וַיִּחַדְּ יִתְרוֹ עַל כָּל הַטּוֹבָה וְכוּ'
And Yisro Rejoiced
Every joy lasts only for its moment; looking at the end, nothing seems worth rejoicing over. But looking at the end of the end, the final purpose, there is great joy, because the ultimate goal is very good. From the soul's side this is always so; a tzaddik whose body is also holy can rejoice with his body too. Yisro, a convert, rejoiced 'over all the good', even looking beyond it to the end, but his flesh prickled: his joy was in his soul, not yet in his body.
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Explainer
Full shiur
הַמָּקוֹר · Original text
וַיִּחַדְּ יִתְרוֹ עַל כָּל הַטּוֹבָה וְכוּ' (שמות י״ח:ט׳),
וְאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (סנהדרין צד), שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה בְּשָׂרוֹ חִדּוּדִין חִדּוּדִין.
כִּי כָל הַשְּׂמָחוֹת הֵם רַק בִּשְׁעָתָן, כְּגוֹן, לְמָשָׁל שִׂמְחָה שֶׁל חֲתֻנָּה אוֹ בְּרִית, הַשִּׂמְחָה הוּא רַק בִּשְׁעָתָן, וְאִם יִסְתַּכֵּל עַל הַסּוֹף, אֵין שׁוּם שִׂמְחָה בָּעוֹלָם, כִּי סוֹף אָדָם וְכוּ' (ברכות יז). אֲבָל אִם יִסְתַּכֵּל עַל הַסּוֹף שֶׁל הַסּוֹף, אָז יֵשׁ לוֹ לִשְׂמֹחַ מְאֹד, כִּי סוֹף כָּל סוֹף, דְּהַיְנוּ הַתַּכְלִית, הוּא טוֹב מְאֹד.
וְהִנֵּה זֶהוּ רַק מִצַּד הַנְּשָׁמָה, שֶׁמִּצִּדָּהּ הַמָּוֶת טוֹב מְאֹד, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (ב"ר פ' ט): וְהִנֵּה טוֹב מְאֹד – זֶה וְכוּ', כִּי הוּא טוֹב מְאֹד, שֶׁעַל־יָדוֹ בָּאִין לְתַכְלִית הַטּוֹב.
אַךְ מִי שֶׁהוּא צַדִּיק, וַאֲפִלּוּ גּוּפוֹ נָקִי וְקָדוֹשׁ מְאֹד, אֲזַי יָכוֹל לִשְׂמֹחַ גַּם עִם גּוּפוֹ, אֲפִלּוּ אִם מִסְתַּכֵּל עַל הַסּוֹף, מֵאַחַר שֶׁגַּם גּוּפוֹ טָהוֹר וְקָדוֹשׁ. כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (תהילים נ״ו:ה׳): בֵּאלֹקִים בָּטַחְתִּי מַה יַּעֲשֶׂה בָשָׂר לִי – שֶׁהַבָּשָׂר, דְּהַיְנוּ הַגּוּף, אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לַעֲשׂוֹת לוֹ שׁוּם הֶזֵּק, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (תהילים ט״ז:ט׳): אַף בְּשָׂרִי יִשְׁכֹּן לָבֶטַח – שֶׁהַצַּדִּיק בָּטוּחַ, שֶׁגַּם לְהַגּוּף יִהְיֶה טוֹב מְאֹד, וְעַל־כֵּן יָכוֹל לִשְׂמֹחַ גַּם עִם גּוּפוֹ, אֲפִלּוּ כְּשֶׁמִּסְתַּכֵּל עַל הַסּוֹף.
אֲבָל מִי שֶׁאֵין גּוּפוֹ קָדוֹשׁ כָּל־כָּךְ, בִּפְרָט גֵּר, שֶׁאַף־עַל־פִּי שֶׁנִּשְׁמָתוֹ גָּבוֹהַּ מְאֹד, אַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן גּוּפוֹ נוֹצַר מִטִּפָּה טְמֵאָה, וְאֵיךְ אֶפְשָׁר לְשַׁנּוֹת זֹאת. נִמְצָא שֶׁזֶּה הָאִישׁ שֶׁאֵין גּוּפוֹ קָדוֹשׁ כָּל־כָּךְ, בִּפְרָט גֵּר, אִי אֶפְשָׁר לוֹ לִשְׂמֹחַ עִם גּוּפוֹ כְּשֶׁמִּסְתַּכֵּל עַל הַתַּכְלִית.
