20.4.09

dinov or breslov

At lunch today, some co-workers asked me to say a few words. I told them I thought perhaps I could present them with a conundrum in Hassidut. They aren't normally involved in Hassidut, but they welcomed the topic.

I explained Rebbe Nachman of Breslov's statement that all attempts towards intellectualism were detrimental, even halachic stringency. Rebbe Nachman himself never held any chumroth, stringencies, in halachic matters.

Then I went on to explain the position of the Bnei Yissachar, Reb Tzvi Elimelech of Dinov, who explained that while proper observance of the mitzwah illuminates one with the internal (pnimi) light of the mitzwah, only the stringencies kept out of a desire to serve HaShem beyond what is required draw down the encompassing (makif) light of the mitzwah.

Does Rebbe Nachman believe that we shouldn't draw down the encompassing light? Could it be that they disagree?

I suggested a possible solution to the dilemma:
We know that with negative commandments, the only way to perform them is to be presented with an opportunity to transgress them, and to withhold oneself. Perhaps, as I've tried to say in the past, this applies also to positive mitzwoth when not in their appointed time--through not performing them at the wrong time we are upholding the commandment. Finally, I concluded, perhaps Rebbe Nachman is saying that through performing the mitzwah exactly as proscribed and, out of great love for HaShem, not adding even the smallest stringency, out of a desire to be utterly simple with HaShem, perhaps this too draws down the encompassing, makif, light of the mitzwah.

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