עַל־יְדֵי זֵעָה טוֹבָה
A Good Sweat Brings Joy
A good sweat — sweating through effort in something holy — brings joy, the joy of a yom tov. Sadness comes from the spleen, which holds the cloudiness of the blood; when that cloudiness overpowers, weakness and illness follow, and sweat draws the poison out, leaving the blood pure and the heart glad. The letters of zei'ah (sweat) are the first letters of 'Zeh hayom asah Hashem' — this is the day Hashem has made.
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Explainer
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הַמָּקוֹר · Original text
עַל־יְדֵי זֵעָה טוֹבָה (כְּגוֹן כְּשֶׁמַּזִּיעִין עַל־יְדֵי דָּבָר שֶׁבִּקְדֻשָּׁה), עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה נַעֲשֶׂה שִׂמְחָה, בְּחִינַת (דברים ט״ז:י״ד): וְשָׂמַחְתָּ בְּחַגֶּךָ, בְּחִינַת שִׂמְחָה שֶׁל יוֹם־טוֹב. (וְלָאו דַּוְקָא יוֹם־טוֹב מַמָּשׁ, אֶלָּא כָּל יוֹם שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת טוֹב, נִקְרָא יוֹם־טוֹב).
כִּי הַשִּׂמְחָה – עַל־יְדֵי הַדָּמִים, כִּי הָעַצְבוּת – מִן הַטְּחוֹל, וּטְחוֹל הִיא עֲכִירוּת הַדָּמִים. וּכְשֶׁמִּתְגַּבֵּר, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, עֲכִירַת הַדָּמִים שֶׁל הַטְּחוֹל, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה בָּאִין חֻלְשׁוֹת, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, כִּי כְּשֶׁהָעֲכִירַת הַדָּמִים הוּא בְּמִדָּה בַּטְּחוֹל, אֲזַי אַדְּרַבָּא, הוּא טוֹבָה מַה שֶּׁהַטְּחוֹל מְקַבֵּל הָעֲכִירַת הַדָּמִים, כִּי נִשְׁאָרִין הַדָּמִים זַכִּים; אֲבָל כְּשֶׁעֲכִירַת הַדָּמִים שֶׁל הַטְּחוֹל מִתְגַּבֵּר, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, נַעֲשִׂין חֻלְשׁוֹת, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם.
וְהָרְפוּאָה הִיא זֵעָה, כִּי עַל־יְדֵי הַזֵּעָה יוֹצֵא הָאֶרֶס, שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּהַדָּמִים הָעֲכוּרִים, שֶׁהֵם הִפִּילוּ אוֹתוֹ לְמִשְׁכָּב, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, וַאֲזַי נִשְׁאָרִין הַדָּמִים זַכִּים. וַאֲזַי זוֹכֶה לְשִׂמְחָה, כִּי עִקָּר הָעַצְבוּת – עַל־יְדֵי הַטְּחוֹל, שֶׁהוּא עֲכִירַת הַדָּמִים כַּנַּ"ל, וְעַכְשָׁו שֶׁיּוֹצְאִין עֲכִירַת הַדָּמִים עַל־יְדֵי זֵעָה, נַעֲשֶׂה שִׂמְחָה וְכוּ'.
וְזֶה אוֹתִיּוֹת זֵיעָה – רָאשֵׁי־תֵבוֹת: זֶה הַיּוֹם עָשָׂה ה' (תהילים קי״ח:כ״ד) הַיְנוּ בְּחִינַת שִׂמְחָה שֶׁל יוֹם טוֹב, שֶׁנַּעֲשֶׂה עַל־יְדֵי זֵעָה טוֹבָה כַּנַּ"ל:
וְזֶה שֶׁאָנוּ רוֹאִין, שֶׁהַחוֹלֶה תֵּכֶף כְּשֶׁמַּזִּיעַ נִמְשָׁךְ עָלָיו שִׂמְחָה, כִּי עַל־יְדֵי הַזֵּעָה נַעֲשֶׂה שִׂמְחָה, כַּנַּ"ל:
Hebrew text: Likutei Moharan Tinyana - rabenubook.com via Sefaria (Public Domain) · Sefaria. Names of Hashem are written in the customary form.
