שַׁיָּךְ לְא"ב הֶחָדָשׁ – שִׁכְרוּת אוֹת ד'צָרִיךְ
Wine in Measure, Not Drunkenness
Stay far from drunkenness and do not drink more than you can bear; a little wine, as needed, broadens the mind. Da'as is clothed in chasadim, kindnesses, so measured drinking lifts the mind and increases kindness: 'one who is appeased by his wine has the da'as of his Maker'. Too much strengthens harsh judgements and anger, and makes a person forget the 248 mitzvos that Moshe, the da'as within each limb, reminds him of.
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Explainer
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הַמָּקוֹר · Original text
שַׁיָּךְ לְא"ב הֶחָדָשׁ – שִׁכְרוּת אוֹת ד' צָרִיךְ לְהַרְחִיק מִשִּׁכְרוּת, וּלְדַקְדֵּק שֶׁלֹּא לִשְׁתּוֹת יוֹתֵר מִיכָלְתּוֹ, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יָבוֹא לִידֵי שִׁכְרוּת, כִּי מְעַט הַשְּׁתִיָּה לְפִי הַצֹּרֶךְ הוּא טוֹבָה לְהַרְחִיב דַּעְתּוֹ.
וְדַע, כִּי הַדַּעַת מְלֻבָּשׁ בַּחֲסָדִים, וּכְשֶׁשּׁוֹתֶה בְּמִדָּה כָּרָאוּי לְפִי עֶרְכּוֹ, אֲזַי נִתְרַחֵב דַּעְתּוֹ וְנִתְרוֹמֵם מֹחוֹ, וַאֲזַי נִגְדָּלִין הַחֲסָדִים בְּיוֹתֵר עַל־יְדֵי הַשְּׁתִיָּה. כִּי כְּשֶׁנִּתְרוֹמֵם הַדַּעַת, נִתְרוֹמְמִין וְנִגְדָּלִין הַחֲסָדִים, כִּי הַדַּעַת מְלֻבָּשׁ בָּחֲסָדִים כַּנַּ"ל.
וְעַל זֶה אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (ערובין סה): כָּל הַמִּתְפַּתֶּה בְּיֵינוֹ, יֵשׁ בּוֹ מִדַּעַת קוֹנוֹ. מִתְפַּתֶּה דַּיְקָא, בְּחִינַת חֲסָדִים, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי הַיַּיִן נִגְדָּלִין הַחֲסָדִים. וְזֶהוּ מִתְפַּתֶּה – שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי הַגְדָּלַת הַחֲסָדִים הוּא מִתְפַּתֶּה וּמִתְפַּיֵּס, אַף־עַל־פִּי שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה רָאוּי לְהִתְפַּתּוֹת לְפִי חֲסָדִים סְתָם, וְהָיָה יָכוֹל לִהְיוֹת רֹגֶז, אֲבָל עַל־יְדֵי הַגְדָּלַת הַחֲסָדִים עַל־יְדֵי הַיַּיִן הוּא מִתְפַּתֶּה כַּנַּ"ל.
אֲבָל הַשּׁוֹתֶה יוֹתֵר מִדַּאי וּמִשְׁתַּכֵּר, אֲזַי אַדְּרַבָּא, מִתְגַּבְּרִין תֹּקֶף הַגְּבוּרוֹת, וְנַעֲשֶׂה כַּעַס וָרֹגֶז, וְלִפְעָמִים מִתְגַּבְּרִין גְּבוּרוֹת דְּסִטְרָא־אָחָרֳא, וְיוּכַל לָבוֹא לִידֵי רָעוֹת וְכוּ', חַס וְשָׁלוֹם:
וְדַע, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי שִׁכְרוּת שׁוֹכְחִין כָּל הַמִּצְווֹת וְהָאַזְהָרוֹת שֶׁצִּוָּה מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ, עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם. כִּי מֹשֶׁה הוּא מְלֻבָּשׁ בְּכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל, בְּכָל אֵיבָר וְאֵיבָר, וּמַזְכִּיר כָּל אֵיבָר וְאֵיבָר שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה הַמִּצְוָה הַשַּׁיָּכָה לְאוֹתוֹ אֵיבָר.
