סַכָּנָה גְּדוֹלָה לִהְיוֹת מְפֻרְסָם וּלְהַנְהִיג הָעוֹלָם. לָא
The Danger of Fame and Leadership
It is a great danger to be well known and to lead people. Not only for one who is unfit and wears a tallis that is not his, but even for true servants of Hashem, the great ones of the generation. An ordinary person almost never comes to the gravest sins; but in leading the world, and in originating new Torah, one can stumble in them at every moment, may Hashem protect us.
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הַמָּקוֹר · Original text
סַכָּנָה גְּדוֹלָה לִהְיוֹת מְפֻרְסָם וּלְהַנְהִיג הָעוֹלָם. לָא מִבָּעֲיָא כְּשֶׁאֵינוֹ רָאוּי כְּלָל, וְלוֹבֵשׁ טַלִית שֶׁאֵינוֹ שֶׁלּוֹ, רַק אֲפִלּוּ עוֹבְדֵי הַשֵּׁם בֶּאֱמֶת, גְּדוֹלֵי הַדּוֹר, יֵשׁ עֲלֵיהֶם סַכָּנוֹת נוֹרָאוֹת בְּהַנְהָגַת הָעוֹלָם.
כִּי אִישׁ פָּשׁוּט, רָחוֹק מְאֹד שֶׁיַּעֲבֹר עַל רְצִיחָה, אֲפִלּוּ אִם אֵינוֹ אִישׁ כָּשֵׁר, כִּי אֵין לוֹ תַּאֲוָה לָזֶה. וַאֲפִלּוּ כְּשֶׁמַּגִּיעַ, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, לְתַאֲוָה כָּזוֹ, רַחֲמָנָא לִצְלָן, אֵינוֹ בָּא לְיָדוֹ, וְיֵשׁ לוֹ כַּמָּה מְנִיעוֹת לָזֶה; וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם יַעֲבֹר, לֹא יַעֲבֹר כִּי־אִם לְעִתִּים רְחוֹקוֹת, וְקָרוֹב שֶׁלֹּא יַעֲבֹר רַק פַּעַם אַחַת כָּל יָמָיו.
אֲבָל בְּהַנְהָגַת הָעוֹלָם וּבְחִדּוּשִׁין דְּאוֹרַיְתָא שֶׁמְּחַדְּשִׁין, יְכוֹלִים לַעֲבֹר מַמָּשׁ גָנֹב וְנָאֹף וְרָצֹחַ בְּכָל פַּעַם, בְכָל רֶגַע, רַחֲמָנָא לִצְלָן:
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 eighteen. It is a great danger to be famous and to lead.
Not only for one who is unfit, but even for true servants of Hashem, the great ones of the generation.
An ordinary person almost never comes to the gravest sins. But one who leads, or originates new Torah, can stumble in them at every moment.
Our own reflection: influence is a heavy trust. Carry it with fear of Heaven, and with humility.
Explainer
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah eighteen: the danger of fame and leadership.
Rebbe Nachman teaches: it is a great danger to be well known and to lead the world. Obviously so for one who is unfit, who wears a tallis that is not his. But even true servants of Hashem, the great ones of the generation, face awesome dangers in leadership.
Why? An ordinary person, even one who is not so pious, is very far from the gravest sins. He has no desire for them, and if he did, many obstacles would stand in his way.
But in leading the world, and in originating new Torah, a person can actually stumble in theft, immorality and bloodshed, every time, at every moment. May Hashem protect us.
Some reflections of our own, not a quotation. Wherever we have influence, at home, among friends, in what we teach, our words carry weight. Use influence with fear of Heaven and humility, and don't run after fame.
Full shiur
— Part 1: The Danger of Fame and Leadership —
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah eighteen. A short shiur in one part: why being famous, and leading people, is so dangerous.
Gold is Rebbe Nachman's own words, from Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah eighteen. 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: It is a great danger to be famous and to lead the world. Needless to say for one who is not fit at all, who wears a tallis that is not his own. But even true servants of Hashem, the great ones of the generation, face awesome dangers in leading the world.
Our explanation. To wear a tallis that is not his own is a Sages' idiom for taking on a role a person is not fit for. The Rebbe's point is sharper: even the truly great, who are fit, are in danger, because the danger lies in leadership itself.
He explains by contrast: For an ordinary person, even one who is not so upright, is very far from committing murder, because he has no desire for it. Even if, Heaven forbid, such a desire came to him, the chance would not come his way, and many obstacles would stop him. And even if he did transgress, it would be very rare, likely only once in his whole life.
And now the danger of the leader: But in leading the world, and in the new Torah insights that one originates, a person can actually transgress theft, immorality and murder, every time, at every moment. May the Merciful One save us.
Our explanation. The Rebbe does not spell out here how this happens. The point is the scale. An ordinary person touches few lives, and rarely faces such tests. One who leads, or teaches new Torah, touches many souls at every moment, so every word and every ruling can carry the weight of the gravest sins.
Some reflections of our own, not a quotation. Influence is a heavy trust. Don't run after fame. And wherever you do lead, at home or among friends, lead with fear of Heaven and humility.
