Life is a series of tests. No, not the kind we take in school. The kind in which we have to make a choice and hope that the choice in front of us is the best possible solution in a given situation. At times, it is important to confront our problems with a multi step approach in which we try to imagine the results of several possible outcomes before choosing the “best” approach as we see it. Of course, if you are like me, you get stuck in this overthinking state and perhaps never even get to the solution. And even if you make a choice, you spend hours, days, perhaps weeks replaying the options in your head.
Last year, I spent a bit of time writing about and reflecting on some of Rebbe Nachman’s teachings on faith from the work Likkutei Etzot, a book that gathers quotations and aphorisms based on the teachings of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov (see here for the introduction to this series and search throughout for the previous pieces I wrote up at that time). In circling back around to this book while doing some further reflective work, I came across two important and complimentary aphorisms about overthinking.
.הַחָכְמוֹת מַזִּיקִים מְאֹד לְהָאָדָם, וְהַחֲכָמִים נִלְכָּדִין בְּחָכְמָתָן שֶׁל עַצְמָן. וְצָרִיךְ לְהִתְרַחֵק מְאֹד מִכָּל מִינֵי חָכְמוֹת שֶׁיֵּשׁ לִקְצָת אֲנָשִׁים שֶׁהֵם חֲכָמִים בְּעֵינֵיהֶם, וְנִדְמֶה לָהֶם שֶׁהֵם יוֹדְעִים חָכְמוֹת גְּדוֹלוֹת בַּעֲבוֹדַת ה’. כִּי כָּל אֵלּוּ הַחָכְמוֹת הֵם שְׁטוּתִים גְּדוֹלִים, כִּי אֵין צְרִיכִין אֵלּוּ הַחָכְמוֹת כְּלָל לַעֲבוֹדַת הַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ. כִּי הָעִקָּר הוּא רַק תְּמִימוּת וּפְשִׁיטוּת וֶאֱמוּנָה שְׁלֵמָה בְּהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ וּבְצַדִּיקֵי אֱמֶת. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁגַּם בְּהַתְּמִימוּת צְרִיכִין לִזָּהֵר לִבְלִי לִהְיוֹת שׁוֹטֶה, אַף עַל פִּי כֵן חָכְמוֹת אֵין צְרִיכִין כְּלָל. וִיכוֹלִין לָבוֹא לְשִׂמְחָה גְּדוֹלָה עַל־יְדֵי תְּמִימוּת וֶאֱמוּנָה בִּפְשִׁיטוּת גָּמוּר: (שם)
Sophistication can be very harmful. Thinkers are easily trapped in their own wisdom. Keep well away from the wisdom of those self-important people who believe they know great truths about serving God. Their wisdom is nothing but foolishness. All their sophistication is quite unnecessary in serving God. The main thing is to be pure and simple and to have pure faith in God and His Tzaddikim. True, you have to be careful that you are being pure and simple as opposed to idiotic. But sophistication is entirely unnecessary. Simplicity, purity and faith can bring you to great joy (Ibid.).
. זֶה עִקַּר הַחָכְמָה, שֶׁיַּשְׂכִּיל שֶׁרָחוֹק מִמֶּנּוּ הַחָכְמָה: (לק”ת סי’ פ”ג)
The greatest sophistication is to work out how to avoid sophistication (Ibid. 83).
Likkutei Etzot, Temimut 5 and 6
Rebbe Nachman suggested an interesting balance in our lives. On the one hand, we are to avoid sophistry and the “deep” thinking of those who claim to have all the answers. On the other hand, as is evidenced in this second quote, the need to avoid sophistication is not a suggestion of not learning and thinking. Rather, it is the recognition that we must not allow our minds to take control of our heart and soul. There is a place for thinking and a place for putting aside our thinking. For example, in a third piece from this section, we see how Rebbe Nachman sees this sophisticated simplicity.
צָרִיךְ לִזָּהֵר לְקַיֵּם הָעֲבוֹדוֹת הַפְּשׁוּטוֹת וְהַמִּנְהָגִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל, כְּגוֹן לוֹמַר זְמִירוֹת בְּשַׁבָּת וּבְמוֹצָאֵי שַׁבָּת וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה. וְטוֹב מְאֹד מִי שֶׁיָּכוֹל לוֹמַר תְּחִנּוֹת וּבַקָּשׁוֹת הַרְבֵּה, כְּגוֹן הַתְּחִנּוֹת שֶׁבְּתוֹךְ הַסִּדּוּרִים הַגְּדוֹלִים וְכַיּוֹצֵא, וְלֹא כְּמוֹ הַחֲכָמִים בְּעֵינֵיהֶם הַמִּתְלוֹצְצִים מִזֶּה. כִּי בֶּאֱמֶת עִקַּר הַיַּהֲדוּת הִיא פְּשִׁיטוּת וּתְמִימוּת בְּלִי שׁוּם חָכְמוֹת כְּלָל: (שיחות הר”ן סי’ קנ”ה)
You should be careful to follow the simple devotions and sacred customs of Israel such as singing songs on Shabbat and at the conclusion of Shabbat, and similar practices. It is good to recite many prayers and supplications — such as those printed in the large prayer books. People think it is clever to ridicule these practices. But they are wrong. The essence of Judaism is simplicity and purity, without sophistication at all (Rabbi Nachman’s Wisdom 155).
Likkutei Etzot, Temimut 7
Circling back around to our topic, I think the same advice we see in these three pieces can be extremely important in creating a mindset that can help us overcome the doubts we have about our choices (see this short piece on analysis paralysis). It is important to think through the possibilities we have before us, at least the ones we can anticipate. This is true in all aspects of our lives, from choices in career and place to live to the ways we enhance our spiritual and emotional lives. Yet, we cannot just remain in the planning and thinking stages. We need to make decisions and take action.
There is a time for study and reflection and there is a time for action. In the moments of action, we cannot get bogged down in the questions. This is the sophisticated simplicity that Rebbe Nachman suggests to us.
As you go about your day, may you find the ability to foster this sophisticated spirituality and through that reach new heights in your spiritual and emotional growth.
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