מִי שֶׁהוּא פַּרְנַס־חֹדֶשׁ אוֹ מַנְהִיג, שֶׁקּוֹרִין "רוֹגִירֶיר"
The Fair Community Leader
A community leader who shares out the burden fairly, weighing each person honestly, cancels the four evil traits: idolatry, forbidden relations, bloodshed and lashon hara. A vow left unpaid brings those four, as the Midrash learns from Yaakov; and Moshe, who saw that each person was given the work that suited him, was told that this would give him the power to release vows.
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1-minute recap
Explainer
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הַמָּקוֹר · Original text
מִי שֶׁהוּא פַּרְנַס־חֹדֶשׁ אוֹ מַנְהִיג, שֶׁקּוֹרִין "רוֹגִירֶיר", וְהוּא מַנְהִיג בְּכַשְׁרוּת וּבְישֶׁר, וְרוֹאֶה וּמִסְתַּכֵּל לְהַטִּיל הַמַּשְׂאוֹי עַל כָּל אֶחָד כָּרָאוּי לוֹ, כְּפִי מַה שֶּׁמַּעֲרִיךְ אֶת כָּל אֶחָד בְּיֹשֶׁר לְהַכְבִּיד עַל זֶה וּלְהָקֵל עַל זֶה כָּרָאוּי, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה מְבַטֵּל הָאַרְבַּע מִדּוֹת רָעוֹת, דְּהַיְנוּ עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה וְגִלּוּי עֲרָיוֹת וּשְׁפִיכוּת־דָּמִים וּלְשׁוֹן הָרָע.
וְהַסּוֹד – כִּי הַנֶּדֶר שֶׁנּוֹדְרִין צְרִיכִין לְשַׁלֵּם מִיַּד, וְהַמְאַחֵר נִדְרוֹ גּוֹרֵם אֵלּוּ הָאַרְבַּע מִדּוֹת הַנַּ"ל. כִּדְאִיתָא בַּמִּדְרָשׁ (ויקרא פ' לז), שֶׁלָּמַד מִיַּעֲקֹב, שֶׁבִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁאֵחֵר נִדְרוֹ בָּא לִידֵי אַרְבַּע הַנַּ"ל. עֲבוֹדָה־זָרָה – שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: הָסִירוּ אֶת אֱלֹקֵי הַנֵּכָר. גִּלּוּי עֲרָיוֹת – וַתֵּצֵא דִּינָה וְכוּ'. שְׁפִיכוּת־דָּמִים – בִּשְׁכֶם. לָשׁוֹן הָרָע – וַיִּשְׁמַע אֶת דִּבְרֵי בְּנֵי לָבָן.
וְאִיתָא (שם), שֶׁבִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁרָאָה מֹשֶׁה בְּסִבְלוֹת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: וַיַּרְא בְּסִבְלוֹתָם, דְּהַיְנוּ שֶׁנָּתַן לֵב עַל סִבְלוֹתָם, שֶׁהָיוּ מַכְבִּידִין עֲלֵיהֶם, וְהָעֲבוֹדָה הַשַּׁיָּךְ לְאִישׁ נָתְנוּ עַל אִשָּׁה, וְכֵן לְהֶפֶךְ, וְהָיָה מֹשֶׁה מִסְתַּכֵּל עַל זֶה, וְהִפֵּךְ הַדָּבָר וְנָתַן עַל כָּל אֶחָד הָעֲבוֹדָה הָרָאוּי לוֹ, מַה שֶּׁרָאוּי לְאִישׁ וְכוּ', וְכֵן בֵּין אֲנָשִׁים בְּעַצְמָן הִסְתַּכֵּל לִתֵּן עַל כָּל אֶחָד מַה שֶּׁרָאוּי לוֹ. וְאָמַר לוֹ הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ לְמֹשֶׁה, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה תִּזְכֶּה לְהַתִּיר נֶדֶר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בּוֹ גַם־כֵּן: בֵּין אִישׁ לְאִשְׁתּוֹ וְכוּ'.
נִמְצָא שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי שֶׁמִּסְתַּכְּלִין לְהַעֲרִיךְ כָּל אֶחָד כָּרָאוּי, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה זוֹכִין לְהַתָּרַת נְדָרִים, וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה נִצּוֹלִין מֵאַרְבַּע מִדּוֹת הַנַּ"ל, כַּנַּ"ל. וְהָבֵן:
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 seven: the community leader.
A leader who shares out the burden fairly, weighing each person honestly,
cancels the four evil traits: idolatry, forbidden relations, bloodshed and lashon hara.
Those four come from a vow left unpaid, as happened with Yaakov.
Moshe gave each person the work that suited him, and so he earned the power to release vows.
Our own reflection: fairness to each person is holy work.
Explainer
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah twenty seven: the community leader, the parnas, who shares out the community's burden.
Picture the official who sets each family's share of the community's costs. In Rebbe Nachman's town they called him the rogirer. If he leads honestly, and looks carefully at each person, laying more on one and less on another, as is right,
then he cancels the four evil traits: idolatry, forbidden relations, bloodshed and lashon hara.