This has been Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah eighteen.
Sources for this Torah
Texts used
Hebrew: Likutei Moharan Tinyana (Part II), Torah 18, edition 'Likutei Moharan Tinyana – rabenubook.com', public domain, via Sefaria — https://www.sefaria.org/Likutei_Moharan%2C_Part_II.18
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 — The Danger of Fame and Leadership
Scene 3 · LM II:18 §1 · paragraph §1.1
סַכָּנָה גְּדוֹלָה לִהְיוֹת מְפֻרְסָם וּלְהַנְהִיג הָעוֹלָם. לָא מִבָּעֲיָא כְּשֶׁאֵינוֹ רָאוּי כְּלָל, וְלוֹבֵשׁ טַלִית שֶׁאֵינוֹ שֶׁלּוֹ, רַק אֲפִלּוּ עוֹבְדֵי הַשֵּׁם בֶּאֱמֶת, גְּדוֹלֵי הַדּוֹר, יֵשׁ עֲלֵיהֶם סַכָּנוֹת נוֹרָאוֹת בְּהַנְהָגַת הָעוֹלָם.
EN (our paraphrase): It is a great danger to be famous and to lead the world. Needless to say for one who is not fit at all, who wears a tallis that is not his own. But even true servants of Hashem, the great ones of the generation, face awesome dangers in leading the world.
Scene 5 · LM II:18 §1 · paragraph §1.2
כִּי אִישׁ פָּשׁוּט, רָחוֹק מְאֹד שֶׁיַּעֲבֹר עַל רְצִיחָה, אֲפִלּוּ אִם אֵינוֹ אִישׁ כָּשֵׁר, כִּי אֵין לוֹ תַּאֲוָה לָזֶה. וַאֲפִלּוּ כְּשֶׁמַּגִּיעַ, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, לְתַאֲוָה כָּזוֹ, רַחֲמָנָא לִצְלָן, אֵינוֹ בָּא לְיָדוֹ, וְיֵשׁ לוֹ כַּמָּה מְנִיעוֹת לָזֶה; וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם יַעֲבֹר, לֹא יַעֲבֹר כִּי־אִם לְעִתִּים רְחוֹקוֹת, וְקָרוֹב שֶׁלֹּא יַעֲבֹר רַק פַּעַם אַחַת כָּל יָמָיו.
EN (our paraphrase): For an ordinary person, even one who is not so upright, is very far from committing murder, because he has no desire for it. Even if, Heaven forbid, such a desire came to him, the chance would not come his way, and many obstacles would stop him. And even if he did transgress, it would be very rare, likely only once in his whole life.
Scene 6 · LM II:18 §1 · paragraph §1.3
אֲבָל בְּהַנְהָגַת הָעוֹלָם וּבְחִדּוּשִׁין דְּאוֹרַיְתָא שֶׁמְּחַדְּשִׁין, יְכוֹלִים לַעֲבֹר מַמָּשׁ גָנֹב וְנָאֹף וְרָצֹחַ בְּכָל פַּעַם, בְכָל רֶגַע, רַחֲמָנָא לִצְלָן:
EN (our paraphrase): But in leading the world, and in the new Torah insights that one originates, a person can actually transgress theft, immorality and murder, every time, at every moment. May the Merciful One save us.
Hebrew phrases in the Explainer
Scene 2 · §1.1: סַכָּנָה גְּדוֹלָה לִהְיוֹת מְפֻרְסָם וּלְהַנְהִיג הָעוֹלָם.
Scene 3 · §1.2: כִּי אִישׁ פָּשׁוּט, רָחוֹק מְאֹד שֶׁיַּעֲבֹר עַל רְצִיחָה, אֲפִלּוּ אִם אֵינוֹ אִישׁ כָּשֵׁר, כִּי אֵין לוֹ תַּאֲוָה לָזֶה.
Scene 4 · §1.3: אֲבָל בְּהַנְהָגַת הָעוֹלָם וּבְחִדּוּשִׁין דְּאוֹרַיְתָא שֶׁמְּחַדְּשִׁין, יְכוֹלִים לַעֲבֹר מַמָּשׁ גָנֹב וְנָאֹף וְרָצֹחַ בְּכָל פַּעַם,
Hebrew phrases in the 1-minute recap
Scene 2 · §1.1: רַק אֲפִלּוּ עוֹבְדֵי הַשֵּׁם בֶּאֱמֶת, גְּדוֹלֵי הַדּוֹר, יֵשׁ עֲלֵיהֶם סַכָּנוֹת נוֹרָאוֹת בְּהַנְהָגַת הָעוֹלָם.
Scene 3 · §1.3: אֲבָל בְּהַנְהָגַת הָעוֹלָם וּבְחִדּוּשִׁין דְּאוֹרַיְתָא שֶׁמְּחַדְּשִׁין, יְכוֹלִים לַעֲבֹר מַמָּשׁ גָנֹב וְנָאֹף וְרָצֹחַ בְּכָל פַּעַם,