## Sichot HaRan Chapter 235

###### Sichot HaRan 235:1
[Sichot HaRan 235:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sichot%20HaRan/r/235:1)

כְּבָר מְבֹאָר בְּ"לִקּוּטֵי תִּנְיָנָא" (סִימָן מ"ד) שֶׁרַבֵּנוּ ז"ל, הִזְהִיר מְאֹד לִבְלִי לְהַחְמִיר חֻמְרוֹת יְתֵרוֹת בְּשׁוּם דָּבָר, כִּי 'אֵין הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בָּא בִּטְרוּנְיָא עִם בְּרִיּוֹתָיו' (עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה ג.) וְלֹא נִתְּנָה הַתּוֹרָה לְמַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת (בְּרָכוֹת כה:) וְכוּ'.

**Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom, trans. Aryeh Kaplan, Jerusalem. Breslov Research Institute, 1973:**
**CONVERSATIONS**
In *Likutey Moharan* II, 44, the Rebbe cautions us not to be overly stringent in any observance. The Rebbe quotes the Talmudic maxims, “God does not rule over His creatures with tyranny” (*Avodah Zarah* 3a), and, “The Torah was not given to the ministering angels” (*Berakhot* 25b; see “*His Wisdom*” #30).


###### Sichot HaRan 235:2
[Sichot HaRan 235:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sichot%20HaRan/r/235:2)

וְאָמַר אָז: שֶׁאִיתָא: שֶׁרָאוּי לְכָל אָדָם שֶׁיִּבְחַר לְעַצְמוֹ מִצְוָה אַחַת, שֶׁבְּאוֹתָהּ הַמִּצְוָה יְדַקְדֵּק הַרְבֵּה וִיקַיֵּם אוֹתָהּ הַמִּצְוָה עִם כָּל הַחֻמְרוֹת וְהַדִּקְדּוּקִים, (וּכְעֵין שֶׁמָּצִינוּ בַּגְּמָרָא (שַׁבָּת קיח:): 'אָבִיךָ בְּמַאי זָהִיר טְפֵי' וְכוּ').

**Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom, trans. Aryeh Kaplan, Jerusalem. Breslov Research Institute, 1973:**
The Rebbe also said, “It is written that every person should choose one observance and keep it strictly with all its fine points.³³⁹ 5:4; *Sefer Chasidim* 529; *Rambam* on *Makkot* 3:16. The Talmud alludes to this where Rabbi Joseph asks Rabbah’s son, ‘With what observance was your father most careful?’ (*Shabbat* 118b).

footnotes:
³³⁹ Cf. Emunot VeDei'ot


###### Sichot HaRan 235:3
[Sichot HaRan 235:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sichot%20HaRan/r/235:3)

וְאַף עַל פִּי כֵן, גַּם בְּאוֹתָהּ הַמִּצְוָה, אַל יִכְנֹס בְּחֻמְרוֹת שֶׁל שִׁגָּעוֹן וּשְׁטוּת וּמָרָה שְׁחוֹרוֹת, רַק יְדַקְדֵּק בָּהּ בְּלִי שִׁגָּעוֹן בְּכָל הַחֻמְרוֹת.

**Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom, trans. Aryeh Kaplan, Jerusalem. Breslov Research Institute, 1973:**
“Even with this observance, you should not be abnormally strict to the point of foolishness. Certainly, do not let it make you depressed. Simply keep all its finer points without fanaticism.


###### Sichot HaRan 235:4
[Sichot HaRan 235:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sichot%20HaRan/r/235:4)

אֲבָל בִּשְׁאָר כָּל הַמִּצְווֹת אֵין צְרִיכִין לְהַחְמִיר כְּלָל. וְהַלְוַאי שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה לְקַיֵּם אֶת כָּל מִצְווֹת הַתּוֹרָה כִּפְשׁוּטָן מַמָּשׁ בְּלִי שׁוּם חֻמְרוֹת.

**Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom, trans. Aryeh Kaplan, Jerusalem. Breslov Research Institute, 1973:**
“Keep one commandment strictly, but others need not be observed with any unnecessary stringency at all. It would be enough if we were worthy of keeping all the Torah’s commandments according to the law, without going beyond it.”


