דַּע, כְּשֶׁהָאָדָם מִתְפַּלֵּל בַּשָּׂדֶה, אֲזַי כָּל הָעֲשָׂבִים
Praying in the Field
When a person prays in the field, all the grasses and plants enter his prayer and give it strength. That is why prayer is called sichah, like the 'siach hasadeh', the shrubs of the field, and why Yitzchak 'went out lasuach basadeh'. So the curse 'the earth will not give its yield' means the earth's help to prayer is held back. Even indoors, what is near a person — his food and drink — helps his prayer, but in the field the help is greatest; yevul (yield) is the initials of 'Vayeitzei Yitzchak lasuach basadeh'.
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הַמָּקוֹר · Original text
דַּע, כְּשֶׁהָאָדָם מִתְפַּלֵּל בַּשָּׂדֶה, אֲזַי כָּל הָעֲשָׂבִים כֻּלָּם בָּאִין בְּתוֹךְ הַתְּפִלָּה, וּמְסַיְּעִין לוֹ, וְנוֹתְנִין לוֹ כֹּחַ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ.
וְזֶה בְּחִינַת שֶׁנִּקְרֵאת הַתְּפִלָּה שִׂיחָה, בְּחִינַת (בראשית ב): שִׂיחַ הַשָּׂדֶה, שֶׁכָּל שִׂיחַ הַשָּׂדֶה נוֹתְנִין כֹּחַ וְסִיּוּעַ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ. וְזֶה בְּחִינַת (שם כד): וַיֵּצֵא יִצְחָק לָשׂוּחַ בַּשָּׂדֶה – שֶׁתְּפִלָּתוֹ הָיְתָה עִם סִיּוּעַ וְכֹחַ הַשָּׂדֶה, שֶׁכָּל עִשְׂבֵי הַשָּׂדֶה נָתְנוּ כֹּחַ וְסִיּוּעַ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ כַּנַּ"ל, שֶׁבִּשְׁבִיל זֶה נִקְרֵאת הַתְּפִלָּה שִׂיחָה כַּנַּ"ל.
וְעַל־כֵּן בַּקְּלָלָה נֶאֱמָר (דברים יא): וְהָאֲדָמָה לֹא תִתֵּן אֶת יְבוּלָהּ; כִּי כָל יְבוּל הָאָרֶץ צְרִיכִין לִתֵּן כֹּחַ וְסִיּוּעַ בְּתוֹךְ הַתְּפִלָּה, וּכְשֶׁיֵּשׁ פְּגָם וְעִכּוּב עַל זֶה, אֲזַי נֶאֱמַר: וְהָאֲדָמָה לֹא תִתֵּן אֶת יְבוּלָהּ.
כִּי אֲפִלּוּ כְּשֶׁאֵינוֹ מִתְפַּלֵּל בַּשָּׂדֶה, נוֹתְנִים גַם־כֵּן יְבוּל הָאָרֶץ סִיּוּעַ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ, דְּהַיְנוּ כָּל מַה שֶּׁסָּמוּךְ אֶל הָאָדָם, כְּגוֹן אֲכִילָתוֹ וּשְׁתִיָּתוֹ וְכַיּוֹצֵא, רַק כְּשֶׁהוּא בַּשָּׂדֶה, שֶׁאֲזַי סָמוּךְ לָהֶם בְּיוֹתֵר, אֲזַי כָּל הָעֲשָׂבִים וְכָל יְבוּל הָאֲדָמָה נוֹתֵן כֹּחַ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ כַּנַּ"ל.
וְזֶה יְבוּל – רָאשֵׁי־תֵבוֹת: וַיֵּצֵא יִצְחָק לָשׂוּחַ בַּשָּׂדֶה – שֶׁכָּל יְבוּל הַשָּׂדֶה הִתְפַּלְּלוּ עִמּוֹ, כַּנַּ"ל:
(זֶה הָעִנְיָן מְבֹאָר הֵיטֵב בַּמַּאֲמָר "תִּקְעוּ בַחֹדֶשׁ שׁוֹפָר", הַמַּתְחִיל בְּדַף א, עַיֵּן שָׁם):
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 eleven. Praying in the field.
When a person prays in the field, all the grasses come into his prayer and give it strength.
That is why prayer is called sichah, like the siach, the shrubs of the field. And Yitzchak went out to pray in the field.
Yevul, the earth's yield, is the initials of Vayeitzei Yitzchak lasuach basadeh. The whole yield of the field prayed with him.
Our own reflection: when you can, take your prayer outside. The whole field is waiting to pray with you.
Explainer
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah eleven: praying in the field. A very short teaching about prayer and the growing world.
Rebbe Nachman says: know that when a person prays in the field, all the grasses enter his prayer. They help him and give strength to his prayer.
