בְּעִנְיַן הַשִּׂמְחָה.
Pulling Sadness Into the Dance
Rebbe Nachman's parable of the dancers who pull a gloomy man from outside into their circle. When a person is joyful, sadness usually just steps aside; the higher level is to chase after the sadness itself and draw it into the joy until it turns into joy. That is the meaning of 'gladness and joy shall overtake them, and sorrow and sighing shall flee' (Isaiah 35:10).
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1-minute recap
Explainer
Full shiur
הַמָּקוֹר · Original text
בְּעִנְיַן הַשִּׂמְחָה.
עַל־פִּי מָשָׁל, שֶׁלִּפְעָמִים כְּשֶׁבְּנֵי־אָדָם שְׂמֵחִים וּמְרַקְּדִים, אֲזַי חוֹטְפִים אִישׁ אֶחָד מִבַּחוּץ, שֶׁהוּא בְּעַצְבוּת וּמָרָה שְׁחֹרָה, וּמַכְנִיסִים אוֹתוֹ בְּעַל־כָּרְחוֹ לְתוֹךְ מְחוֹל הַמְרַקְּדִים, וּמַכְרִיחִים אוֹתוֹ בְּעַל־כָּרְחוֹ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה שָׂמֵחַ עִמָּהֶם גַם־כֵּן;
כֵּן יֵשׁ בְּעִנְיַן הַשִּׂמְחָה. כִּי כְּשֶׁאָדָם שָׂמֵחַ, אֲזַי הַמָּרָה שְׁחֹרָה וְיִסּוּרִים נִסְתַּלְּקִים מִן הַצַּד.
אֲבָל מַעְלָה יְתֵרָה – לְהִתְאַמֵּץ לִרְדֹּף אַחַר הַמָּרָה שְׁחֹרָה דַּוְקָא, לְהַכְנִיס אוֹתָהּ גַם־כֵּן בְּתוֹךְ הַשִּׂמְחָה, בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁהַמָּרָה שְׁחוֹרָה בְּעַצְמָהּ תִּתְהַפֵּךְ לְשִׂמְחָה. שֶׁיְּהַפֵּךְ הַמָּרָה שְׁחֹרָה וְכָל הַיִּסּוּרִין לְשִׂמְחָה, כְּדֶרֶךְ הַבָּא לְתוֹךְ הַשִּׂמְחָה, שֶׁאָז מִגֹּדֶל הַשִּׂמְחָה וְהַחֶדְוָה מְהַפֵּךְ כָּל הַדְּאָגוֹת וְהָעַצְבוּת וְהַמָּרָה שְׁחוֹרוֹת שֶׁלּוֹ לְשִׂמְחָה. נִמְצָא שֶׁחוֹטֵף הַמָּרָה שְׁחֹרָה וּמַכְנִיס אוֹתָהּ בְּעַל־כָּרְחָהּ לְתוֹךְ הַשִּׂמְחָה, כַּמָּשָׁל הַנַּ"ל.
וְזֶה בְּחִינַת (ישעיהו ל״ה:י׳): שָׂשׂוֹן וְשִׂמְחָה יַשִּׂיגוּ וְנָסוּ יָגוֹן וַאֲנָחָה – שֶׁהַיָּגוֹן וַאֲנָחָה בּוֹרְחִים וְנָסִים מִן הַשִּׂמְחָה, כִּי בְּעֵת הַשִּׂמְחָה דֶּרֶךְ הַיָּגוֹן וָאֲנָחָה לַעֲמֹד מִן הַצַּד כַּנַּ"ל, אֲבָל צָרִיךְ לִרְדֹּף אַחֲרֵיהֶם דַּיְקָא, וּלְהַשִּׂיגָם וּלְהַגִּיעָם, לְהַכְנִיס אוֹתָם דַּוְקָא לְתוֹךְ הַשִּׂמְחָה כַּנַּ"ל.
וְזֶהוּ: שָׂשׂוֹן וְשִׂמְחָה יַשִּׂיגוּ וְכוּ' – שֶׁהַשָּׂשׂוֹן וְשִׂמְחָה יַשִּׂיגוּ וְיִתְפְּסוּ אֶת הַיָּגוֹן וַאֲנָחָה, שֶׁהֵם נָסִים וּבוֹרְחִים מִן הַשִּׂמְחָה, לְהַכְנִיס אוֹתָם בְּעַל־כָּרְחָם לְתוֹךְ הַשִּׂמְחָה כַּנַּ"ל.