The inner reason: a vow must be paid at once, and delaying it brings these four. The Midrash learns it from Yaakov, who delayed his vow. Then came the foreign gods in his household, the incident with Dinah, the bloodshed at Shechem, and the hurtful words of Lavan's sons.
And the Midrash says more. Moshe saw the burdens of Israel in Egypt: men's work was put on women, and women's work on men. Moshe turned it around, and gave each person the work that suited him. Hashem told him: because of this you will merit to release vows.
So weighing each person fairly brings the release of vows, and that saves us from the four evil traits. Fairness repairs what an unpaid promise damaged.
Some reflections of our own, not a quotation. Anyone who hands out work, in a family, a shul or an office, is doing the work of Moshe. Look at each person, and give them what suits them. And keep your promises quickly.
Full shiur
— Part 1: The Fair Community Leader —
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah twenty seven: the community leader. A shiur in one part: fairness, vows, and the four evil traits.
Gold is Rebbe Nachman's own words, from Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah twenty seven. 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 who is the monthly community warden or leader, whom they call the rogirer, and leads with integrity and honesty, looking carefully to place the burden on each person as fits him, assessing each one honestly, to lay more on this one and less on that one, as is right: through this he cancels the four evil traits, idolatry, forbidden relations, bloodshed and lashon hara.
Our explanation. The parnas was the community's official, who set each family's share of taxes and duties. Rebbe Nachman teaches that doing this honestly is not only good administration; it reaches into the roots of the worst sins.
The secret: a vow must be paid at once, and one who delays his vow brings about these four traits, as the Midrash learns from Yaakov, who because he delayed his vow came to these four. Idolatry: 'remove the foreign gods'. Forbidden relations: 'and Dinah went out'. Bloodshed: at Shechem. Lashon hara: 'and he heard the words of Lavan's sons'.
And it is brought there that Moshe saw the burdens of the children of Israel, as it says, 'and he saw their burdens'. He took to heart how they were weighed down: the work that belongs to a man they gave to a woman, and the reverse. Moshe looked at this and turned it around, and gave each one the work that fits him.
And so too among the men themselves, he looked to give each one what fits him. And Hashem said to Moshe: through this you will merit to release vows, about which it is also said, 'between a man and his wife'.
So through looking to assess each person as is right, one merits the release of vows, and through this one is saved from the four traits. Understand this.
Our explanation, step by step. A promise left unpaid brings the four evil traits. Moshe looked at each person and gave him what fit him. That very fairness became the power to release vows, and so it saves us from those four.
Some reflections of our own, not a quotation. Anyone who hands out work, in a family, a shul or an office, is doing the work of Moshe. Look at each person and give them what suits them. And keep your promises quickly.
This has been Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah twenty seven.
Sources for this Torah
Texts used
Hebrew: Likutei Moharan Tinyana (Part II), Torah 27, edition 'Likutei Moharan Tinyana – rabenubook.com', public domain, via Sefaria — https://www.sefaria.org/Likutei_Moharan%2C_Part_II.27
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 Fair Community Leader
Scene 3 · LM II:27 §1 · paragraph §1.1
מִי שֶׁהוּא פַּרְנַס־חֹדֶשׁ אוֹ מַנְהִיג, שֶׁקּוֹרִין "רוֹגִירֶיר", וְהוּא מַנְהִיג בְּכַשְׁרוּת וּבְישֶׁר, וְרוֹאֶה וּמִסְתַּכֵּל לְהַטִּיל הַמַּשְׂאוֹי עַל כָּל אֶחָד כָּרָאוּי לוֹ, כְּפִי מַה שֶּׁמַּעֲרִיךְ אֶת כָּל אֶחָד בְּיֹשֶׁר לְהַכְבִּיד עַל זֶה וּלְהָקֵל עַל זֶה כָּרָאוּי, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה מְבַטֵּל הָאַרְבַּע מִדּוֹת רָעוֹת, דְּהַיְנוּ עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה וְגִלּוּי עֲרָיוֹת וּשְׁפִיכוּת־דָּמִים וּלְשׁוֹן הָרָע.
EN (our paraphrase): One who is the monthly community warden or leader, whom they call the rogirer, and leads with integrity and honesty, looking carefully to place the burden on each person as fits him, assessing each one honestly, to lay more on this one and less on that one, as is right: through this he cancels the four evil traits, idolatry, forbidden relations, bloodshed and lashon hara.
Scene 5 · LM II:27 §1, on Vayikra Rabbah 37 · paragraph §1.2
וְהַסּוֹד – כִּי הַנֶּדֶר שֶׁנּוֹדְרִין צְרִיכִין לְשַׁלֵּם מִיַּד, וְהַמְאַחֵר נִדְרוֹ גּוֹרֵם אֵלּוּ הָאַרְבַּע מִדּוֹת הַנַּ"ל. כִּדְאִיתָא בַּמִּדְרָשׁ, שֶׁלָּמַד מִיַּעֲקֹב, שֶׁבִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁאֵחֵר נִדְרוֹ בָּא לִידֵי אַרְבַּע הַנַּ"ל. עֲבוֹדָה־זָרָה – שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: הָסִירוּ אֶת אֱלֹקֵי הַנֵּכָר. גִּלּוּי עֲרָיוֹת – וַתֵּצֵא דִּינָה וְכוּ'. שְׁפִיכוּת־דָּמִים – בִּשְׁכֶם. לָשׁוֹן הָרָע – וַיִּשְׁמַע אֶת דִּבְרֵי בְּנֵי לָבָן.