That is why prayer is called sichah, from siach hasadeh, the shrubs of the field. And it is why the Torah says Yitzchak went out lasuach basadeh, to pray in the field: his prayer had the help of the whole field.
So when the Torah warns that the earth will not give its yield, it means that this help to prayer is held back.
Even indoors, the earth's yield helps a person pray: his food and drink, whatever is near him. But in the field he is closest to it, and then all the grasses give strength to his prayer.
And a hint: yevul, the yield, is the initials of Vayeitzei Yitzchak lasuach basadeh. The whole yield of the field prayed with him.
Some reflections of our own, not a quotation. When you can, take your prayer and your private talk with Hashem outside, among the grass and the trees. And even indoors, remember that your food and drink are helping you pray.
Full shiur
— Part 1: The Field Prays With You —
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah eleven: when a person prays in the field. A short shiur in one part: how the grasses of the field join a person's prayer.
Gold is Rebbe Nachman's own words, from Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah eleven. 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: Know: when a person prays in the field, all the grasses, every one of them, come into the prayer. They help him and give him strength in his prayer.
He shows it in two verses. This is why prayer is called sichah, from 'the siach of the field', for all the shrubs of the field give strength and help to his prayer. And this is 'Yitzchak went out lasuach in the field': his prayer had the help and strength of the field, for all the grasses of the field gave strength and help to his prayer. That is why prayer is called sichah.
Our explanation. In the holy tongue, sichah means a heartfelt talk, and Yitzchak's going out lasuach in the field was a going out to pray. The very same root names the siach, the shrubs of the field. Rebbe Nachman joins them: when a person pours out his heart in the field, the plants of the field join in his words.
Then he reads a verse from the Shema in this light. Therefore in the curse it says: 'and the earth will not give its yield'. For all the yield of the earth must give strength and help within prayer, and when there is a flaw or a holding back in this, then it says: 'and the earth will not give its yield'.
And he adds an important point. For even when he does not pray in the field, the yield of the earth still helps his prayer: that is, everything close to a person, such as his eating and drinking and the like. Only when he is in the field, he is closest to them, and then all the grasses and all the yield of the earth give strength to his prayer.
Our explanation, step by step. Indoors, the earth's yield reaches our prayer through what is close to us, our food and drink. In the field, we stand among the grasses themselves, and then all of them add their strength. The whole yield of the earth prays with the person.
He closes with a hint in the letters. And this is yevul, yield: its letters are the first letters of 'Vayeitzei Yitzchak lasuach basadeh', for all the yield of the field prayed with him, as above.
Our explanation. In brackets, the Rebbe adds that this matter is explained well in the discourse Tik'u vachodesh shofar, the first Torah of this book. That Torah is also in this series, and it is worth learning beside this one.
Some reflections of our own, not a quotation. When you can, take your prayer outside, among the grass and the trees. Even indoors, the food that sustains you is helping you pray. You never pray alone: the whole field prays with you.
This has been Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah eleven.
Sources for this Torah
Texts used
Hebrew: Likutei Moharan Tinyana (Part II), Torah 11, edition 'Likutei Moharan Tinyana – rabenubook.com', public domain, via Sefaria — https://www.sefaria.org/Likutei_Moharan%2C_Part_II.11
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 9: §1.6 is a bracketed cross-reference to the discourse 'Tik'u vachodesh shofar' (LM II:1), read in the narration.
Every on-screen quotation in the full shiur, by part
Part 1 — The Field Prays With You
Scene 3 · LM II:11 §1 · paragraph §1.1
דַּע, כְּשֶׁהָאָדָם מִתְפַּלֵּל בַּשָּׂדֶה, אֲזַי כָּל הָעֲשָׂבִים כֻּלָּם בָּאִין בְּתוֹךְ הַתְּפִלָּה, וּמְסַיְּעִין לוֹ, וְנוֹתְנִין לוֹ כֹּחַ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ.
EN (our paraphrase): Know: when a person prays in the field, all the grasses, every one of them, come into the prayer. They help him and give him strength in his prayer.
Scene 4 · LM II:11 §1, on Bereishis 2:5 and 24:63 · paragraph §1.2
וְזֶה בְּחִינַת שֶׁנִּקְרֵאת הַתְּפִלָּה שִׂיחָה, בְּחִינַת: שִׂיחַ הַשָּׂדֶה, שֶׁכָּל שִׂיחַ הַשָּׂדֶה נוֹתְנִין כֹּחַ וְסִיּוּעַ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ. וְזֶה בְּחִינַת: וַיֵּצֵא יִצְחָק לָשׂוּחַ בַּשָּׂדֶה – שֶׁתְּפִלָּתוֹ הָיְתָה עִם סִיּוּעַ וְכֹחַ הַשָּׂדֶה, שֶׁכָּל עִשְׂבֵי הַשָּׂדֶה נָתְנוּ כֹּחַ וְסִיּוּעַ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ כַּנַּ"ל, שֶׁבִּשְׁבִיל זֶה נִקְרֵאת הַתְּפִלָּה שִׂיחָה כַּנַּ"ל.
