סַכָּנָה גְּדוֹלָה לוֹמַר תּוֹרָה, וְצָרִיךְ לָזֶה יְגִיעָה
The Danger of Saying Torah
Teaching Torah publicly is a great danger and needs great skill: the teacher must weigh his words so that each listener hears only what he needs, as only Yisro truly 'heard'. Each listener brings his own evil, the husks made by sins, which crowd and confuse the gathering and try to feed on whatever a listener hears beyond his understanding. A subtle husk can feed even on the Torah itself; it flees when Israel's salvations are spoken of, like Yisro. So the true tzaddik feels great awe when he teaches, more than on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
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הַמָּקוֹר · Original text
סַכָּנָה גְּדוֹלָה לוֹמַר תּוֹרָה, וְצָרִיךְ לָזֶה יְגִיעָה גְּדוֹלָה וְאָמָּנוּת יְתֵרָה, שֶׁיּוּכַל לִשְׁקֹל בְּפֶלֶס דְּבָרָיו, בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁלֹּא יִשְׁמַע כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד מֵהַשּׁוֹמְעִין כִּי־אִם מַה שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לוֹ, לֹא יוֹתֵר.
וְאַף־עַל־פִּי שֶׁהַכֹּל שׁוֹמְעִין כָּל הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁאוֹמֵר, עִם כָּל זֶה לֹא יִשְׁמַע כָּל אֶחָד רַק מַה שֶּׁצָּרִיךְ לְבַד. וְכַמּוּבָא עַל פָּסוּק וַיִּשְׁמַע יִתְרוֹ: וַהֲלֹא כָּל הָעוֹלָם שָׁמְעוּ, אֶלָּא יִתְרוֹ שָׁמַע וְכוּ' (זוהר יתרו דף סח). כִּי רַק שְׁמִיעַת יִתְרוֹ נֶחֱשָׁב לִשְׁמִיעָה, שֶׁנִּכְנַס בְּאָזְנָיו, וּשְׁמִיעַת כָּל הָעוֹלָם אֵינוֹ נֶחֱשָׁב שְׁמִיעָה כְּלָל.
וּמִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לוֹמַר תּוֹרָה בִּבְחִינָה זוֹ, אָסוּר לוֹ לוֹמַר תּוֹרָה. כִּי כָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד כְּשֶׁבָּא אֶל הַצַּדִּיק לִשְׁמֹעַ תּוֹרָה, בָּא עִמּוֹ גַּם הָרָע שֶׁלּוֹ, דְּהַיְנוּ הַקְּלִפּוֹת הַנִּבְרָאִים עַל־יְדֵי עֲבֵרוֹת, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, וְהֵם הַדּוֹחֲקִים אֶת הָעוֹלָם וְעוֹשִׂים בִּלְבּוּל וְדֹחַק גָּדוֹל בִּשְׁעַת אֲמִירַת הַתּוֹרָה, כִּי הָרָע הַנַּ"ל שֶׁל כָּל אֶחָד רוֹצֶה לְבַלְבֵּל. וְזֶה שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (ברכות ו): הַאי דֻּחְקָא דְּכַלָּה מִנַּיְהוּ, הַיְנוּ מֵהָרָע שֶׁל כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד, שֶׁהֵם הַקְּלִפּוֹת כַּנַּ"ל.
וְאֵלּוּ הַקְּלִפּוֹת רוֹצִים גַם־כֵּן לִינֹק מִן הַתּוֹרָה, וִינִיקָתָם הוּא רַק מֵהַמּוֹתָרוֹת, דְּהַיְנוּ מַה שֶּׁאֶחָד שׁוֹמֵעַ יוֹתֵר וּלְמַעְלָה מִמֹּחוֹ וַהֲבָנָתוֹ, זֶה בְּחִינַת מוֹתָרוֹת, וּמִשָּׁם יְנִיקָתָם. וְזֶה בְּחִינַת רָזֵי תּוֹרָה שֶׁנִּמְסַר לַחִיצוֹנִים, כִּי יְנִיקָתָם רַק מִבְּחִינַת רָזֵי תּוֹרָה, דְּהַיְנוּ מִמַּה שֶּׁהוּא לְמַעְלָה מִמֹּחַ הָאָדָם, כָּל אֶחָד לְפִי הֲבָנָתוֹ.
עַל־כֵּן צָרִיךְ הֶחָכָם הָאוֹמֵר תּוֹרָה, שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לוֹ אָמָּנוּת הַנַּ"ל, שֶׁלֹּא יִשְׁמַע שׁוּם אֶחָד מֵהַשּׁוֹמְעִין מַה שֶּׁאֵינוֹ לְפִי מֹחוֹ וַהֲבָנָתוֹ, שֶׁאֵינוֹ שַׁיָּךְ לוֹ כַּנַּ"ל, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא לִתֵּן לָהֶם יְנִיקָה, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם.
