[Avodah] Napoleon

[David Riceman]

Some friends and I are (very slowly) studying some classics of mahshavah.  We’ve recently moved boldly into the Napoleonic era by studying Tanya, with Nefesh HaHayyim to follow (DV).  Last night we looked at chapters 10-12.

Here are two claims I think he made:

  1: There is a large group of people who never do anything wrong by commission or omission, and a smaller group who never desire to do anything wrong.

  2: One transitions into these groups, not via Torah uMitzvos, but via enthusiasm ("rishpei shalheves mislaheves” in chapter 9).

The problems are:

(a)  I know of no precedents for these opinions (see Koheles 7:20, Mishlei 24:16)

(b)  While I’m woefully ignorant of Hassidic literature, I also know of no one who accepts this opinion.

Can someone cite precedents and influences?

Thanks,

David Riceman