EN (our paraphrase): This is why prayer is called sichah, from 'the siach of the field', for all the shrubs of the field give strength and help to his prayer. And this is 'Yitzchak went out lasuach in the field': his prayer had the help and strength of the field, for all the grasses of the field gave strength and help to his prayer. That is why prayer is called sichah.
Scene 6 · LM II:11 §1, on Devarim 11:17 · paragraph §1.3
וְעַל־כֵּן בַּקְּלָלָה נֶאֱמָר: וְהָאֲדָמָה לֹא תִתֵּן אֶת יְבוּלָהּ; כִּי כָל יְבוּל הָאָרֶץ צְרִיכִין לִתֵּן כֹּחַ וְסִיּוּעַ בְּתוֹךְ הַתְּפִלָּה, וּכְשֶׁיֵּשׁ פְּגָם וְעִכּוּב עַל זֶה, אֲזַי נֶאֱמַר: וְהָאֲדָמָה לֹא תִתֵּן אֶת יְבוּלָהּ.
EN (our paraphrase): Therefore in the curse it says: 'and the earth will not give its yield'. For all the yield of the earth must give strength and help within prayer, and when there is a flaw or a holding back in this, then it says: 'and the earth will not give its yield'.
Scene 7 · LM II:11 §1 · paragraph §1.4
כִּי אֲפִלּוּ כְּשֶׁאֵינוֹ מִתְפַּלֵּל בַּשָּׂדֶה, נוֹתְנִים גַם־כֵּן יְבוּל הָאָרֶץ סִיּוּעַ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ, דְּהַיְנוּ כָּל מַה שֶּׁסָּמוּךְ אֶל הָאָדָם, כְּגוֹן אֲכִילָתוֹ וּשְׁתִיָּתוֹ וְכַיּוֹצֵא, רַק כְּשֶׁהוּא בַּשָּׂדֶה, שֶׁאֲזַי סָמוּךְ לָהֶם בְּיוֹתֵר, אֲזַי כָּל הָעֲשָׂבִים וְכָל יְבוּל הָאֲדָמָה נוֹתֵן כֹּחַ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ כַּנַּ"ל.
EN (our paraphrase): For even when he does not pray in the field, the yield of the earth still helps his prayer: that is, everything close to a person, such as his eating and drinking and the like. Only when he is in the field, he is closest to them, and then all the grasses and all the yield of the earth give strength to his prayer.
Scene 9 · LM II:11 §1 · paragraph §1.5, §1.6
וְזֶה יְבוּל – רָאשֵׁי־תֵבוֹת: וַיֵּצֵא יִצְחָק לָשׂוּחַ בַּשָּׂדֶה – שֶׁכָּל יְבוּל הַשָּׂדֶה הִתְפַּלְּלוּ עִמּוֹ, כַּנַּ"ל: זֶה הָעִנְיָן מְבֹאָר הֵיטֵב בַּמַּאֲמָר "תִּקְעוּ בַחֹדֶשׁ שׁוֹפָר", הַמַּתְחִיל בְּדַף א, עַיֵּן שָׁם:
EN (our paraphrase): And this is yevul, yield: its letters are the first letters of 'Vayeitzei Yitzchak lasuach basadeh', for all the yield of the field prayed with him, as above.
Hebrew phrases in the Explainer
Scene 2 · §1.1: כָּל הָעֲשָׂבִים כֻּלָּם בָּאִין בְּתוֹךְ הַתְּפִלָּה,
Scene 3 · §1.2: וַיֵּצֵא יִצְחָק לָשׂוּחַ בַּשָּׂדֶה
Scene 4 · §1.3: וְהָאֲדָמָה לֹא תִתֵּן אֶת יְבוּלָהּ;
Scene 5 · §1.4: רַק כְּשֶׁהוּא בַּשָּׂדֶה,
Scene 6 · §1.5: שֶׁכָּל יְבוּל הַשָּׂדֶה הִתְפַּלְּלוּ עִמּוֹ,
Hebrew phrases in the 1-minute recap
Scene 2 · §1.1: כָּל הָעֲשָׂבִים כֻּלָּם בָּאִין בְּתוֹךְ הַתְּפִלָּה, וּמְסַיְּעִין לוֹ, וְנוֹתְנִין לוֹ כֹּחַ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ.
Scene 3 · §1.2: שֶׁנִּקְרֵאת הַתְּפִלָּה שִׂיחָה, בְּחִינַת: שִׂיחַ הַשָּׂדֶה,
Scene 4 · §1.5: שֶׁכָּל יְבוּל הַשָּׂדֶה הִתְפַּלְּלוּ עִמּוֹ,