כְּשֶׁאֵרַע שְׁאֵלָה בְּבֵית הָאָדָם עַל־יְדֵי תַּעֲרֹבֶת אִסּוּר
A Kashrus Question in the Home
When a kashrus question arises at home, a forbidden thing mixed into a permitted one without enough to nullify it, it is a sign of some flaw in a unification above, because every unification is a turning of the forbidden into the permitted. So a betrothed bride is first forbidden and becomes permitted through the wedding, and 'Elokim settles the solitary in a home; He brings out the bound into what is fit'.
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הַמָּקוֹר · Original text
כְּשֶׁאֵרַע שְׁאֵלָה בְּבֵית הָאָדָם עַל־יְדֵי תַּעֲרֹבֶת אִסּוּר בְּהֶתֵּר, וְאֵין בְּהֶתֵּר כְּדֵי לְבַטֵּל אֶת הָאִסּוּר – בָּזֶה מַרְאִין לוֹ, שֶׁפָּגַם בְּאֵיזֶהוּ יִחוּד שֶׁל מַעְלָה. כִּי כָל הַיִּחוּדִים וְהַזִּוּוּגִים הֵם בְּחִינַת בִּטּוּל אִסּוּר.
וְזֶה בְּחִינַת: וְאָסַר לָנוּ אֶת הָאֲרוּסוֹת וְהִתִּיר לָנוּ אֶת הַנְּשׂוּאוֹת; נִמְצָא שֶׁמֵּאִסּוּר נַעֲשֶׂה הֶתֵּר, כִּי בַּתְּחִלָּה הִיא אֲרוּסָה, וְאָז הִיא אֲסוּרָה, וְאַחַר־כָּךְ נַעֲשֵׂית הֶתֵּר בְּנִשּׂוּאִין.
וְעַל־כֵּן גַּם בַּזִּוּוּג הַתַּחְתּוֹן שֶׁל זֶה הָעוֹלָם נֶאֱמַר (תהילים ס״ח:ז׳): אֱלֹקִים מוֹשִׁיב יְחִידִים בַּיְתָה, הַיְנוּ זִוּוּגִים. כְּמוֹ שֶׁדָּרְשׁוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה, (סוטה ב) זֶה הַפָּסוּק לְעִנְיַן זִוּוּגִים, אֲזַי: מוֹצִיא אֲסִירִים בַּכּוֹשָׁרוֹת, הַיְנוּ שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה הָאִסּוּר כָּשֵׁר וְהֶתֵּר, בְּחִינַת בִּטּוּל הָאִסּוּר כַּנַּ"ל.
וְעַל־כֵּן כְּשֶׁאֵין נִתְבַּטֵּל הָאִסּוּר, וְהַשְּׁאֵלָה אֲסוּרָה, הִיא סִימָן שֶׁפָּגַם בְּיִחוּד שֶׁל מַעְלָה, כִּי הַיִּחוּד הוּא בְּחִינַת בִּטּוּל הָאִסּוּר 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 nine: a kashrus question in the home.
Something forbidden falls into something permitted, and there is not enough to nullify it.
That is a sign of a flaw in some unification above.
For every unification turns the forbidden into the permitted, like a bride, forbidden at betrothal and permitted at the wedding.
Our own reflection: what happens in our kitchen can be a gentle message from above.
Explainer
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah twenty nine. A short teaching about the kashrus questions that come up at home.
Sometimes a question arises in a person's home: something forbidden has mixed into something permitted, and there is not enough of the permitted to nullify it. Rebbe Nachman says this shows the person that he has damaged some unification above.
Why? Every unification is a nullifying of the forbidden. We say it in the blessing at a wedding: He forbade to us the betrothed, and permitted to us the married. A bride is forbidden at the betrothal, and the wedding makes her permitted.
So the psalm says: Elokim settles the solitary in a home, which the Sages read about matches; He brings out the bound, asirim, into what is fit, kosharos. The issur, the forbidden, becomes kosher.
So when the forbidden is not nullified, and the question is ruled forbidden, it is a sign of a flaw in a unification above.
Some reflections of our own, not a quotation. Ask the rav, follow his ruling, and take the moment as a gentle nudge to look inward. Even the kitchen can carry a message from above.
Full shiur
— Part 1: A Kashrus Question in the Home —
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah twenty nine. A shiur in one part: a kashrus question at home, and what it shows.
Gold is Rebbe Nachman's own words, from Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah twenty nine. 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.
When a question arises in a person's home, through a mixture of forbidden with permitted, and there is not enough of the permitted to nullify the forbidden: through this he is shown that he has damaged some unification above. For all unifications and joinings are a nullifying of the forbidden.
Our explanation. In the laws of kashrus, a small forbidden trace in a large permitted mixture can be nullified. Rebbe Nachman sees in this the pattern of every unification above: the forbidden becomes permitted.
This is the meaning of 'He forbade to us the betrothed, and permitted to us the married': from the forbidden comes the permitted. At first she is betrothed, and then she is forbidden; afterwards she becomes permitted through the wedding.
So also about the joining below, in this world, it says: 'Elokim settles the solitary in a home', that is, matches, as our Sages expounded this verse about matches; and then 'He brings out the bound into what is fit': the forbidden becomes fit and permitted, the nullifying of the forbidden.
So when the forbidden is not nullified, and the question is ruled forbidden, it is a sign that he has damaged a unification above, for unification is the nullifying of the forbidden.
Our explanation, step by step. Something begins as forbidden. A true joining, above or in this world, turns it into the permitted. When a question at home stays forbidden, it hints that a joining above is missing something.