###### Sichot HaRan 235:5
[Sichot HaRan 235:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sichot%20HaRan/r/235:5)

וְגַם בְּעִנְיַן הַחֻמְרוֹת יְתֵרוֹת בְּפֶסַח לֹא הָיָה מַסְכִּים כְּלָל עַל הַמַּרְבִּים לְדַקְדֵּק יוֹתֵר מִדַּאי וְנִכְנָסִים בְּמָרָה שְׁחוֹרוֹת גְּדוֹלוֹת. וְהֶאֶרִיךְ בְּשִׂיחָה זוֹ אָז, כִּי אִישׁ אֶחָד מֵאֲנָשֵׁינוּ שָׁאַל לוֹ ז"ל שְׁאֵלָה אַחַת בְּעִנְיַן אֵיזֶה חֻמְרָה בְּפֶסַח 'אֵיךְ לְהִתְנַהֵג?'. וְאָז הִתְלוֹצֵץ מִמֶּנּוּ מְאֹד.

**Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom, trans. Aryeh Kaplan, Jerusalem. Breslov Research Institute, 1973:**
The Rebbe was also very much against all the special stringencies that are observed on Pesach. Many people go so far in observing many fine points of custom that they are literally depressed by the holiday. He spoke about this at length. One of his followers once asked the Rebbe exactly how to act with regard to an ultra-stringent observance. The Rebbe made a joke of it.


###### Sichot HaRan 235:6
[Sichot HaRan 235:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sichot%20HaRan/r/235:6)

וְהִרְבָּה לְדַבֵּר מֵעִנְיַן זֶה – שֶׁאֵין צְרִיכִין לְחַפֵּשׂ אַחַר חֻמְרוֹת יְתֵרוֹת וְשִׁגָּעוֹן וּבִלְבּוּלִים. וְאָמַר שֶׁהוּא בְּעַצְמוֹ גַּם כֵּן כְּבָר הָיָה שָׁקוּעַ בְּעִנְיָן זֶה מְאֹד שֶׁהָיוּ עוֹלִים עַל דַּעְתּוֹ חֻמְרוֹת יְתֵרוֹת מְאֹד מְאֹד.

**Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom, trans. Aryeh Kaplan, Jerusalem. Breslov Research Institute, 1973:**
The Rebbe spoke about this quite often. He said that these ultra-strict practices are nothing more than confused foolishness. He told us that he had also been caught up in this and would waste much time thinking up all sorts of unnecessary restrictions.


###### Sichot HaRan 235:7
[Sichot HaRan 235:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sichot%20HaRan/r/235:7)

וּפַעַם אֶחָד הָיָה חוֹשֵׁב מַחֲשָׁבוֹת בְּעִנְיַן הַמַּיִם עַל פֶּסַח שֶׁחָשַׁשׁ שֶׁמָּא יֵשׁ אֵיזֶה מַשֶּׁהוּ בַּמַּיִם שֶׁשּׁוֹאֲבִין. וְאִם יָכִין לוֹ מַיִם עַל כָּל יְמֵי הַפֶּסַח כְּמוֹ שֶׁנּוֹהֲגִין קְצָת, גַּם זֶה לֹא הוּטַב בְּעֵינָיו, כִּי קָשֶׁה לִשְׁמֹר הֵיטֵב הַמַּיִם מֵעֶרֶב פֶּסַח עַל כָּל יְמֵי הַפֶּסַח.

**Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom, trans. Aryeh Kaplan, Jerusalem. Breslov Research Institute, 1973:**
Once he worried about the drinking water used during Pesach. He was afraid that a small amount of leaven might have fallen into the well from which they drew water. The only alternative would be to prepare water in advance for the entire Pesach week, as some people do. But this also was not good enough, for the water had to be carefully safeguarded from leaven from the day before Pesach, and this was very difficult.


###### Sichot HaRan 235:8
[Sichot HaRan 235:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sichot%20HaRan/r/235:8)

וְלֹא הוּטַב בְּעֵינָיו שׁוּם מַיִם, רַק מֵי מַעְיָן הַנּוֹבְעִים וְיוֹצְאִים וְהוֹלְכִים וּבָאִים מַיִם חֲדָשִׁים בְּכָל עֵת. אֲבָל בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁהוּא ז"ל הָיָה יוֹשֵׁב לֹא הָיָה שׁוּם מַעְיָן כָּזֶה, וְהָיָה בְּדַעְתּוֹ לִנְסֹעַ עַל פֶּסַח לְמָקוֹם שֶׁיֵּשׁ שָׁם מֵי מַעְיָן כָּזֶה, כָּל כָּךְ נִכְנַס בְּחֻמְרוֹת וּמָרָה שְׁחוֹרוֹת וְדִקְדּוּקִים יְתֵרִים.

**Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom, trans. Aryeh Kaplan, Jerusalem. Breslov Research Institute, 1973:**
The Rebbe finally came to the conclusion that the only satisfactory water would be that drawn from a flowing spring, just as it emerges from the ground. He could then obtain perfectly fresh water without any possibility of its being contaminated. The problem was that the only such spring in the area was very far from his home. He thought about traveling to a place near a spring and spending Pesach there. This is an example of how deeply the Rebbe had become involved in such unnecessary strictness.


###### Sichot HaRan 235:9
[Sichot HaRan 235:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sichot%20HaRan/r/235:9)

אֲבָל עַכְשָׁו הוּא מִתְלוֹצֵץ מִזֶּה, כִּי אֵין צְרִיכִין לְחַפֵּשׂ אַחַר חֻמְרוֹת יְתֵרוֹת, אֲפִלּוּ בְּפֶסַח.

**Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom, trans. Aryeh Kaplan, Jerusalem. Breslov Research Institute, 1973:**
But now he ridiculed this and taught that such ultra-strictness is unnecessary, even on Pesach.


###### Sichot HaRan 235:10
[Sichot HaRan 235:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sichot%20HaRan/r/235:10)

וְהֶאֱרִיךְ בְּשִׂיחָה זוֹ הַרְבֵּה אָז, כִּי עִקַּר הָעֲבוֹדָה בֶּאֱמֶת הוּא: תְּמִימוּת וּפְשִׁיטוּת, לְהַרְבּוֹת בְּתוֹרָה וּתְפִלָּה וּמַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים, בְּלִי לְחַפֵּשׂ לְחַדֵּשׁ דַּוְקָא חֻמְרוֹת יְתֵרוֹת. רַק לֵילֵךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ הַקַּדְמוֹנִים. וְלֹא נִתְּנָה הַתּוֹרָה לְמַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת.

**Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom, trans. Aryeh Kaplan, Jerusalem. Breslov Research Institute, 1973:**
When the Rebbe spoke about this, he continued, “True devotion consists mainly of simplicity and sincerity. Pray much, study much Torah, do many good deeds. Do not worry yourself with unnecessary restrictions. Just follow the way of our forefathers. 'The Torah was not given to the ministering angels.’


###### Sichot HaRan 235:11
[Sichot HaRan 235:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sichot%20HaRan/r/235:11)

וְאָמַר אָז: שֶׁבִּשְׁבִיל זֶה עָזְבוּ הָעוֹלָם חָכְמוֹת הַדִּקְדּוּק וְאֵינָם עוֹסְקִים בּוֹ כְּלָל. כִּי דִּקְדּוּק אֵין צְרִיכִין כְּלָל, כִּי אֵין צְרִיכִין לְדַקְדֵּק עַל עַצְמוֹ יוֹתֵר מִדַּאי לְבַקֵּשׁ חֻמְרוֹת יְתֵרוֹת.

**Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom, trans. Aryeh Kaplan, Jerusalem. Breslov Research Institute, 1973:**
“This is why people no longer study *dikduk*, the rules of grammar. People have abandoned it because this type of precision is not really necessary. This is true of all areas. You should not be overly precise in seeking out restrictions.”


###### Sichot HaRan 235:12
[Sichot HaRan 235:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sichot%20HaRan/r/235:12)

וְהֶאֱרִיךְ בָּזֶה עוֹד. וְאָמַר אָז שֶׁאֵין שׁוּם דָּבָר שֶׁיִּהְיֶה חִיּוּב בְּדַוְקָא וְאִם לָאו וְכוּ'. רַק אִם יוּכַל – יוּכַל וְאִם לָאו – אֹנֶס רַחֲמָנָא פַּטְרֵהּ (וּכְבָר מְבֹאָר זֹאת בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר).

**Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom, trans. Aryeh Kaplan, Jerusalem. Breslov Research Institute, 1973:**
The Rebbe spoke at length along these lines, concluding, “There is nothing that you absolutely must do and if not …. If you can, fine, but if not, ‘God exempts a person under duress’” (*Bava Kama* 28b; see “*His Wisdom*” #14, #27).