כִּי רְמַ"ח מִצְווֹת כְּנֶגֶד רְמַ"ח אֵיבָרִים. וְעַל־כֵּן מֹשֶׁה נִקְרָא "מְחֹקֵק" (דברים לג), שֶׁהוּא גִּימַטְרִיָּא רְמַ"ח, שֶׁמַּזְכִּיר רְמַ"ח מִצְווֹת כַּנַּ"ל. וְעַל־יְדֵי הַשִּׁכְרוּת שׁוֹכֵחַ אוֹתָם, בִּבְחִינַת (משלי ל״א:ה׳): פֶּן יִשְׁתֶּה וְיִשְׁכַּח מְחֻקָּק, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי הַשְּׁתִיָּה וְהַשִּׁכְרוּת שׁוֹכֵחַ רְמַ"ח מִצְווֹת שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה כַּנַּ"ל.
וְהִתְלַבְּשׁוּת מֹשֶׁה בָּאֵיבָרִים זֶהוּ בְּעַצְמוֹ בְּחִינַת הִתְלַבְּשׁוּת הַדַּעַת בַּחֲסָדִים כַּנַּ"ל, כִּי מֹשֶׁה הוּא הַדַּעַת, וְהָאֵיבָרִים הֵם רְמַ"ח, בְּחִינַת אַבְרָהָם אִישׁ הַחֶסֶד, שֶׁהוּא גִּימַטְרִיָּא רְמַ"ח אֵיבָרִים:
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 six: stay far from drunkenness.
A little wine, in measure, broadens the mind. The mind is clothed in kindness, so kindness grows.
One who is appeased by his wine has the da'as of his Maker.
Too much brings harshness and anger instead.
And drunkenness makes us forget the mitzvos that Moshe, inside every limb, reminds us of.
Our own reflection: a l'chaim should open the heart, not close the mind.
Explainer
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah twenty six: on drunkenness, and on wine in its right measure.
Stay far from drunkenness, he says, and be careful not to drink more than you can bear. But a little drink, as much as is needed, is good: it broadens the mind.
Why? Da'as, the knowing mind, is clothed in chasadim, kindnesses. When you drink in measure, the mind is lifted, and as the mind rises, the kindnesses grow with it.
That is what the Sages meant: one who is appeased by his wine has the da'as of his Maker. Appeased: the kindness grows, and a person who might have stayed angry lets himself be calmed.
But one who drinks too much and becomes drunk gets the opposite. The harsh forces, the gevuros, grow strong: anger and rage, and sometimes the forces of the Other Side, which can lead to real harm, Heaven forbid.
Section two. Drunkenness makes a person forget all the mitzvos that Moshe Rabbeinu commanded. For Moshe is clothed in every Jew, in every limb, reminding each limb to do its mitzvah: two hundred and forty eight mitzvos, for two hundred and forty eight limbs.
So Moshe is called mechokek, the lawgiver, which adds up to two hundred and forty eight. And Proverbs warns: lest he drink and forget what is decreed, the mechukak. Drinking makes him forget Moshe's mitzvos.
And it is the same idea as before. Moshe is da'as; the limbs are Avraham, the man of kindness, whose name also adds up to two hundred and forty eight. Da'as clothed in kindness.
Some reflections of our own, not a quotation. A l'chaim among friends can open the heart and soften anger. Know your measure, and stop while the mind is still clear.
Full shiur
— Part 1: Wine in Measure, Not Drunkenness —
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah twenty six: on drunkenness. A shiur in one part: how wine in measure broadens the mind, and how too much makes us forget.
Gold is Rebbe Nachman's own words, from Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah twenty six. 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.
