כְּשֶׁחוֹלְקִין עַל הָאָדָם, נִמְצָא שֶׁרוֹדְפִין אוֹתוֹ, וְהוּא
When People Oppose You
When people oppose a person, they are really chasing him, and each time he runs to Hashem; the more they oppose him, the closer they bring him, for Hashem is everywhere. This is 'and Pharaoh drew near': by chasing Israel, Pharaoh brought them closer to their Father in Heaven.
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הַמָּקוֹר · Original text
כְּשֶׁחוֹלְקִין עַל הָאָדָם, נִמְצָא שֶׁרוֹדְפִין אוֹתוֹ, וְהוּא בּוֹרֵחַ בְּכָל פַּעַם לְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, וְכָל מַה שֶּׁחוֹלְקִין עָלָיו יוֹתֵר, מְקָרְבִין אוֹתוֹ יוֹתֵר לְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, כִּי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ בְּכָל מָקוֹם, בִּבְחִינַת (תהילים קל״ט:ח׳): אִם אֶסַּק שָׁמַיִם שָׁם אָתָּה, וְאַצִּיעָה שְׁאוֹל הִנֶךָּ, נִמְצָא שֶׁבְּכָל מָקוֹם בּוֹרֵחַ לְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ.
וְזֶה בְּחִינַת: וּפַרְעֹה הִקְרִיב – שֶׁהִקְרִיב אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לַאֲבִיהֶם שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם (מ"ר בשלח פ' כא), שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי רְדִיפָתוֹ אוֹתָם נִתְקָרְבוּ יוֹתֵר לְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ 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 thirteen. When people oppose you.
When people oppose a person, they are really chasing him, and each time he runs to Hashem.
The more they oppose him, the closer they bring him, for Hashem is everywhere.
As Pharaoh chased Israel at the sea, and so drew them close to their Father in Heaven.
Our own reflection: when people push you, let it push you toward Hashem.
Explainer
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah thirteen: a very short Torah, about what opposition really does.
When people oppose a person, Rebbe Nachman says, they are really chasing him. And each time, he runs to Hashem.
Where can he run? Everywhere, for Hashem is everywhere: if I go up to heaven, You are there; if I go down to the depths, You are there. So the more they oppose him, the closer he comes.
This is the verse 'and Pharaoh drew near'. The Midrash reads it: Pharaoh drew Israel near to their Father in Heaven. His chasing brought them closer to Hashem.
Our own reflection: opposition can feel like being driven away. Rebbe Nachman teaches it can drive us closer, if we run in the right direction.
Full shiur
— Part 1: When People Oppose You —
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah thirteen: when people oppose a person. A short shiur in one part.
Gold is Rebbe Nachman's own words, from Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah thirteen. 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 teaches: When people oppose a person, it turns out that they are chasing him, and each time he runs away to Hashem. The more they oppose him, the more they bring him close to Hashem. For Hashem is in every place, as in 'If I go up to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, there You are.' So wherever he is, he is running to Hashem.
Our explanation. A person who is chased has to run somewhere. And since Hashem fills every place, wherever he flees, he is really fleeing toward Hashem. The harder the chase, the closer he comes.
He brings a proof from the Exodus. And this is 'and Pharaoh drew near': he drew Israel near to their Father in Heaven. For through his chasing them, they came closer to Hashem, as above.
Our explanation. At the sea, with Pharaoh's army behind them, Israel cried out to Hashem. Pharaoh meant to destroy them, and instead he drew them close.
Some reflections of our own, not a quotation. When people push you, let it push you toward Hashem. Every chase can become a running home.
This has been Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah thirteen.
Sources for this Torah
Texts used
Hebrew: Likutei Moharan Tinyana (Part II), Torah 13, edition 'Likutei Moharan Tinyana – rabenubook.com', public domain, via Sefaria — https://www.sefaria.org/Likutei_Moharan%2C_Part_II.13
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.
Every on-screen quotation in the full shiur, by part
Part 1 — When People Oppose You
Scene 3 · LM II:13 §1, on Tehillim 139:8 · paragraph §1.1
כְּשֶׁחוֹלְקִין עַל הָאָדָם, נִמְצָא שֶׁרוֹדְפִין אוֹתוֹ, וְהוּא בּוֹרֵחַ בְּכָל פַּעַם לְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, וְכָל מַה שֶּׁחוֹלְקִין עָלָיו יוֹתֵר, מְקָרְבִין אוֹתוֹ יוֹתֵר לְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, כִּי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ בְּכָל מָקוֹם, בִּבְחִינַת: אִם אֶסַּק שָׁמַיִם שָׁם אָתָּה, וְאַצִּיעָה שְׁאוֹל הִנֶךָּ, נִמְצָא שֶׁבְּכָל מָקוֹם בּוֹרֵחַ לְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ.
EN (our paraphrase): When people oppose a person, it turns out that they are chasing him, and each time he runs away to Hashem. The more they oppose him, the more they bring him close to Hashem. For Hashem is in every place, as in 'If I go up to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, there You are.' So wherever he is, he is running to Hashem.
Scene 5 · LM II:13 §1, on Shemos 14:10 (Shemos Rabbah 21) · paragraph §1.2
וְזֶה בְּחִינַת: וּפַרְעֹה הִקְרִיב – שֶׁהִקְרִיב אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לַאֲבִיהֶם שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי רְדִיפָתוֹ אוֹתָם נִתְקָרְבוּ יוֹתֵר לְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ כַּנַּ"ל:
EN (our paraphrase): And this is 'and Pharaoh drew near': he drew Israel near to their Father in Heaven. For through his chasing them, they came closer to Hashem, as above.
Hebrew phrases in the Explainer
Scene 2 · §1.1: כְּשֶׁחוֹלְקִין עַל הָאָדָם, נִמְצָא שֶׁרוֹדְפִין אוֹתוֹ, וְהוּא בּוֹרֵחַ בְּכָל פַּעַם לְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ,
Scene 3 · §1.1: אִם אֶסַּק שָׁמַיִם שָׁם אָתָּה, וְאַצִּיעָה שְׁאוֹל הִנֶךָּ,
Scene 4 · §1.2: וּפַרְעֹה הִקְרִיב – שֶׁהִקְרִיב אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לַאֲבִיהֶם שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם,
Hebrew phrases in the 1-minute recap
Scene 2 · §1.1: נִמְצָא שֶׁרוֹדְפִין אוֹתוֹ, וְהוּא בּוֹרֵחַ בְּכָל פַּעַם לְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ,
Scene 3 · §1.1: וְכָל מַה שֶּׁחוֹלְקִין עָלָיו יוֹתֵר, מְקָרְבִין אוֹתוֹ יוֹתֵר לְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ,
Scene 4 · §1.2: וּפַרְעֹה הִקְרִיב – שֶׁהִקְרִיב אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לַאֲבִיהֶם שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם,