There are two types of "sparks" which a person redeems
in the course of his life. The first are those which he consciously pursues,
having recognized the potential for holiness and goodness in an object or
event in his life. The second are opportunities whose potentials are so
lofty that they cannot be identified by his humanly finite perception.
His redemption of these "sparks" can only come about unwittingly, when
his involvement with them is imposed upon him by circumstances beyond his control.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe
The Lubavitcher Rebbe