Some reflections of our own, not a quotation. Ask the rav, and follow his ruling. Take the moment as a gentle nudge to look inward. Even the kitchen can carry a message from above.
This has been Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah twenty nine.
Sources for this Torah
Texts used
Hebrew: Likutei Moharan Tinyana (Part II), Torah 29, edition 'Likutei Moharan Tinyana – rabenubook.com', public domain, via Sefaria — https://www.sefaria.org/Likutei_Moharan%2C_Part_II.29
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 — A Kashrus Question in the Home
Scene 3 · LM II:29 §1 · paragraph §1.1
כְּשֶׁאֵרַע שְׁאֵלָה בְּבֵית הָאָדָם עַל־יְדֵי תַּעֲרֹבֶת אִסּוּר בְּהֶתֵּר, וְאֵין בְּהֶתֵּר כְּדֵי לְבַטֵּל אֶת הָאִסּוּר – בָּזֶה מַרְאִין לוֹ, שֶׁפָּגַם בְּאֵיזֶהוּ יִחוּד שֶׁל מַעְלָה. כִּי כָל הַיִּחוּדִים וְהַזִּוּוּגִים הֵם בְּחִינַת בִּטּוּל אִסּוּר.
EN (our paraphrase): When a question arises in a person's home, through a mixture of forbidden with permitted, and there is not enough of the permitted to nullify the forbidden: through this he is shown that he has damaged some unification above. For all unifications and joinings are a nullifying of the forbidden.
Scene 5 · LM II:29 §1, on Kesubos 7b · paragraph §1.2
וְזֶה בְּחִינַת: וְאָסַר לָנוּ אֶת הָאֲרוּסוֹת וְהִתִּיר לָנוּ אֶת הַנְּשׂוּאוֹת; נִמְצָא שֶׁמֵּאִסּוּר נַעֲשֶׂה הֶתֵּר, כִּי בַּתְּחִלָּה הִיא אֲרוּסָה, וְאָז הִיא אֲסוּרָה, וְאַחַר־כָּךְ נַעֲשֵׂית הֶתֵּר בְּנִשּׂוּאִין.
EN (our paraphrase): This is the meaning of 'He forbade to us the betrothed, and permitted to us the married': from the forbidden comes the permitted. At first she is betrothed, and then she is forbidden; afterwards she becomes permitted through the wedding.
Scene 6 · LM II:29 §1, on Tehillim 68:7 and Sotah 2a · paragraph §1.3
וְעַל־כֵּן גַּם בַּזִּוּוּג הַתַּחְתּוֹן שֶׁל זֶה הָעוֹלָם נֶאֱמַר: אֱלֹקִים מוֹשִׁיב יְחִידִים בַּיְתָה, הַיְנוּ זִוּוּגִים. כְּמוֹ שֶׁדָּרְשׁוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה, זֶה הַפָּסוּק לְעִנְיַן זִוּוּגִים, אֲזַי: מוֹצִיא אֲסִירִים בַּכּוֹשָׁרוֹת, הַיְנוּ שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה הָאִסּוּר כָּשֵׁר וְהֶתֵּר, בְּחִינַת בִּטּוּל הָאִסּוּר כַּנַּ"ל.
EN (our paraphrase): So also about the joining below, in this world, it says: 'Elokim settles the solitary in a home', that is, matches, as our Sages expounded this verse about matches; and then 'He brings out the bound into what is fit': the forbidden becomes fit and permitted, the nullifying of the forbidden.
Scene 7 · LM II:29 §1 · paragraph §1.4
וְעַל־כֵּן כְּשֶׁאֵין נִתְבַּטֵּל הָאִסּוּר, וְהַשְּׁאֵלָה אֲסוּרָה, הִיא סִימָן שֶׁפָּגַם בְּיִחוּד שֶׁל מַעְלָה, כִּי הַיִּחוּד הוּא בְּחִינַת בִּטּוּל הָאִסּוּר כַּנַּ"ל:
EN (our paraphrase): So when the forbidden is not nullified, and the question is ruled forbidden, it is a sign that he has damaged a unification above, for unification is the nullifying of the forbidden.
Hebrew phrases in the Explainer
Scene 2 · §1.1: כְּשֶׁאֵרַע שְׁאֵלָה בְּבֵית הָאָדָם עַל־יְדֵי תַּעֲרֹבֶת אִסּוּר בְּהֶתֵּר, וְאֵין בְּהֶתֵּר כְּדֵי לְבַטֵּל אֶת הָאִסּוּר
Scene 3 · §1.2: וְאָסַר לָנוּ אֶת הָאֲרוּסוֹת וְהִתִּיר לָנוּ אֶת הַנְּשׂוּאוֹת;
Scene 4 · §1.3: אֱלֹקִים מוֹשִׁיב יְחִידִים בַּיְתָה,
Scene 5 · §1.4: הִיא סִימָן שֶׁפָּגַם בְּיִחוּד שֶׁל מַעְלָה,
Hebrew phrases in the 1-minute recap
Scene 2 · §1.1: תַּעֲרֹבֶת אִסּוּר בְּהֶתֵּר, וְאֵין בְּהֶתֵּר כְּדֵי לְבַטֵּל אֶת הָאִסּוּר
Scene 3 · §1.1: שֶׁפָּגַם בְּאֵיזֶהוּ יִחוּד שֶׁל מַעְלָה.
Scene 4 · §1.1: כִּי כָל הַיִּחוּדִים וְהַזִּוּוּגִים הֵם בְּחִינַת בִּטּוּל אִסּוּר.