Dealing with Fire

"and it is possible that this is the intention of the Mishneh, Avot {2:10}, "Warm yourself before the fire of the sages, but be heedful of their glowing coals for fear that you be burned" {that} it means to say {that one} should not warm {before their fire} from afar but {also} not to come exceedingly close; so that one does not cause damage that will burn him, and I believe that I have heard so in the name of my Master. and understand"

Toldos, Vayeiroh, 17d

It seems like a lot of earlier commentators (such as the Rambam, Rabbeinu Yona, Me’ieri, Rabbeinu Ovadyeh) have already understood this Mishneh along these lines. It begs the question: what is new here? Why is the Toldos quoting this in the name of the Besht?

Although I cannot answer this question with any amount of certainty or satisfaction, a friend suggested, and I suspect that he is right, that what we have here is the Besht advising us to keep a certain distance from a Zaddik, a distance that allows us to maintain our own identity.

Perhaps it was later, in 3rd generation and onward in the development of Chassidus- where complete bittul to, and the emulationof the Zaddik is encouraged (1)- here we imagery that spport the view that closeness to the Zaddik is only to “warm up,” to be inspired by him to become us not him.

Perhaps this is why the Besht continuously warns against imitating the Zaddik (2). The greatness of a Zaddik may very well lie in the fact that he lives freely, according to his own convictions, leaving room for nothing but his own conscience- a state where imitated is dead.

Like a fake rose, a fake Zaddik, may look good to the shallow amateur but it cannot bear fruit, will not have any pleasing aroma and is generally useless to the advancement of mankind.




Notes:

(1)Perhaps more culturally than official Chassidic doctrine

(2)“to do like him, but not {because one was inspired} by one’s heart” –Toldos, Vayishlach, 27a

“they did as Rashbi but not out of free will, but because they wanted to copy what others have done” – Toldos, Metzoyreh, 85a

“abandoning one’s level { a realm lower than that of the Zaddik } which is {grounded} in Nature, and the upper level {that of the Zaddik} not achieved, one remains a loser {“kerach”} on both ends” –Toldos, Mikaytz, 31a