Developing your own original insights into the Torah is truly a great thing! This will help clear your mind of all the undesirable data it has collected in the past!
You may expound on the Torah and originate insights in any area you wish. The only condition is that you do not originate any new laws (Rebbe Nachman’s Wisdom #267).
Concerning his own work, the Likutey Moharan, Rebbe Nachman also said: You can twist my teachings whichever way you wish [to understand them], just as long as you don’t depart from so much as a small passage of the Shulchan Arukh (Siach Sarfei Kodesh I-131).
“You can twist my teachings whichever way you wish [to understand them], just as long as you don’t depart from so much as a small passage of the Shulchan Arukh” – Rebbe Nachman
Developing your own original insights into the Torah is truly a great thing. Firstly, it shows that your thoughts are focused on Torah as opposed to the may other things that might occupy or distract your mind. This will help clear your mind of all the undesirable data it has collected in the past. Secondly, it is a sign that your Torah study has had an effect on you and that you want to grow in Torah. Original Torah insights also have the power to increase Divine Providence in the world. People will recognize God’s rulership of the world that much more because of the ideas you’ve initiated.
“Just one thing, be careful not to institute new laws!” – Rebbe Nachman
“Just one thing,” Rebbe Nachman warned, “be careful not to institute new laws, a new torah that does not align with our Holy Torah.” To this end, the Rebbe advised that whenever we attempt to teach one of our insights to others, we should study from the Shulchan Arukh beforehand, and then again afterwards. This study of the Law will protect our ideas from being misleading (The Aleph-Bet Book, Chidushin d’Orayta, A:7).
One more word about our original Torah insights: We must believe that they count and that they are important in God’s eyes and not be slack in thinking of new insights and ideas in Torah that will help bring us, and others, closer to God.
(Taken from the book Crossing the Narrow Bridge: A Practical Guide to Rebbe Nachman’s Teachings, chapter 7, TORAH STUDY).
