֹת אֵלּוּ צְרִיכִים לִהְיוֹת מֻקְדָּשִׁים לְשַׁמֵּשׁ אֶת קוֹנוֹ, שֶׁזֶּהוּ תַּכְלִית בְּרִיאָתוֹ.
as the mishnah states:12 “I was created solely to serve my Creator.” Since this is the purpose of man’s creation, his higher energies should be directed to this goal. It is unthinkable that he uses his passions and the deeper resources of his mind and heart for anything else.
True, since there are times when G‑d’s blessing is concealed and hidden in the garments of nature, one must use his mind for the sake of his business endeavors,וַהֲגַם שֶׁמִּכֵּיוָן שֶׁהַשֶּׁפַע מִתְעַלֵּם וּמִסְתַּתֵּר בִּלְבוּשֵׁי הַטֶּבַע צָרִיךְ לְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ גַּם בְּשִׂכְלוֹ לְצֹרֶךְ הָעֵסֶק,
i.e., as a result of the descent of the life-giving G‑dly energy and its enclothement in garments that conceal its source, it is possible that a person will have to invest his heart and mind in his effort to earn a livelihood. However, he should invest
only what is necessary to accomplish the task.הוּא רַק מַה שֶּׁמֻּכְרָח לְהָעֲשִׂיָּה
He need not, however, labor in a manner where he becomes overly invested intellectually and emotionally, seeking involved strategies. In particular,אֲבָל לֹא בְּאֹפֶן דִּיגִיעָה בְּהִתְחַכְּמוּת וְתַחְבּוּלוֹת. וּבִפְרָט
there are two difficulties with such an approach: Firstly, as mentioned above, his mind and heart should be focused elsewhere. He should be using his higher potentials to fulfill his purpose in creation – the service of G‑d. Moreover, such an approach is self-defeating,
since it is “the blessings of G‑d that bring wealth.”13שֶׁבִּרְכַּת הֲוָיָ׳ הִיא תַעֲשִׁיר,
One’s business is no more than a garment for His blessings (not that one’s business is the source of his livelihood, Heaven forbid). It is apparent14 that just as when wearing clothes in a literal sense, “One who puts on too many garments does not facilitate anything,15 on the contrary, he causes greater harm.”16וְהָעֵסֶק אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא לְבוּשׁ לְבִרְכַּת הֲוָיָ׳ (וְלֹא שֶׁהָעֵסֶק הוּא מְקוֹר פַּרְנָסָתוֹ חַס וְשָׁלוֹם), הֲרֵי מוּבָן, שֶׁבְּדֻגְמַת הַלְּבוּשִׁים בְּפַשְׁטוּת "הַמַּרְבֶּה בִּלְבוּשִׁים לֹא הֶעְדִּיף מְאוּמָה, וְאַדְּרַבָּה מְקַלְקֵל יוֹתֵר".
Like a child who puts on his father’s pants and then trips all over them, over-involvement in one’s business activities is counterproductive. True, one must invest himself in his financial ventures, but how much? Only as much as the Torah dictates. Anything more will not only fail to improve his earning capacity, it will detract from it.
This is the intent of the expression tirdos haparnassah, the anxiety and preoccupation involved in earning a livelihood, used above. Implied is that even a person who is on a low spiritual level and hence, he has tirdos haparnassah –וְזֶהוּ דִּיּוּק הַלָּשׁוֹן "טִרְדוֹת הַפַּרְנָסָה", דַּהֲגַם שֶׁהוּא בְּמַצָּב נָמוּךְ שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ טִרְדוֹת הַפַּרְנָסָה
i.e., he is not merely working with his hands – or investing the amount of intellect and emotion that is a contemporary equivalent to working with one’s hands – he has overextended his involvement and has anxiety and preoccupation.
[This anxiety indicates that he is not meditating on and taking to heart the concept that it is the blessings of G‑d that bring wealth,]17[שֶׁזֶּה מַרְאֶה אֲשֶׁר אֵינוֹ מִתְבּוֹנֵן כִּדְבָעֵי אַלִּיבֵּיהּ דְּנַפְשֵׁיהּ שֶׁבִּרְכַּת הֲוָיָ׳ הִיא תַעֲשִׁיר]
i.e., were he to look at the world as it really is, he would not be plagued by anxiety and tension. Not necessarily would he reduce his business activities, for it is possible that manifold Divine blessings are intended for him and hence he will need a large garment. However, because he understands that his activity is no more than a medium and that success is granted from Above, he will not worry or suffer anxiety.
Nevertheless, even when a person is plagued by tension and worry,מִכָּל מָקוֹם
these tirdos will not be able to extinguish the hidden love that he and every Jew has for G‑d.הִנֵּה גַּם הַטִּרְדּוֹת לֹא יוּכְלוּ לְכַבּוֹת חַס וְשָׁלוֹם אֶת הָאַהֲבָה הַמְּסֻתֶּרֶת שֶׁבְּכָל אֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל.

Summary

It is written, “When you eat of the labor of your hands….” “The labor of your hands” implies that a person should work with his hands, but not labor with his mind and heart. True, from the verse “And G‑d will bless you in all that you do,” it is clear that man’s activity and, at times, strenuous labor, is necessary. Nevertheless, even when labor is necessary, only one’s external energies should be invested in this activity, not the inner dimensions of his heart and mind.
Since it is “the blessings of G‑d that bring wealth,” one’s business is no more than a garment for these blessings. Just as in a literal sense, wearing an oversized garment impedes rather than facilitates movement, so too, tirdos haparnassah, the anxiety and preoccupation involved in earning a livelihood, are undesirable. Nevertheless, even such anxiety and preoccupation cannot extinguish a Jew’s love for G‑d.