Home › Forums › Decaffeinated Coffee › World's first chumrah › Reply To: World's first chumrah
OK. I confess. I was just WAITING for someone to bring this up.
Again. And again.
Let me try to clarify, to anyone with a truly open mind.
To ADD to HaShem’s Mitzvhos (as with all the prerequisites to transgressing to aveira of Ba’al Tosef) is ussor, wrong. That is clearly what Medrash brings on this story, where she ascribed her addendum to HaShem. ?????? ?? ??????. So Medrash brings that passuk from Mishle (forgot it, someting about not meddling into HaShem’s Mitzvhos).
To Safeguard and Protect; that is a Mitzvah. A Mitzvah to put up a fence. ??? ???? ???????. ?? ?? ????? ????? ????? ?? ????.
Indeed the whole Torah is about ??? ???? ?????. (I even think the very first Mishnah introduces that concept). A chumra is not an addendum, one is not “over baal tosef”.
No, to go out on a limb, exert extra effort, extra fervor, extra kavanah is not “another chumra” or baal tosef. It’s our way of showing HaShem our willingness and eagerness to do His bidding, we’re not just doing something to get through. We’re not here on a life mission to get away with the least connection to HaShem.