One must stay far from drunkenness, and be careful not to drink more than one can bear, so as not to become drunk; for a little drink, as needed, is good, to broaden the mind.
And know that da'as is clothed in chasadim. When one drinks in measure, as fits him, his mind broadens and is lifted, and then the kindnesses grow even more through the drinking. For when da'as is lifted, the kindnesses are lifted and grow, since da'as is clothed in the kindnesses.
Our explanation. Da'as is the knowing mind, the mind that truly connects. Its garment is chasadim, kindnesses. So when the mind is lifted, kindness grows with it.
About this the Sages said: whoever is appeased by his wine has something of the da'as of his Maker. Appeased, precisely: that is kindness, for through wine the kindnesses grow. Through the growth of the kindnesses he lets himself be appeased and calmed, though by ordinary kindness he would not have been calmed, and might have stayed angry.
And the warning. But one who drinks too much and becomes drunk, on the contrary, the force of the gevuros grows strong, and there is anger and rage; and sometimes the gevuros of the Other Side grow strong, and he can come to evil things, Heaven forbid.
Section two. And know that through drunkenness one forgets all the mitzvos and warnings that Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him, commanded. For Moshe is clothed in every single Jew, in every single limb, and reminds each limb to do the mitzvah that belongs to it.
For the two hundred and forty eight mitzvos correspond to the two hundred and forty eight limbs. So Moshe is called mechokek, the lawgiver, which is two hundred and forty eight in gematria, for he reminds us of the mitzvos. Through drunkenness one forgets them, as in 'lest he drink and forget what is decreed': drinking and drunkenness make him forget Moshe's mitzvos.
And Moshe being clothed in the limbs is itself da'as clothed in kindness, as above. For Moshe is da'as, and the limbs are two hundred and forty eight, like Avraham, the man of kindness, whose name is two hundred and forty eight in gematria.
Our explanation, step by step. Moshe is da'as, the mind that remembers every mitzvah. Avraham, the man of kindness, is the two hundred and forty eight limbs. When da'as is clothed in the limbs, each limb remembers its mitzvah. Drunkenness pulls the mind away, and we forget.
Some reflections of our own, not a quotation. A l'chaim among friends can open the heart, soften anger and bring people close. Know your measure, and stop while the mind is still clear.
This has been Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah twenty six.
Sources for this Torah
Texts used
Hebrew: Likutei Moharan Tinyana (Part II), Torah 26, edition 'Likutei Moharan Tinyana – rabenubook.com', public domain, via Sefaria — https://www.sefaria.org/Likutei_Moharan%2C_Part_II.26
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 3: The Hebrew opens with a heading: this teaching belongs to the new Aleph-Beis, the Sefer HaMiddos, under the letter for drunkenness.
Every on-screen quotation in the full shiur, by part
Part 1 — Wine in Measure, Not Drunkenness
Scene 3 · LM II:26 §1 · paragraph §1.1
לְהַרְחִיק מִשִּׁכְרוּת, וּלְדַקְדֵּק שֶׁלֹּא לִשְׁתּוֹת יוֹתֵר מִיכָלְתּוֹ, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יָבוֹא לִידֵי שִׁכְרוּת, כִּי מְעַט הַשְּׁתִיָּה לְפִי הַצֹּרֶךְ הוּא טוֹבָה לְהַרְחִיב דַּעְתּוֹ.
EN (our paraphrase): One must stay far from drunkenness, and be careful not to drink more than one can bear, so as not to become drunk; for a little drink, as needed, is good, to broaden the mind.
Scene 4 · LM II:26 §1 · paragraph §1.2
וְדַע, כִּי הַדַּעַת מְלֻבָּשׁ בַּחֲסָדִים, וּכְשֶׁשּׁוֹתֶה בְּמִדָּה כָּרָאוּי לְפִי עֶרְכּוֹ, אֲזַי נִתְרַחֵב דַּעְתּוֹ וְנִתְרוֹמֵם מֹחוֹ, וַאֲזַי נִגְדָּלִין הַחֲסָדִים בְּיוֹתֵר עַל־יְדֵי הַשְּׁתִיָּה. כִּי כְּשֶׁנִּתְרוֹמֵם הַדַּעַת, נִתְרוֹמְמִין וְנִגְדָּלִין הַחֲסָדִים, כִּי הַדַּעַת מְלֻבָּשׁ בָּחֲסָדִים כַּנַּ"ל.