וְזֶהוּ: וַיִּחַדְּ יִתְרוֹ עַל כָּל הַטּוֹבָה – שֶׁיִּתְרוֹ הָיָה שָׂמֵחַ עַל כָּל הַטּוֹבָה, פֵּרוּשׁ, אֲפִלּוּ כְּשֶׁהִסְתַּכֵּל לְהָלְאָה מִן הַטּוֹבָה. וְזֶהוּ: עַל כָּל הַטּוֹבָה – לְמַעְלָה וּלְהָלְאָה עַל הַטּוֹבָה, אַף־עַל־פִּי שֶׁהִסְתַּכֵּל עַל זֶה, הַיְנוּ לְהָלְאָה מִן הַטּוֹבָה, הַיְנוּ עַל הַסּוֹף, אַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן הָיָה שָׂמֵחַ מְאֹד. כִּי מִצַּד הַנְּשָׁמָה, אַף כְּשֶׁמִּסְתַּכֵּל עַל הַסּוֹף, הוּא טוֹב מְאֹד כַּנַּ"ל,
אַךְ שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה בְּשָׂרוֹ חִדּוּדִין חִדּוּדִין – בְּשָׂרוֹ דַּיְקָא, דְּהַיְנוּ הַגּוּף. כִּי מֵאַחַר שֶׁהָיָה גֵּר, לֹא הָיָה שִׂמְחָתוֹ בְּגוּפוֹ כְּשֶׁהִסְתַּכֵּל עַל הַסּוֹף כַּנַּ"ל. וְזֶהוּ: נַעֲשָׂה בְּשָׂרוֹ חִדּוּדִין חִדּוּדִין – בְּשָׂרוֹ דַּיְקָא 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 thirty three: and Yisro rejoiced.
Every joy lasts only for its moment. Look at the end, and it fades.
But look at the end of the end, the final purpose, and there is great joy. It is very good.
Yisro rejoiced over all the good, even looking to the end. Only his flesh prickled.
Our own reflection: look past the moment, and past the end, to the purpose. It is very good.
Explainer
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah thirty three: vayichad Yisro, and Yisro rejoiced over all the good.
When Yisro heard all that Hashem had done for Israel, the Torah says: vayichad Yisro, Yisro rejoiced. The Sages add a strange detail: his flesh became prickles, prickles.
Rebbe Nachman explains. Every joy lasts only for its time: a wedding, a bris. If you look at the end, there seems to be no joy in the world at all, for every person's end is the grave.
But look at the end of the end, the final purpose, and you can rejoice very much, because the final purpose is very good.
That is true from the soul's side. For the soul, even death is very good, as the Sages read the words 'very good' at the creation: this is death. Through it, one comes to the ultimate good.
A tzaddik whose body too is pure and holy can rejoice even with his body, looking at the end. As David says: even my flesh shall rest secure.
But for one whose body is not yet so holy, and especially a convert, whose soul is very high but whose body came from a world without holiness, the body cannot share that joy.
So Yisro rejoiced over all the good, even looking beyond the good, to the end; his soul was full of joy. But his flesh prickled: as a convert, his body could not yet rejoice in it.
Some reflections of our own, not a quotation. Every joy here passes. Let it point you to the purpose beyond it, which is very good, and slowly let your whole self, body too, come along.
Full shiur
— Part 1: And Yisro Rejoiced —
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah thirty three: vayichad Yisro. A shiur in one part: joy, the end of the end, and Yisro's prickling flesh.
Gold is Rebbe Nachman's own words, from Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah thirty 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.
'And Yisro rejoiced over all the good.' And our Sages said that his flesh became prickles, prickles.