וְדַע, שֶׁיֵּשׁ קְלִפָּה דַּקָּה, שֶׁסְּמוּכָה לְהַקְּדֻשָּׁה, שֶׁזֹּאת הַקְּלִפָּה הַדַּקָּה יְכוֹלָה לִינֹק אֲפִלּוּ מִגּוּף הַתּוֹרָה בְּעַצְמָהּ, אֲפִלּוּ אִם אֵין בָּהּ מוֹתָרוֹת. וְהַתִּקּוּן לָזֶה – כְּשֶׁמְּדַבְּרִים מִישׁוּעַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁאָז בּוֹרַחַת אוֹתוֹ הַקְּלִפָּה הַדַּקָּה.
וְזֶה בְּחִינַת מַה שֶּׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (זבחים קטז), שֶׁיִּתְרוֹ בָּא וְהָלַךְ לוֹ קֹדֶם מַתַּן־תּוֹרָה, כִּי יִתְרוֹ הוּא בְּחִינַת הַקְּלִפָּה הַדַּקָּה שֶׁבּוֹרַחַת כְּשֶׁשּׁוֹמַעַת יְשׁוּעוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל.
וְהַצַּדִּיק הָאֱמֶת יֵשׁ לוֹ אֵימָה גְּדוֹלָה כְּשֶׁאוֹמֵר תּוֹרָה, יוֹתֵר מֵאֵימַת רֹאשׁ־הַשָּׁנָה וְיוֹם־הַכִּפּוּרִים:
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 forty seven: the danger of saying Torah.
The teacher must weigh his words so each listener hears only what he needs.
Each listener brings his own evil along, and it crowds and confuses the gathering.
Speaking of Israel's salvations makes even the subtlest husk flee.
So the true tzaddik feels great awe when he teaches, more than on Yom Kippur.
Our own reflection: listen to Torah with humility, and take what is meant for you.
Explainer
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah forty seven: it is a great danger to say Torah. A teaching about what really happens when a tzaddik teaches.
Teaching Torah takes great effort and special skill: to weigh one's words so that each listener hears only what he needs, no more. Everyone hears the whole teaching, yet each truly hears only his part. The Zohar asks: didn't the whole world hear? Only Yisro truly heard.
Why? Each person who comes to hear brings his own evil with him, the husks created by sins. They push and crowd and confuse while the Torah is spoken. The Sages said of the crowding at the great gatherings: it comes from them.
These husks want to feed from the Torah too, but they can feed only from the surplus: whatever a listener hears beyond his own mind and understanding. So a teacher who cannot give each one only his share must not teach.
There is also a subtle husk, close to holiness, that can feed even from the body of the Torah itself. Its remedy is to speak of Israel's salvations; then it flees. That is Yisro, who came and then left before the giving of the Torah.
So the true tzaddik feels great awe when he says Torah, more than the awe of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
Some reflections of our own, not a quotation. When you hear Torah, come with humility, and leave your arguments at the door. Take what is meant for you. And when you teach, teach with awe, and speak of Hashem's salvations.
Full shiur
— Part 1: The Danger of Saying Torah —
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah forty seven: the danger of saying Torah. A shiur in one part: what the teacher must weigh, what the listeners bring, and the awe of the true tzaddik.
Gold is Rebbe Nachman's own words, from Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah forty 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.
It is a great danger to say Torah. It needs great toil and special skill, to weigh one's words in a balance, so that each of the listeners hears only what he needs, no more.
Even though everyone hears the whole teaching he says, each one hears only what he needs. As is brought on the verse 'and Yisro heard': didn't the whole world hear? But Yisro heard. Only Yisro's hearing counts as hearing, that it entered his ears; the whole world's hearing does not count as hearing at all.
One who cannot say Torah in this way is forbidden to say Torah. For each one who comes to the tzaddik to hear Torah brings his evil with him, the husks created by sins, Heaven forbid; and they push the people and make great confusion and crowding while the Torah is said, for each one's evil wants to confuse. That is what our Sages said: the crowding at the gathering comes from them, from each one's evil, the husks.
Our explanation. Klipos, husks, are the forces of evil that sins create. They come with each person to the teaching, crowding and confusing, and trying to feed from the Torah. The teacher must leave them nothing to feed on.
These husks also want to feed from the Torah, and they can feed only from the surplus: what one hears beyond his mind and understanding is surplus, and from there they feed. This is the secrets of the Torah that were handed to the outside forces: they feed only from what is above a person's mind, each according to his understanding.
So the wise man who says Torah must have this skill: that none of the listeners hears what is not according to his mind and understanding, what does not belong to him, so as not to give them nourishment, Heaven forbid.
And know that there is a subtle husk, close to holiness, which can feed even from the body of the Torah itself, even if there is no surplus in it. The remedy for this is when one speaks of the salvation of Israel; then that subtle husk flees.
This is what our Sages said: Yisro came and went away before the giving of the Torah. For Yisro is the aspect of the subtle husk, which flees when it hears the salvations of Israel.
And the true tzaddik has great awe when he says Torah, more than the awe of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
Our explanation, step by step. Weigh each word, so each listener hears only his share. Leave no surplus for the husks to feed on. And speak of Israel's salvations, so even the subtlest husk flees.