Transcripts
1-minute recap
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah six. A good sweat brings joy.
When a person sweats through something holy, joy comes: the joy of a yom tov.
Sadness comes from the spleen, the cloudiness of the blood.
The remedy is sweat. It draws the poison out, and joy returns.
The letters of zei'ah, sweat, are the first letters of 'Zeh hayom asah Hashem', this is the day Hashem has made.
Our own reflection: effort in a mitzvah clears the heart, and can turn any day into a yom tov.
Explainer
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah six: a good sweat, and the joy it brings.
Rebbe Nachman opens: through a good sweat, joy comes about. He means sweating through something holy. This is the joy of a yom tov, and any good day is a yom tov.
Why? Joy depends on the blood. Sadness comes from the spleen, which holds the cloudiness of the blood. When that cloudiness overpowers, Heaven forbid, weakness and illness follow.
The remedy is sweat. It carries the poison out, the blood is left pure, and joy comes in place of sadness.
And a hint: the letters of zei'ah, sweat, are the first letters of Zeh hayom asah Hashem: this is the day Hashem has made.
As we see: a sick person, as soon as he begins to sweat, feels gladness come over him.
Some reflections of our own, not a quotation. When a mitzvah makes you work hard, welcome the effort. It clears away heaviness, and can turn an ordinary day into a yom tov.
Full shiur
— Part 1: A Good Sweat Brings Joy —
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah six: through a good sweat. A short shiur in one part: how a holy sweat brings joy, and why.
Gold is Rebbe Nachman's own words, from Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah six. Grey is a verse or teaching he quotes. Green is our own explanation. The Hebrew is the public-domain text from Sefaria; the English is our own paraphrase.
Rebbe Nachman begins: Through a good sweat, joy comes about. This is the meaning of 'and you shall rejoice in your festival': the joy of a yom tov.
Our explanation. In brackets, the Rebbe tells us what a good sweat is: for example, when a person sweats through something holy. And he adds that the joy of a yom tov is not only for an actual festival. Any day that is good is called a yom tov, a good day. So the promise here is for every day: holy effort brings the joy of a festival.
Now he explains why. For joy comes through the blood, and sadness comes from the spleen; the spleen is the cloudiness of the blood. When the spleen's cloudy blood grows too strong, Heaven forbid, weakness comes. In proper measure it is actually good that the spleen takes in the cloudiness, for the rest of the blood stays pure; but when it overpowers, weakness follows.
And the cure: The remedy is sweat. Through sweat the poison in the cloudy blood goes out, the very thing that laid him on his sickbed, Heaven forbid, and the blood is left pure. Then he merits joy. For sadness comes mainly from the spleen, the cloudiness of the blood; and now that the cloudiness goes out through sweat, joy comes about.
Our explanation, step by step. When cloudiness gathers beyond its measure, a person feels sad and weak. A good sweat carries that cloudiness out. Then the blood is pure, and the heart is free to be glad.
Then he shows it in the holy tongue. And this is the word zei'ah, sweat: its letters are the first letters of 'Zeh hayom asah Hashem', this is the day Hashem has made. That is the joy of a yom tov, which comes through a good sweat, as above.
Our explanation. The four letters of zei'ah are the first letters of the four words of the verse. And the verse in Tehillim goes on: let us rejoice and be glad in it. So the sweat itself carries the joy of the day Hashem has made.
He ends with something we can all see. And this is what we see: as soon as a sick person sweats, joy comes over him, because through sweat joy is made, as above.
Some reflections of our own, not a quotation. When a mitzvah makes you work hard, welcome the effort. Holy effort clears away heaviness and makes room for joy. And any day can become a yom tov.
This has been Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah six.