For all joys are only in their time: for example, the joy of a wedding or a bris is only in its time. If one looks at the end, there is no joy in the world at all, for the end of man is the grave. But if he looks at the end of the end, then he has reason to rejoice very much, for the end of every end, the final purpose, is very good.
Our explanation. There are three ways to look. The moment brings a joy that passes. The end seems to cancel every joy. But the end of the end, the true purpose, is very good, and that joy does not pass.
This is only from the side of the soul, for from its side death is very good, as our Sages said on 'and behold, it was very good': this is death. For it is very good, since through it one comes to the final good.
But one who is a tzaddik, whose body too is clean and very holy, can rejoice even with his body, even looking at the end, since his body too is pure and holy. As it is written: 'In Elokim I trust; what can flesh do to me?' The flesh, the body, cannot harm him.
And as it is written: 'even my flesh shall rest secure'. The tzaddik is sure that it will be very good for the body too, so he can rejoice even with his body, even when he looks at the end.
But one whose body is not so holy, especially a convert: though his soul is very high, his body came into being from a source without holiness, and how can that be changed? So such a person, especially a convert, cannot rejoice with his body when he looks at the final purpose.
This is 'Yisro rejoiced over all the good': he rejoiced even when he looked beyond the good. 'Al kol hatovah', above and beyond the good: though he looked past it, to the end, he still rejoiced very much. For from the side of the soul, even looking at the end, it is very good,
but his flesh became prickles, prickles: his flesh precisely, the body. Since he was a convert, his joy was not in his body when he looked at the end. That is 'his flesh became prickles': his flesh precisely.
Our explanation, step by step. Yisro's soul looked past the good, to the end, and saw the purpose, and rejoiced. His body, newly joined to Israel, could not yet share that view. And so his flesh prickled.
Some reflections of our own, not a quotation. Every joy here passes. Let it point you to the purpose beyond it, which is very good. And slowly, through holiness, let the body come along too.
This has been Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah thirty three.
Sources for this Torah
Texts used
Hebrew: Likutei Moharan Tinyana (Part II), Torah 33, edition 'Likutei Moharan Tinyana – rabenubook.com', public domain, via Sefaria — https://www.sefaria.org/Likutei_Moharan%2C_Part_II.33
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 9: The Hebrew here speaks of the body's origin before conversion; our English puts it briefly and modestly.
Every on-screen quotation in the full shiur, by part
Part 1 — And Yisro Rejoiced
Scene 3 · LM II:33 §1, on Shemos 18:9 and Sanhedrin 94a · paragraph §1.1, §1.2
וַיִּחַדְּ יִתְרוֹ עַל כָּל הַטּוֹבָה וְכוּ', וְאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה, שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה בְּשָׂרוֹ חִדּוּדִין חִדּוּדִין.
EN (our paraphrase): 'And Yisro rejoiced over all the good.' And our Sages said that his flesh became prickles, prickles.
Scene 4 · LM II:33 §1, on Berachos 17a · paragraph §1.3
כִּי כָל הַשְּׂמָחוֹת הֵם רַק בִּשְׁעָתָן, כְּגוֹן, לְמָשָׁל שִׂמְחָה שֶׁל חֲתֻנָּה אוֹ בְּרִית, הַשִּׂמְחָה הוּא רַק בִּשְׁעָתָן, וְאִם יִסְתַּכֵּל עַל הַסּוֹף, אֵין שׁוּם שִׂמְחָה בָּעוֹלָם, כִּי סוֹף אָדָם וְכוּ'. אֲבָל אִם יִסְתַּכֵּל עַל הַסּוֹף שֶׁל הַסּוֹף, אָז יֵשׁ לוֹ לִשְׂמֹחַ מְאֹד, כִּי סוֹף כָּל סוֹף, דְּהַיְנוּ הַתַּכְלִית, הוּא טוֹב מְאֹד.
EN (our paraphrase): For all joys are only in their time: for example, the joy of a wedding or a bris is only in its time. If one looks at the end, there is no joy in the world at all, for the end of man is the grave. But if he looks at the end of the end, then he has reason to rejoice very much, for the end of every end, the final purpose, is very good.
Scene 6 · LM II:33 §1, on Bereishis Rabbah 9 · paragraph §1.4
וְהִנֵּה זֶהוּ רַק מִצַּד הַנְּשָׁמָה, שֶׁמִּצִּדָּהּ הַמָּוֶת טוֹב מְאֹד, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה: וְהִנֵּה טוֹב מְאֹד – זֶה וְכוּ', כִּי הוּא טוֹב מְאֹד, שֶׁעַל־יָדוֹ בָּאִין לְתַכְלִית הַטּוֹב.
EN (our paraphrase): This is only from the side of the soul, for from its side death is very good, as our Sages said on 'and behold, it was very good': this is death. For it is very good, since through it one comes to the final good.
Scene 7 · LM II:33 §1, on Tehillim 56:5 · paragraph §1.5
אַךְ מִי שֶׁהוּא צַדִּיק, וַאֲפִלּוּ גּוּפוֹ נָקִי וְקָדוֹשׁ מְאֹד, אֲזַי יָכוֹל לִשְׂמֹחַ גַּם עִם גּוּפוֹ, אֲפִלּוּ אִם מִסְתַּכֵּל עַל הַסּוֹף, מֵאַחַר שֶׁגַּם גּוּפוֹ טָהוֹר וְקָדוֹשׁ. כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: בֵּאלֹקִים בָּטַחְתִּי מַה יַּעֲשֶׂה בָשָׂר לִי – שֶׁהַבָּשָׂר, דְּהַיְנוּ הַגּוּף, אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לַעֲשׂוֹת לוֹ שׁוּם הֶזֵּק,
EN (our paraphrase): But one who is a tzaddik, whose body too is clean and very holy, can rejoice even with his body, even looking at the end, since his body too is pure and holy. As it is written: 'In Elokim I trust; what can flesh do to me?' The flesh, the body, cannot harm him.
Scene 8 · LM II:33 §1, on Tehillim 16:9 · paragraph §1.5
וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: אַף בְּשָׂרִי יִשְׁכֹּן לָבֶטַח – שֶׁהַצַּדִּיק בָּטוּחַ, שֶׁגַּם לְהַגּוּף יִהְיֶה טוֹב מְאֹד, וְעַל־כֵּן יָכוֹל לִשְׂמֹחַ גַּם עִם גּוּפוֹ, אֲפִלּוּ כְּשֶׁמִּסְתַּכֵּל עַל הַסּוֹף.
EN (our paraphrase): And as it is written: 'even my flesh shall rest secure'. The tzaddik is sure that it will be very good for the body too, so he can rejoice even with his body, even when he looks at the end.
Scene 9 · LM II:33 §1 · paragraph §1.6
אֲבָל מִי שֶׁאֵין גּוּפוֹ קָדוֹשׁ כָּל־כָּךְ, בִּפְרָט גֵּר, שֶׁאַף־עַל־פִּי שֶׁנִּשְׁמָתוֹ גָּבוֹהַּ מְאֹד, אַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן גּוּפוֹ נוֹצַר מִטִּפָּה טְמֵאָה, וְאֵיךְ אֶפְשָׁר לְשַׁנּוֹת זֹאת. נִמְצָא שֶׁזֶּה הָאִישׁ שֶׁאֵין גּוּפוֹ קָדוֹשׁ כָּל־כָּךְ, בִּפְרָט גֵּר, אִי אֶפְשָׁר לוֹ לִשְׂמֹחַ עִם גּוּפוֹ כְּשֶׁמִּסְתַּכֵּל עַל הַתַּכְלִית.
EN (our paraphrase): But one whose body is not so holy, especially a convert: though his soul is very high, his body came into being from a source without holiness, and how can that be changed? So such a person, especially a convert, cannot rejoice with his body when he looks at the final purpose.
Scene 10 · LM II:33 §1 · paragraph §1.7
וְזֶהוּ: וַיִּחַדְּ יִתְרוֹ עַל כָּל הַטּוֹבָה – שֶׁיִּתְרוֹ הָיָה שָׂמֵחַ עַל כָּל הַטּוֹבָה, פֵּרוּשׁ, אֲפִלּוּ כְּשֶׁהִסְתַּכֵּל לְהָלְאָה מִן הַטּוֹבָה. וְזֶהוּ: עַל כָּל הַטּוֹבָה – לְמַעְלָה וּלְהָלְאָה עַל הַטּוֹבָה, אַף־עַל־פִּי שֶׁהִסְתַּכֵּל עַל זֶה, הַיְנוּ לְהָלְאָה מִן הַטּוֹבָה, הַיְנוּ עַל הַסּוֹף, אַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן הָיָה שָׂמֵחַ מְאֹד. כִּי מִצַּד הַנְּשָׁמָה, אַף כְּשֶׁמִּסְתַּכֵּל עַל הַסּוֹף, הוּא טוֹב מְאֹד כַּנַּ"ל,
EN (our paraphrase): This is 'Yisro rejoiced over all the good': he rejoiced even when he looked beyond the good. 'Al kol hatovah', above and beyond the good: though he looked past it, to the end, he still rejoiced very much. For from the side of the soul, even looking at the end, it is very good,
Scene 11 · LM II:33 §1 · paragraph §1.8
אַךְ שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה בְּשָׂרוֹ חִדּוּדִין חִדּוּדִין – בְּשָׂרוֹ דַּיְקָא, דְּהַיְנוּ הַגּוּף. כִּי מֵאַחַר שֶׁהָיָה גֵּר, לֹא הָיָה שִׂמְחָתוֹ בְּגוּפוֹ כְּשֶׁהִסְתַּכֵּל עַל הַסּוֹף כַּנַּ"ל. וְזֶהוּ: נַעֲשָׂה בְּשָׂרוֹ חִדּוּדִין חִדּוּדִין – בְּשָׂרוֹ דַּיְקָא כַּנַּ"ל:
EN (our paraphrase): but his flesh became prickles, prickles: his flesh precisely, the body. Since he was a convert, his joy was not in his body when he looked at the end. That is 'his flesh became prickles': his flesh precisely.
Hebrew phrases in the Explainer
Scene 2 · §1.2: שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה בְּשָׂרוֹ חִדּוּדִין
Scene 3 · §1.3: כִּי כָל הַשְּׂמָחוֹת הֵם רַק בִּשְׁעָתָן,
Scene 4 · §1.3: סוֹף כָּל סוֹף, דְּהַיְנוּ הַתַּכְלִית, הוּא טוֹב מְאֹד.
Scene 5 · §1.4: וְהִנֵּה זֶהוּ רַק מִצַּד הַנְּשָׁמָה, שֶׁמִּצִּדָּהּ הַמָּוֶת טוֹב מְאֹד,
Scene 6 · §1.5: אַף בְּשָׂרִי יִשְׁכֹּן לָבֶטַח
Scene 7 · §1.6: אִי אֶפְשָׁר לוֹ לִשְׂמֹחַ עִם גּוּפוֹ כְּשֶׁמִּסְתַּכֵּל עַל הַתַּכְלִית.
Scene 8 · §1.8: בְּשָׂרוֹ דַּיְקָא, דְּהַיְנוּ הַגּוּף.
Hebrew phrases in the 1-minute recap
Scene 2 · §1.3: כִּי כָל הַשְּׂמָחוֹת הֵם רַק בִּשְׁעָתָן,
Scene 3 · §1.3: אֲבָל אִם יִסְתַּכֵּל עַל הַסּוֹף שֶׁל הַסּוֹף, אָז יֵשׁ לוֹ לִשְׂמֹחַ מְאֹד, כִּי סוֹף כָּל סוֹף, דְּהַיְנוּ הַתַּכְלִית, הוּא טוֹב מְאֹד.
Scene 4 · §1.8: שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה בְּשָׂרוֹ חִדּוּדִין