Yesterday I
posted a passage from the Rav ztz”l but missed a critical point. In
talking about the importance of connecting to Tzadikim, he writes:
…..
"התקשרות עם הצדיקים",
יסוד זה שהחסידות טפלה
בו הרבה ….
This means
that the Chasidic approach to התקשרות
עם הצדיקים is
problematic. The Rav doesn't explain where the problem/s lie but
in a lengthy footnote in the sefer אורות
התחיה המבואר [from
page 301 and on] it is discussed at length. There are 3 basic
criticisms:
- 1] Some people's entire Avodas Hashem revolve around the Tzadik. The concept is blown out of proportion.
- 2] If a person is overly connected to a specific Tzadik he is likely to adopt his faults in a much more extreme fashion than these faults appear in the Tzadik himself.
- 3] Some “Rebbes” are not worthy of their title and lofty position and that turns people off. See there at length.
The answer
[that we are adding] is to follow and connect to a Tzadik within
reason, to try to incorporate and assimilate his many positive
qualities into your own personalitiy while trying to avoid the minor
inadequacies and to choose a Rebbe who is truly worthy and has more
that just the right yichus.