Sources for this Torah
Texts used
Hebrew: Likutei Moharan Tinyana (Part II), Torah 6, edition 'Likutei Moharan Tinyana – rabenubook.com', public domain, via Sefaria — https://www.sefaria.org/Likutei_Moharan%2C_Part_II.6
English: our own paraphrase of the Hebrew, written for these videos. It is not copied from any published translation.
Verses and teachings of the Sages appear only as Rebbe Nachman quotes them inside this Torah.
How the text is shown
The Divine Name is shown as ה' and voiced as Hashem. Other Names are written in the customary form (אֱלֹקִים, קֵ-ל, קָהּ, שַׁ-דַּ-י, אֲדֹ-נָ-י, אֶקְיֶ-ה, צְבָקוֹת). No full Name is written or voiced.
Parenthetical source references inside the printed Hebrew are left off the screen to save space; the citation line names the source instead.
Long paragraphs are shown in consecutive pieces. Every Hebrew word on screen is from the edition above; nothing is reworded.
Cards labelled EXPLANATION (green), and every line marked 'our own reflection — not a quote', are our own words, not quotations.
Notes
Part 1, scene 3: In brackets the Rebbe adds: for example, sweating through something holy; and not only an actual festival — any good day is called a yom tov.
Every on-screen quotation in the full shiur, by part
Part 1 — A Good Sweat Brings Joy
Scene 3 · LM II:6 §1, on Devarim 16:14 · paragraph §1.1
עַל־יְדֵי זֵעָה טוֹבָה, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה נַעֲשֶׂה שִׂמְחָה, בְּחִינַת: וְשָׂמַחְתָּ בְּחַגֶּךָ, בְּחִינַת שִׂמְחָה שֶׁל יוֹם־טוֹב.
EN (our paraphrase): Through a good sweat, joy comes about. This is the meaning of 'and you shall rejoice in your festival': the joy of a yom tov.
Scene 5 · LM II:6 §1 · paragraph §1.2
כִּי הַשִּׂמְחָה – עַל־יְדֵי הַדָּמִים, כִּי הָעַצְבוּת – מִן הַטְּחוֹל, וּטְחוֹל הִיא עֲכִירוּת הַדָּמִים. וּכְשֶׁמִּתְגַּבֵּר, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, עֲכִירַת הַדָּמִים שֶׁל הַטְּחוֹל, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה בָּאִין חֻלְשׁוֹת, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, כִּי כְּשֶׁהָעֲכִירַת הַדָּמִים הוּא בְּמִדָּה בַּטְּחוֹל, אֲזַי אַדְּרַבָּא, הוּא טוֹבָה מַה שֶּׁהַטְּחוֹל מְקַבֵּל הָעֲכִירַת הַדָּמִים, כִּי נִשְׁאָרִין הַדָּמִים זַכִּים; אֲבָל כְּשֶׁעֲכִירַת הַדָּמִים שֶׁל הַטְּחוֹל מִתְגַּבֵּר, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, נַעֲשִׂין חֻלְשׁוֹת, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם.
EN (our paraphrase): For joy comes through the blood, and sadness comes from the spleen; the spleen is the cloudiness of the blood. When the spleen's cloudy blood grows too strong, Heaven forbid, weakness comes. In proper measure it is actually good that the spleen takes in the cloudiness, for the rest of the blood stays pure; but when it overpowers, weakness follows.
Scene 6 · LM II:6 §1 · paragraph §1.3
וְהָרְפוּאָה הִיא זֵעָה, כִּי עַל־יְדֵי הַזֵּעָה יוֹצֵא הָאֶרֶס, שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּהַדָּמִים הָעֲכוּרִים, שֶׁהֵם הִפִּילוּ אוֹתוֹ לְמִשְׁכָּב, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, וַאֲזַי נִשְׁאָרִין הַדָּמִים זַכִּים. וַאֲזַי זוֹכֶה לְשִׂמְחָה, כִּי עִקָּר הָעַצְבוּת – עַל־יְדֵי הַטְּחוֹל, שֶׁהוּא עֲכִירַת הַדָּמִים כַּנַּ"ל, וְעַכְשָׁו שֶׁיּוֹצְאִין עֲכִירַת הַדָּמִים עַל־יְדֵי זֵעָה, נַעֲשֶׂה שִׂמְחָה וְכוּ'.
