כְּשֶׁמְּחַדְּשִׁין חִדּוּשֵׁי־תוֹרָה, וַאֲזַי יֵשׁ אֵלּוּ הַיְדוּעִים, הַמִּסְתַּכְּלִים
Guarding New Torah with the Codes
When new Torah insights are revealed, 'those known ones' watch and wait to get close to them. Guards must be stationed before and behind, so no stranger approaches: this is done by learning the poskim, the codes of halachah, before the new insight and after it. Then the Torah comes down and travels safely between them.
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1-minute recap
Explainer
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הַמָּקוֹר · Original text
כְּשֶׁמְּחַדְּשִׁין חִדּוּשֵׁי־תוֹרָה, וַאֲזַי יֵשׁ אֵלּוּ הַיְדוּעִים, הַמִּסְתַּכְּלִים וּמְצַפִּים עַל זֶה, וְצָרִיךְ לְהַעֲמִיד אַנְשֵׁי־חַיִל, לְהַעֲמִידָם לִפְנֵיהֶם וּלְאַחֲרֵיהֶם, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִתְקָרֵב זָר;
וְזֶה נַעֲשֶׂה עַל־יְדֵי לִמּוּד הַפּוֹסְקִים, שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לִלְמֹד פּוֹסְקִים קֹדֶם הַחִדּוּשׁ שֶׁמְּחַדֵּשׁ וְאַחַר־כָּךְ, וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה נַעֲשִׂין בְּחִינַת אַנְשֵׁי־חַיִל מִלִּפְנֵיהֶם וּמִלְּאַחֲרֵיהֶם, וְהַתּוֹרָה יוֹרֶדֶת וְהוֹלֶכֶת בֵּינֵיהֶם לָבֶטַח, כִּי הָאַנְשֵׁי־חַיִל עוֹמְדִים עִם הַכְּלֵי־זַיִן, וְאֵינָם יְכוֹלִים אֵלּוּ הַנַּ"ל לְהִתְקָרֵב:
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 twenty-one. Guarding new Torah.
When new Torah is revealed, there are those who watch and wait to get close to it.
So learn the codes of halachah before the new insight and after it. They stand guard, and the Torah comes down safely between them.
Our own reflection: let every new idea in Torah be held firmly by halachah.
Explainer
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah twenty-one: guarding new Torah with the codes.
Rebbe Nachman teaches: when new Torah insights are revealed, those known ones watch and wait for them. Guards must stand in front and behind, so no stranger comes close.
The guards are made by learning the poskim, the codes of halachah, before the new insight and after it. Then the Torah comes down and travels safely between them, for the guards are armed, and the others cannot approach.
Some reflections of our own, not a quotation. A new idea in Torah is precious, and it needs protection. Before and after you learn something new, learn some halachah.
Full shiur
— Part 1: Guarding New Torah with the Codes —
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah twenty-one. A short shiur in one part: how learning the codes of halachah guards new Torah.
Gold is Rebbe Nachman's own words, from Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah twenty-one. 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 new Torah insights are originated, there are those known ones who look on and wait for this. One must station mighty guards in front of them and behind them, so that no stranger comes close.
He explains how: This is done by learning the poskim: one must learn the codes before the new insight he originates, and afterward. Through this, mighty guards stand in front and behind, and the Torah comes down and travels between them safely; for the guards stand with their weapons, and those known ones cannot come close.
Our explanation. The Rebbe speaks guardedly of 'those known ones', forces that want to cling to new Torah. Halachah learned before and after a new insight stands around it like armed guards, and keeps it within the bounds of the Torah.
Some reflections of our own, not a quotation. A new idea in Torah is precious; protect it. Learn some halachah before you learn something new, and again after.
This has been Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah twenty-one.
Sources for this Torah
Texts used
Hebrew: Likutei Moharan Tinyana (Part II), Torah 21, edition 'Likutei Moharan Tinyana – rabenubook.com', public domain, via Sefaria — https://www.sefaria.org/Likutei_Moharan%2C_Part_II.21
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 — Guarding New Torah with the Codes
Scene 3 · LM II:21 §1 · paragraph §1.1
כְּשֶׁמְּחַדְּשִׁין חִדּוּשֵׁי־תוֹרָה, וַאֲזַי יֵשׁ אֵלּוּ הַיְדוּעִים, הַמִּסְתַּכְּלִים וּמְצַפִּים עַל זֶה, וְצָרִיךְ לְהַעֲמִיד אַנְשֵׁי־חַיִל, לְהַעֲמִידָם לִפְנֵיהֶם וּלְאַחֲרֵיהֶם, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִתְקָרֵב זָר;
EN (our paraphrase): When new Torah insights are originated, there are those known ones who look on and wait for this. One must station mighty guards in front of them and behind them, so that no stranger comes close.
Scene 4 · LM II:21 §1 · paragraph §1.2
וְזֶה נַעֲשֶׂה עַל־יְדֵי לִמּוּד הַפּוֹסְקִים, שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לִלְמֹד פּוֹסְקִים קֹדֶם הַחִדּוּשׁ שֶׁמְּחַדֵּשׁ וְאַחַר־כָּךְ, וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה נַעֲשִׂין בְּחִינַת אַנְשֵׁי־חַיִל מִלִּפְנֵיהֶם וּמִלְּאַחֲרֵיהֶם, וְהַתּוֹרָה יוֹרֶדֶת וְהוֹלֶכֶת בֵּינֵיהֶם לָבֶטַח, כִּי הָאַנְשֵׁי־חַיִל עוֹמְדִים עִם הַכְּלֵי־זַיִן, וְאֵינָם יְכוֹלִים אֵלּוּ הַנַּ"ל לְהִתְקָרֵב:
EN (our paraphrase): This is done by learning the poskim: one must learn the codes before the new insight he originates, and afterward. Through this, mighty guards stand in front and behind, and the Torah comes down and travels between them safely; for the guards stand with their weapons, and those known ones cannot come close.
Hebrew phrases in the Explainer
Scene 2 · §1.1: וְצָרִיךְ לְהַעֲמִיד אַנְשֵׁי־חַיִל, לְהַעֲמִידָם לִפְנֵיהֶם וּלְאַחֲרֵיהֶם, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִתְקָרֵב זָר;
Scene 3 · §1.2: וְהַתּוֹרָה יוֹרֶדֶת וְהוֹלֶכֶת בֵּינֵיהֶם לָבֶטַח,
Hebrew phrases in the 1-minute recap
Scene 2 · §1.1: כְּשֶׁמְּחַדְּשִׁין חִדּוּשֵׁי־תוֹרָה, וַאֲזַי יֵשׁ אֵלּוּ הַיְדוּעִים, הַמִּסְתַּכְּלִים וּמְצַפִּים עַל זֶה,
Scene 3 · §1.2: שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לִלְמֹד פּוֹסְקִים קֹדֶם הַחִדּוּשׁ שֶׁמְּחַדֵּשׁ וְאַחַר־כָּךְ,