The Rebbe said, “There are tzaddikim who are great Torah experts, fully versed in many sacred works – and because of this in particular, they cannot innovate anything in the Torah.
“As soon as they begin to expound and innovate, their great fund of knowledge confuses them and they weave many extraneous concepts into lengthy introductions. Their thoughts become so muddled that any new concept they may have had is irrevocably lost.”
From what the Rebbe said, we understood that if you wish to innovate, you should concentrate on the subject and not confuse yourself with extraneous introductions. Pretend that you are totally ignorant of everything except the subject at hand. You will then be able to originate many new ideas and bring them to light in order, step by step.
אָמַר: שֶׁיֵּשׁ צַדִּיקִים שֶׁהֵם גְּדוֹלִים בַּתּוֹרָה וּבְקִיאִים בִּסְפָרִים הַרְבֵּה וּבִדְרָשׁוֹת רַבּוֹתֵינוּ ז"ל, וּמֵחֲמַת זֶה דַּיְקָא אֵינָם יְכוֹלִים לְחַדֵּשׁ בַּתּוֹרָה מֵחֲמַת שֶׁהֵם בְּקִיאִים מְאֹד.
The Rebbe said, “There are tzaddikim who are great Torah experts, fully versed in many sacred works – and because of this in particular, they cannot innovate anything in the Torah.
כִּי כְּשֶׁמַּתְחִיל לוֹמַר תּוֹרָה וְרוֹצֶה לְחַדֵּשׁ אֵיזֶה דָּבָר מְבַלְבֵּל אוֹתָם בְּקִיאוּתָם הַגְּדוֹלָה וּמַתְחִילִים לוֹמַר מִיָּד הַקְדָּמוֹת הַרְבֵּה וּדְבָרִים הַרְבֵּה מַה שֶּׁיּוֹדְעִים מִסְּפָרִים, וּמֵחֲמַת זֶה נִתְבַּלְבֵּל דִּבְרֵיהֶם וְאֵינָם יְכוֹלִים לְהוֹצִיא לָאוֹר אֵיזֶה חִדּוּשׁ נָאֶה.
“As soon as they begin to expound and innovate, their great fund of knowledge confuses them and they weave many extraneous concepts into lengthy introductions. Their thoughts become so muddled that any new concept they may have had is irrevocably lost.”
וְתָפַס אָז לְדֻגְמָא גָּדוֹל אֶחָד בְּדוֹרוֹ שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה יָכוֹל לוֹמַר תּוֹרָה מֵחֲמַת זֶה.
The Rebbe gave as an example one of his contemporaries, who could not expound on the Torah for this reason.
וְהַמּוּבָן מִדְּבָרָיו הָיָה: כִּי כְּשֶׁרוֹצִין לְחַדֵּשׁ חִדּוּשִׁין, צְרִיכִין לְצַמְצֵם אֶת מֹחוֹ לִבְלִי לָרוּץ מִיָּד לְבַלְבֵּל דַּעְתּוֹ בְּרִבּוּי הַקְדָּמוֹת שֶׁאֵינָם מֻכְרָחִים לְחִדּוּשָׁיו. וְיַעֲשֶׂה עַצְמוֹ כְּאֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ וְאָז יָכוֹל לְהוֹצִיא לָאוֹר לְחַדֵּשׁ חִדּוּשִׁים הַרְבֵּה בְּהַדְרָגָה כְּסֵדֶר.
From what the Rebbe said, we understood that if you wish to innovate, you should concentrate on the subject and not confuse yourself with extraneous introductions. Pretend that you are totally ignorant of everything except the subject at hand. You will then be able to originate many new ideas and bring them to light in order, step by step.
וְעוֹד דִּבֵּר מִזֶּה, אַךְ אִי אֶפְשָׁר לְבָאֵר דָּבָר כָּזֶה בִּכְתָב וְהֶחָכָם יָבִין מִדַּעְתּוֹ.
The Rebbe spoke about this at length, but it cannot all be put into writing. If you are wise, you will understand.