EN (our paraphrase): The remedy is sweat. Through sweat the poison in the cloudy blood goes out, the very thing that laid him on his sickbed, Heaven forbid, and the blood is left pure. Then he merits joy. For sadness comes mainly from the spleen, the cloudiness of the blood; and now that the cloudiness goes out through sweat, joy comes about.
Scene 8 · LM II:6 §1, on Tehillim 118:24 · paragraph §1.4
וְזֶה אוֹתִיּוֹת זֵיעָה – רָאשֵׁי־תֵבוֹת: זֶה הַיּוֹם עָשָׂה ה' הַיְנוּ בְּחִינַת שִׂמְחָה שֶׁל יוֹם טוֹב, שֶׁנַּעֲשֶׂה עַל־יְדֵי זֵעָה טוֹבָה כַּנַּ"ל:
EN (our paraphrase): And this is the word zei'ah, sweat: its letters are the first letters of 'Zeh hayom asah Hashem', this is the day Hashem has made. That is the joy of a yom tov, which comes through a good sweat, as above.
Scene 10 · LM II:6 §1 · paragraph §1.5
וְזֶה שֶׁאָנוּ רוֹאִין, שֶׁהַחוֹלֶה תֵּכֶף כְּשֶׁמַּזִּיעַ נִמְשָׁךְ עָלָיו שִׂמְחָה, כִּי עַל־יְדֵי הַזֵּעָה נַעֲשֶׂה שִׂמְחָה, כַּנַּ"ל:
EN (our paraphrase): And this is what we see: as soon as a sick person sweats, joy comes over him, because through sweat joy is made, as above.
Hebrew phrases in the Explainer
Scene 2 · §1.1: זֵעָה טוֹבָה, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה נַעֲשֶׂה שִׂמְחָה,
Scene 3 · §1.2: כִּי הַשִּׂמְחָה – עַל־יְדֵי הַדָּמִים, כִּי הָעַצְבוּת – מִן הַטְּחוֹל, וּטְחוֹל הִיא עֲכִירוּת הַדָּמִים.
Scene 4 · §1.3: וְהָרְפוּאָה הִיא זֵעָה, כִּי עַל־יְדֵי הַזֵּעָה יוֹצֵא הָאֶרֶס, שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּהַדָּמִים הָעֲכוּרִים, שֶׁהֵם הִפִּילוּ אוֹתוֹ לְמִשְׁכָּב,
Scene 5 · §1.4: וְזֶה אוֹתִיּוֹת זֵיעָה – רָאשֵׁי־תֵבוֹת: זֶה הַיּוֹם עָשָׂה ה'
Scene 6 · §1.5: שֶׁהַחוֹלֶה תֵּכֶף כְּשֶׁמַּזִּיעַ נִמְשָׁךְ עָלָיו שִׂמְחָה,
Hebrew phrases in the 1-minute recap
Scene 2 · §1.1: זֵעָה טוֹבָה, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה נַעֲשֶׂה שִׂמְחָה, בְּחִינַת: וְשָׂמַחְתָּ בְּחַגֶּךָ,
Scene 3 · §1.2: כִּי הַשִּׂמְחָה – עַל־יְדֵי הַדָּמִים, כִּי הָעַצְבוּת – מִן הַטְּחוֹל,
Scene 4 · §1.3: וְהָרְפוּאָה הִיא זֵעָה, כִּי עַל־יְדֵי הַזֵּעָה יוֹצֵא הָאֶרֶס, שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּהַדָּמִים הָעֲכוּרִים, שֶׁהֵם הִפִּילוּ אוֹתוֹ לְמִשְׁכָּב,
Scene 5 · §1.4: וְזֶה אוֹתִיּוֹת זֵיעָה – רָאשֵׁי־תֵבוֹת: זֶה הַיּוֹם עָשָׂה ה'