EN (our paraphrase): And know that da'as is clothed in chasadim. When one drinks in measure, as fits him, his mind broadens and is lifted, and then the kindnesses grow even more through the drinking. For when da'as is lifted, the kindnesses are lifted and grow, since da'as is clothed in the kindnesses.
Scene 6 · LM II:26 §1, on Eruvin 65a · paragraph §1.3
וְעַל זֶה אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה: כָּל הַמִּתְפַּתֶּה בְּיֵינוֹ, יֵשׁ בּוֹ מִדַּעַת קוֹנוֹ. מִתְפַּתֶּה דַּיְקָא, בְּחִינַת חֲסָדִים, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי הַיַּיִן נִגְדָּלִין הַחֲסָדִים. וְזֶהוּ מִתְפַּתֶּה – שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי הַגְדָּלַת הַחֲסָדִים הוּא מִתְפַּתֶּה וּמִתְפַּיֵּס, אַף־עַל־פִּי שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה רָאוּי לְהִתְפַּתּוֹת לְפִי חֲסָדִים סְתָם, וְהָיָה יָכוֹל לִהְיוֹת רֹגֶז,
EN (our paraphrase): About this the Sages said: whoever is appeased by his wine has something of the da'as of his Maker. Appeased, precisely: that is kindness, for through wine the kindnesses grow. Through the growth of the kindnesses he lets himself be appeased and calmed, though by ordinary kindness he would not have been calmed, and might have stayed angry.
Scene 7 · LM II:26 §1 · paragraph §1.4
אֲבָל הַשּׁוֹתֶה יוֹתֵר מִדַּאי וּמִשְׁתַּכֵּר, אֲזַי אַדְּרַבָּא, מִתְגַּבְּרִין תֹּקֶף הַגְּבוּרוֹת, וְנַעֲשֶׂה כַּעַס וָרֹגֶז, וְלִפְעָמִים מִתְגַּבְּרִין גְּבוּרוֹת דְּסִטְרָא־אָחָרֳא, וְיוּכַל לָבוֹא לִידֵי רָעוֹת וְכוּ', חַס וְשָׁלוֹם:
EN (our paraphrase): But one who drinks too much and becomes drunk, on the contrary, the force of the gevuros grows strong, and there is anger and rage; and sometimes the gevuros of the Other Side grow strong, and he can come to evil things, Heaven forbid.
Scene 8 · LM II:26 §2 · paragraph §2.1
וְדַע, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי שִׁכְרוּת שׁוֹכְחִין כָּל הַמִּצְווֹת וְהָאַזְהָרוֹת שֶׁצִּוָּה מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ, עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם. כִּי מֹשֶׁה הוּא מְלֻבָּשׁ בְּכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל, בְּכָל אֵיבָר וְאֵיבָר, וּמַזְכִּיר כָּל אֵיבָר וְאֵיבָר שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה הַמִּצְוָה הַשַּׁיָּכָה לְאוֹתוֹ אֵיבָר.
EN (our paraphrase): And know that through drunkenness one forgets all the mitzvos and warnings that Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him, commanded. For Moshe is clothed in every single Jew, in every single limb, and reminds each limb to do the mitzvah that belongs to it.