EN (our paraphrase): The secret: a vow must be paid at once, and one who delays his vow brings about these four traits, as the Midrash learns from Yaakov, who because he delayed his vow came to these four. Idolatry: 'remove the foreign gods'. Forbidden relations: 'and Dinah went out'. Bloodshed: at Shechem. Lashon hara: 'and he heard the words of Lavan's sons'.
Scene 6 · LM II:27 §1, on Shemos 2:11 · paragraph §1.3
וְאִיתָא, שֶׁבִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁרָאָה מֹשֶׁה בְּסִבְלוֹת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: וַיַּרְא בְּסִבְלוֹתָם, דְּהַיְנוּ שֶׁנָּתַן לֵב עַל סִבְלוֹתָם, שֶׁהָיוּ מַכְבִּידִין עֲלֵיהֶם, וְהָעֲבוֹדָה הַשַּׁיָּךְ לְאִישׁ נָתְנוּ עַל אִשָּׁה, וְכֵן לְהֶפֶךְ, וְהָיָה מֹשֶׁה מִסְתַּכֵּל עַל זֶה, וְהִפֵּךְ הַדָּבָר וְנָתַן עַל כָּל אֶחָד הָעֲבוֹדָה הָרָאוּי לוֹ,
EN (our paraphrase): And it is brought there that Moshe saw the burdens of the children of Israel, as it says, 'and he saw their burdens'. He took to heart how they were weighed down: the work that belongs to a man they gave to a woman, and the reverse. Moshe looked at this and turned it around, and gave each one the work that fits him.
Scene 7 · LM II:27 §1, on Bamidbar 30:17 · paragraph §1.3
מַה שֶּׁרָאוּי לְאִישׁ וְכוּ', וְכֵן בֵּין אֲנָשִׁים בְּעַצְמָן הִסְתַּכֵּל לִתֵּן עַל כָּל אֶחָד מַה שֶּׁרָאוּי לוֹ. וְאָמַר לוֹ הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ לְמֹשֶׁה, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה תִּזְכֶּה לְהַתִּיר נֶדֶר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בּוֹ גַם־כֵּן: בֵּין אִישׁ לְאִשְׁתּוֹ וְכוּ'.
EN (our paraphrase): And so too among the men themselves, he looked to give each one what fits him. And Hashem said to Moshe: through this you will merit to release vows, about which it is also said, 'between a man and his wife'.
Scene 8 · LM II:27 §1 · paragraph §1.4
נִמְצָא שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי שֶׁמִּסְתַּכְּלִין לְהַעֲרִיךְ כָּל אֶחָד כָּרָאוּי, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה זוֹכִין לְהַתָּרַת נְדָרִים, וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה נִצּוֹלִין מֵאַרְבַּע מִדּוֹת הַנַּ"ל, כַּנַּ"ל. וְהָבֵן:
EN (our paraphrase): So through looking to assess each person as is right, one merits the release of vows, and through this one is saved from the four traits. Understand this.
Hebrew phrases in the Explainer
Scene 2 · §1.1: וְהוּא מַנְהִיג בְּכַשְׁרוּת וּבְישֶׁר, וְרוֹאֶה וּמִסְתַּכֵּל לְהַטִּיל הַמַּשְׂאוֹי עַל כָּל אֶחָד כָּרָאוּי לוֹ,
Scene 3 · §1.1: מְבַטֵּל הָאַרְבַּע מִדּוֹת רָעוֹת, דְּהַיְנוּ עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה וְגִלּוּי עֲרָיוֹת וּשְׁפִיכוּת־דָּמִים וּלְשׁוֹן הָרָע.
Scene 4 · §1.2: שֶׁנּוֹדְרִין צְרִיכִין לְשַׁלֵּם מִיַּד,
Scene 5 · §1.3: וַיַּרְא בְּסִבְלוֹתָם,
Scene 6 · §1.4: נִמְצָא שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי שֶׁמִּסְתַּכְּלִין לְהַעֲרִיךְ כָּל אֶחָד כָּרָאוּי, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה זוֹכִין לְהַתָּרַת נְדָרִים,
Hebrew phrases in the 1-minute recap
Scene 2 · §1.1: לְהַטִּיל הַמַּשְׂאוֹי עַל כָּל אֶחָד כָּרָאוּי לוֹ,
Scene 3 · §1.1: מְבַטֵּל הָאַרְבַּע מִדּוֹת רָעוֹת,
Scene 4 · §1.2: וְהַמְאַחֵר נִדְרוֹ גּוֹרֵם אֵלּוּ הָאַרְבַּע מִדּוֹת הַנַּ"ל.
Scene 5 · §1.4: זוֹכִין לְהַתָּרַת נְדָרִים,