כִּי יֵשׁ יָגוֹן וַאֲנָחָה שֶׁהֵם הַסִּטְרָא־אָחֳרָא, שֶׁאֵינָם רוֹצִים לִהְיוֹת מֶרְכָּבָה אֶל הַקְּדֻשָּׁה, וְעַל־כֵּן הֵם בּוֹרְחִים מִן הַשִּׂמְחָה. עַל־כֵּן צָרִיךְ לְהַכְרִיחַ אוֹתָם לְהַכְנִיס אוֹתָם לְתוֹךְ הַקְּדֻשָּׁה, דְּהַיְנוּ הַשִּׂמְחָה, בְּעַל־כָּרְחָם, 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 twenty three: on joy.
When people dance with joy, they sometimes pull in a gloomy man standing outside, and make him dance with them.
Usually, when we are happy, sadness just stands to the side and waits.
The higher level is to chase the sadness itself, pull it into the joy, until it turns into joy.
As Isaiah says: gladness and joy shall overtake them, and sorrow and sighing shall flee.
Our own reflection: don't wait for the sadness to leave. Bring it into the dance.
Explainer
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah twenty three, on joy. A short teaching, with one of Rebbe Nachman's best known parables: the dancers who pull a sad man into their circle.
Picture a celebration. People are dancing in a circle. Outside stands a man who is sad and heavy hearted. Sometimes the dancers grab him, pull him into the circle even against his will, and make him rejoice with them.
So it is inside a person. When we are joyful, the gloom and the suffering step aside. They don't disappear; they wait at the edge, for the music to stop.
But there is a higher level. Make the effort to go after the sadness itself, and bring it into the joy, so that the sadness turns into joy. Like someone who walks into a wedding, and the great joy there turns all his worries into happiness.
This is the verse in Isaiah: gladness and joy shall overtake them, and sorrow and sighing shall flee. Sorrow runs from joy. So joy has to run after it, catch it, and bring it in.
Why does sadness run? Because some sorrow comes from the Other Side, and does not want to serve holiness. So it must be brought, even against its will, into holiness, into joy.
Some reflections of our own, not a quotation. Joy is not only for the good days. Take the heavy feelings with you into the dance, into the song, into the prayer, and let the joy change them.
Full shiur
— Part 1: Pulling Sadness Into the Dance —
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah twenty three: on joy. A shiur in one part: the parable of the dancers, and turning sadness itself into joy.
Gold is Rebbe Nachman's own words, from Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah twenty three. 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.
On joy. A parable: sometimes, when people are rejoicing and dancing, they grab a man from outside who is sad and gloomy, and bring him, against his will, into the circle of dancers, and make him, against his will, rejoice with them too.
He applies it. So it is with joy. When a person is joyful, the gloom and the suffering move off to the side.
Our explanation. Marah shechorah, literally black bile, is the old name for gloom and heaviness of spirit. In a moment of joy it steps aside, but it waits at the edge. Rebbe Nachman is not satisfied with pushing it away; he wants it transformed.
But the higher level is to make the effort to chase after the gloom itself, and bring it too into the joy, so that the gloom itself turns into joy: to turn the gloom and all the suffering into joy, the way it is when someone comes into a celebration.
For then, from the greatness of the joy and gladness, all his worries, sadness and gloom are turned into joy. So he grabs the gloom and brings it, against its will, into the joy, as in the parable.
Now the verse. This is the meaning of 'gladness and joy shall overtake them, and sorrow and sighing shall flee'. Sorrow and sighing run away from joy; at a time of joy, their way is to stand aside. But one must chase after them, overtake them and reach them, and bring them right into the joy.
So: 'gladness and joy shall overtake them'. Gladness and joy catch hold of the sorrow and sighing that are fleeing from the joy, to bring them, against their will, into the joy.
For there is sorrow and sighing that belong to the Other Side, which do not want to become a chariot for holiness; that is why they flee from joy. So one has to compel them, and bring them, against their will, into holiness, that is, into joy.
Our explanation, step by step. On the first level, joy comes and sadness steps aside. On the higher level, we go after the sadness, instead of leaving it waiting at the edge. And we bring it into the joy, until the sadness itself becomes joy.
Some reflections of our own, not a quotation. Don't wait for the heaviness to leave before you sing. Bring it with you, into the dance, the song and the prayer. Let the joy catch it, and change it.
This has been Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah twenty three.
Sources for this Torah
Texts used
Hebrew: Likutei Moharan Tinyana (Part II), Torah 23, edition 'Likutei Moharan Tinyana – rabenubook.com', public domain, via Sefaria — https://www.sefaria.org/Likutei_Moharan%2C_Part_II.23
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 — Pulling Sadness Into the Dance
Scene 3 · LM II:23 §1 · paragraph §1.1, §1.2
בְּעִנְיַן הַשִּׂמְחָה. עַל־פִּי מָשָׁל, שֶׁלִּפְעָמִים כְּשֶׁבְּנֵי־אָדָם שְׂמֵחִים וּמְרַקְּדִים, אֲזַי חוֹטְפִים אִישׁ אֶחָד מִבַּחוּץ, שֶׁהוּא בְּעַצְבוּת וּמָרָה שְׁחֹרָה, וּמַכְנִיסִים אוֹתוֹ בְּעַל־כָּרְחוֹ לְתוֹךְ מְחוֹל הַמְרַקְּדִים, וּמַכְרִיחִים אוֹתוֹ בְּעַל־כָּרְחוֹ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה שָׂמֵחַ עִמָּהֶם גַם־כֵּן;
EN (our paraphrase): On joy. A parable: sometimes, when people are rejoicing and dancing, they grab a man from outside who is sad and gloomy, and bring him, against his will, into the circle of dancers, and make him, against his will, rejoice with them too.
Scene 4 · LM II:23 §1 · paragraph §1.3
כֵּן יֵשׁ בְּעִנְיַן הַשִּׂמְחָה. כִּי כְּשֶׁאָדָם שָׂמֵחַ, אֲזַי הַמָּרָה שְׁחֹרָה וְיִסּוּרִים נִסְתַּלְּקִים מִן הַצַּד.
EN (our paraphrase): So it is with joy. When a person is joyful, the gloom and the suffering move off to the side.
Scene 6 · LM II:23 §1 · paragraph §1.4
אֲבָל מַעְלָה יְתֵרָה – לְהִתְאַמֵּץ לִרְדֹּף אַחַר הַמָּרָה שְׁחֹרָה דַּוְקָא, לְהַכְנִיס אוֹתָהּ גַם־כֵּן בְּתוֹךְ הַשִּׂמְחָה, בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁהַמָּרָה שְׁחוֹרָה בְּעַצְמָהּ תִּתְהַפֵּךְ לְשִׂמְחָה. שֶׁיְּהַפֵּךְ הַמָּרָה שְׁחֹרָה וְכָל הַיִּסּוּרִין לְשִׂמְחָה, כְּדֶרֶךְ הַבָּא לְתוֹךְ הַשִּׂמְחָה,
EN (our paraphrase): But the higher level is to make the effort to chase after the gloom itself, and bring it too into the joy, so that the gloom itself turns into joy: to turn the gloom and all the suffering into joy, the way it is when someone comes into a celebration.
Scene 7 · LM II:23 §1 · paragraph §1.4
שֶׁאָז מִגֹּדֶל הַשִּׂמְחָה וְהַחֶדְוָה מְהַפֵּךְ כָּל הַדְּאָגוֹת וְהָעַצְבוּת וְהַמָּרָה שְׁחוֹרוֹת שֶׁלּוֹ לְשִׂמְחָה. נִמְצָא שֶׁחוֹטֵף הַמָּרָה שְׁחֹרָה וּמַכְנִיס אוֹתָהּ בְּעַל־כָּרְחָהּ לְתוֹךְ הַשִּׂמְחָה, כַּמָּשָׁל הַנַּ"ל.
EN (our paraphrase): For then, from the greatness of the joy and gladness, all his worries, sadness and gloom are turned into joy. So he grabs the gloom and brings it, against its will, into the joy, as in the parable.
Scene 8 · LM II:23 §1, on Yeshayahu 35:10 · paragraph §1.5
וְזֶה בְּחִינַת: שָׂשׂוֹן וְשִׂמְחָה יַשִּׂיגוּ וְנָסוּ יָגוֹן וַאֲנָחָה – שֶׁהַיָּגוֹן וַאֲנָחָה בּוֹרְחִים וְנָסִים מִן הַשִּׂמְחָה, כִּי בְּעֵת הַשִּׂמְחָה דֶּרֶךְ הַיָּגוֹן וָאֲנָחָה לַעֲמֹד מִן הַצַּד כַּנַּ"ל, אֲבָל צָרִיךְ לִרְדֹּף אַחֲרֵיהֶם דַּיְקָא, וּלְהַשִּׂיגָם וּלְהַגִּיעָם, לְהַכְנִיס אוֹתָם דַּוְקָא לְתוֹךְ הַשִּׂמְחָה כַּנַּ"ל.