Scene 9 · LM II:26 §2, on Devarim 33:21 and Mishlei 31:5 · paragraph §2.2
כִּי רְמַ"ח מִצְווֹת כְּנֶגֶד רְמַ"ח אֵיבָרִים. וְעַל־כֵּן מֹשֶׁה נִקְרָא "מְחֹקֵק", שֶׁהוּא גִּימַטְרִיָּא רְמַ"ח, שֶׁמַּזְכִּיר רְמַ"ח מִצְווֹת כַּנַּ"ל. וְעַל־יְדֵי הַשִּׁכְרוּת שׁוֹכֵחַ אוֹתָם, בִּבְחִינַת: פֶּן יִשְׁתֶּה וְיִשְׁכַּח מְחֻקָּק, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי הַשְּׁתִיָּה וְהַשִּׁכְרוּת שׁוֹכֵחַ רְמַ"ח מִצְווֹת שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה כַּנַּ"ל.
EN (our paraphrase): For the two hundred and forty eight mitzvos correspond to the two hundred and forty eight limbs. So Moshe is called mechokek, the lawgiver, which is two hundred and forty eight in gematria, for he reminds us of the mitzvos. Through drunkenness one forgets them, as in 'lest he drink and forget what is decreed': drinking and drunkenness make him forget Moshe's mitzvos.
Scene 10 · LM II:26 §2 · paragraph §2.3
וְהִתְלַבְּשׁוּת מֹשֶׁה בָּאֵיבָרִים זֶהוּ בְּעַצְמוֹ בְּחִינַת הִתְלַבְּשׁוּת הַדַּעַת בַּחֲסָדִים כַּנַּ"ל, כִּי מֹשֶׁה הוּא הַדַּעַת, וְהָאֵיבָרִים הֵם רְמַ"ח, בְּחִינַת אַבְרָהָם אִישׁ הַחֶסֶד, שֶׁהוּא גִּימַטְרִיָּא רְמַ"ח אֵיבָרִים:
EN (our paraphrase): And Moshe being clothed in the limbs is itself da'as clothed in kindness, as above. For Moshe is da'as, and the limbs are two hundred and forty eight, like Avraham, the man of kindness, whose name is two hundred and forty eight in gematria.
Hebrew phrases in the Explainer
Scene 2 · §1.1: לְהַרְחִיק מִשִּׁכְרוּת, וּלְדַקְדֵּק שֶׁלֹּא לִשְׁתּוֹת יוֹתֵר מִיכָלְתּוֹ,
Scene 3 · §1.2: הַדַּעַת מְלֻבָּשׁ בַּחֲסָדִים,
Scene 4 · §1.3: כָּל הַמִּתְפַּתֶּה בְּיֵינוֹ, יֵשׁ בּוֹ מִדַּעַת קוֹנוֹ.
Scene 5 · §1.4: אֲבָל הַשּׁוֹתֶה יוֹתֵר מִדַּאי וּמִשְׁתַּכֵּר,
Scene 6 · §2.1: כִּי מֹשֶׁה הוּא מְלֻבָּשׁ בְּכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל, בְּכָל אֵיבָר וְאֵיבָר,
Scene 7 · §2.2: פֶּן יִשְׁתֶּה וְיִשְׁכַּח מְחֻקָּק,
Scene 8 · §2.3: כִּי מֹשֶׁה הוּא הַדַּעַת,
Hebrew phrases in the 1-minute recap
Scene 2 · §1.1: כִּי מְעַט הַשְּׁתִיָּה לְפִי הַצֹּרֶךְ הוּא טוֹבָה לְהַרְחִיב דַּעְתּוֹ.
Scene 3 · §1.3: כָּל הַמִּתְפַּתֶּה בְּיֵינוֹ, יֵשׁ בּוֹ מִדַּעַת קוֹנוֹ.
Scene 4 · §1.4: מִתְגַּבְּרִין תֹּקֶף הַגְּבוּרוֹת, וְנַעֲשֶׂה כַּעַס וָרֹגֶז,
Scene 5 · §2.1: שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי שִׁכְרוּת שׁוֹכְחִין כָּל הַמִּצְווֹת וְהָאַזְהָרוֹת שֶׁצִּוָּה מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ,