Excerpts from the teachings of Rebbe Nachman of Breslev
Chambers of the Palace, Part 17
Creating One’s Own Torah Thoughts
Rabbi Nosson heard that Rabbi Nachman had urged someone to learn his teachings and then to create his own novel Torah thoughts. Rabbi Nachman told that man, “If you understand exactly what I meant, that is excellent. But even if not, it is very good that you have created novel Torah thoughts.
“Creating novel Torah thoughts is a great rectification for thoughts of sin. All such thoughts are a result of the power of imagination. By using one’s imagination to delve into the holy realm of Torah, one rectifies having previously misused it.”
Rabbi Nachman said that creating original Torah thoughts is a great rectification for one’s past. Even if one can only create one original word, that is good. This is also good for one’s departed parents. (
Likkutei Moharan II 105)
God Enjoys One’s Torah Thoughts
When a person creates novel Torah thoughts for the sake of heaven, he must believe in himself and believe that God derives a great deal of pleasure from his thoughts. He must not be lax. He must enthusiastically keep creating new insights and writing them down, until he produces books. As a result, all the strict judgments in the world will be ameliorated. (Likkutei Eitzot, Talmud Torah, #47)
The Tzaddikim Have Paved the Way
Nowadays, it is very easy to create novel Torah thoughts. This is because a great deal of literature written by tzaddikim has been printed, and insights and concepts are in the air. (Likkutei Moharan II 118)
The Chambers of Torah Insight
There are chambers of Torah. If a person has reached their level, when he begins creating novel Torah thoughts, he enters these rooms. Then he passes from one room into the next. Each room has several doors that lead into other rooms. This person enters these rooms, and goes from one to the next.
These rooms are full of treasures. As the person creating the novel Torah thoughts passes through the rooms, he gathers these precious and lovely treasures.
However, one must be very careful not to fool oneself. One cannot reach such a level quickly. (Likkutei Moharan 245)
Creating Rivers of Torah
When one creates novel Torah thoughts, one creates rivers.
When one begins to create Torah thoughts, a spring begins to flow. This is referred to by the verse, “A spring will go out of the House of God” (Joel 4:18). The “House of God” is a person’s mind. We see this from the verse, “In wisdom is a house built” (Proverbs 24:3).
That is to say, a house is connected to wisdom, which is one’s mind.
A spring is at first small and narrow. Afterwards it grows deeper and broader, until rivers flow, and everyone comes to drink from those rivers.
Similarly, when a person creates Torah thoughts, he creates a river of Torah and insight that can inspire and awaken others. (Likkutei Moharan 262)
Torah Insights are on the Level of the Messiah
When a person creates new Torah insights, that insight is on the level of the Messiah. This idea is referred to by the verse, “The spirit of God hovered over the face of the water” (Genesis 1:2). The Zohar explains that “the spirit of God” refers to the spirit of the Messiah, and “the face of the water” refers to Torah (Zohar Vayeishev 192b).
When one creates insights into the Torah, that itself is the level of the Messiah, for the Messiah’s spirit is right there with it.
When one creates new insights in Torah, one is actually connecting oneself to and drawing down into the world the liberating and redemptive power that, in its ultimate revelation, will come with the Messianic age. Even in the midst of one’s own exile, one can have access to and bring into oneself and the world actual pieces of that uncompromised power for redemptive change. (Likkutei Moharan 118)
Giving God Joy
When a person creates Torah insights, he gives God joy. (Sefer Hamidot, Learning 3)