EN (our paraphrase): This is the meaning of 'gladness and joy shall overtake them, and sorrow and sighing shall flee'. Sorrow and sighing run away from joy; at a time of joy, their way is to stand aside. But one must chase after them, overtake them and reach them, and bring them right into the joy.
Scene 9 · LM II:23 §1 · paragraph §1.6
וְזֶהוּ: שָׂשׂוֹן וְשִׂמְחָה יַשִּׂיגוּ וְכוּ' – שֶׁהַשָּׂשׂוֹן וְשִׂמְחָה יַשִּׂיגוּ וְיִתְפְּסוּ אֶת הַיָּגוֹן וַאֲנָחָה, שֶׁהֵם נָסִים וּבוֹרְחִים מִן הַשִּׂמְחָה, לְהַכְנִיס אוֹתָם בְּעַל־כָּרְחָם לְתוֹךְ הַשִּׂמְחָה כַּנַּ"ל.
EN (our paraphrase): So: 'gladness and joy shall overtake them'. Gladness and joy catch hold of the sorrow and sighing that are fleeing from the joy, to bring them, against their will, into the joy.
Scene 10 · LM II:23 §1 · paragraph §1.7
כִּי יֵשׁ יָגוֹן וַאֲנָחָה שֶׁהֵם הַסִּטְרָא־אָחֳרָא, שֶׁאֵינָם רוֹצִים לִהְיוֹת מֶרְכָּבָה אֶל הַקְּדֻשָּׁה, וְעַל־כֵּן הֵם בּוֹרְחִים מִן הַשִּׂמְחָה. עַל־כֵּן צָרִיךְ לְהַכְרִיחַ אוֹתָם לְהַכְנִיס אוֹתָם לְתוֹךְ הַקְּדֻשָּׁה, דְּהַיְנוּ הַשִּׂמְחָה, בְּעַל־כָּרְחָם, כַּנַּ"ל:
EN (our paraphrase): For there is sorrow and sighing that belong to the Other Side, which do not want to become a chariot for holiness; that is why they flee from joy. So one has to compel them, and bring them, against their will, into holiness, that is, into joy.
Hebrew phrases in the Explainer
Scene 2 · §1.2: חוֹטְפִים אִישׁ אֶחָד מִבַּחוּץ, שֶׁהוּא בְּעַצְבוּת וּמָרָה שְׁחֹרָה, וּמַכְנִיסִים אוֹתוֹ בְּעַל־כָּרְחוֹ לְתוֹךְ מְחוֹל הַמְרַקְּדִים,
Scene 3 · §1.3: כְּשֶׁאָדָם שָׂמֵחַ, אֲזַי הַמָּרָה שְׁחֹרָה וְיִסּוּרִים נִסְתַּלְּקִים מִן הַצַּד.
Scene 4 · §1.4: לְהִתְאַמֵּץ לִרְדֹּף אַחַר הַמָּרָה שְׁחֹרָה דַּוְקָא, לְהַכְנִיס אוֹתָהּ גַם־כֵּן בְּתוֹךְ הַשִּׂמְחָה,
Scene 5 · §1.5: שָׂשׂוֹן וְשִׂמְחָה יַשִּׂיגוּ וְנָסוּ יָגוֹן וַאֲנָחָה
Scene 6 · §1.7: יֵשׁ יָגוֹן וַאֲנָחָה שֶׁהֵם הַסִּטְרָא־אָחֳרָא, שֶׁאֵינָם רוֹצִים לִהְיוֹת מֶרְכָּבָה אֶל הַקְּדֻשָּׁה,
Hebrew phrases in the 1-minute recap
Scene 2 · §1.2: חוֹטְפִים אִישׁ אֶחָד מִבַּחוּץ,
Scene 3 · §1.3: כְּשֶׁאָדָם שָׂמֵחַ, אֲזַי הַמָּרָה שְׁחֹרָה וְיִסּוּרִים נִסְתַּלְּקִים מִן הַצַּד.
Scene 4 · §1.4: לְהִתְאַמֵּץ לִרְדֹּף אַחַר הַמָּרָה שְׁחֹרָה דַּוְקָא, לְהַכְנִיס אוֹתָהּ גַם־כֵּן בְּתוֹךְ הַשִּׂמְחָה,
Scene 5 · §1.5: שָׂשׂוֹן וְשִׂמְחָה יַשִּׂיגוּ וְנָסוּ יָגוֹן וַאֲנָחָה