Some reflections of our own, not a quotation. When you hear Torah, come with humility, and take what is meant for you. And when you teach, teach with awe, and speak of Hashem's salvations.
This has been Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah forty seven.
Sources for this Torah
Texts used
Hebrew: Likutei Moharan Tinyana (Part II), Torah 47, edition 'Likutei Moharan Tinyana – rabenubook.com', public domain, via Sefaria — https://www.sefaria.org/Likutei_Moharan%2C_Part_II.47
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 Danger of Saying Torah
Scene 3 · LM II:47 §1 · paragraph §1.1
סַכָּנָה גְּדוֹלָה לוֹמַר תּוֹרָה, וְצָרִיךְ לָזֶה יְגִיעָה גְּדוֹלָה וְאָמָּנוּת יְתֵרָה, שֶׁיּוּכַל לִשְׁקֹל בְּפֶלֶס דְּבָרָיו, בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁלֹּא יִשְׁמַע כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד מֵהַשּׁוֹמְעִין כִּי־אִם מַה שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לוֹ, לֹא יוֹתֵר.
EN (our paraphrase): It is a great danger to say Torah. It needs great toil and special skill, to weigh one's words in a balance, so that each of the listeners hears only what he needs, no more.
Scene 4 · LM II:47 §1, on the Zohar · paragraph §1.2
וְאַף־עַל־פִּי שֶׁהַכֹּל שׁוֹמְעִין כָּל הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁאוֹמֵר, עִם כָּל זֶה לֹא יִשְׁמַע כָּל אֶחָד רַק מַה שֶּׁצָּרִיךְ לְבַד. וְכַמּוּבָא עַל פָּסוּק וַיִּשְׁמַע יִתְרוֹ: וַהֲלֹא כָּל הָעוֹלָם שָׁמְעוּ, אֶלָּא יִתְרוֹ שָׁמַע וְכוּ'. כִּי רַק שְׁמִיעַת יִתְרוֹ נֶחֱשָׁב לִשְׁמִיעָה, שֶׁנִּכְנַס בְּאָזְנָיו, וּשְׁמִיעַת כָּל הָעוֹלָם אֵינוֹ נֶחֱשָׁב שְׁמִיעָה כְּלָל.
EN (our paraphrase): Even though everyone hears the whole teaching he says, each one hears only what he needs. As is brought on the verse 'and Yisro heard': didn't the whole world hear? But Yisro heard. Only Yisro's hearing counts as hearing, that it entered his ears; the whole world's hearing does not count as hearing at all.
Scene 5 · LM II:47 §1, on Berachos 6a · paragraph §1.3
וּמִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לוֹמַר תּוֹרָה בִּבְחִינָה זוֹ, אָסוּר לוֹ לוֹמַר תּוֹרָה. כִּי כָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד כְּשֶׁבָּא אֶל הַצַּדִּיק לִשְׁמֹעַ תּוֹרָה, בָּא עִמּוֹ גַּם הָרָע שֶׁלּוֹ, דְּהַיְנוּ הַקְּלִפּוֹת הַנִּבְרָאִים עַל־יְדֵי עֲבֵרוֹת, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, וְהֵם הַדּוֹחֲקִים אֶת הָעוֹלָם וְעוֹשִׂים בִּלְבּוּל וְדֹחַק גָּדוֹל בִּשְׁעַת אֲמִירַת הַתּוֹרָה, כִּי הָרָע הַנַּ"ל שֶׁל כָּל אֶחָד רוֹצֶה לְבַלְבֵּל. וְזֶה שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה: הַאי דֻּחְקָא דְּכַלָּה מִנַּיְהוּ, הַיְנוּ מֵהָרָע שֶׁל כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד, שֶׁהֵם הַקְּלִפּוֹת כַּנַּ"ל.
EN (our paraphrase): One who cannot say Torah in this way is forbidden to say Torah. For each one who comes to the tzaddik to hear Torah brings his evil with him, the husks created by sins, Heaven forbid; and they push the people and make great confusion and crowding while the Torah is said, for each one's evil wants to confuse. That is what our Sages said: the crowding at the gathering comes from them, from each one's evil, the husks.
Scene 7 · LM II:47 §1 · paragraph §1.4
וְאֵלּוּ הַקְּלִפּוֹת רוֹצִים גַם־כֵּן לִינֹק מִן הַתּוֹרָה, וִינִיקָתָם הוּא רַק מֵהַמּוֹתָרוֹת, דְּהַיְנוּ מַה שֶּׁאֶחָד שׁוֹמֵעַ יוֹתֵר וּלְמַעְלָה מִמֹּחוֹ וַהֲבָנָתוֹ, זֶה בְּחִינַת מוֹתָרוֹת, וּמִשָּׁם יְנִיקָתָם. וְזֶה בְּחִינַת רָזֵי תּוֹרָה שֶׁנִּמְסַר לַחִיצוֹנִים, כִּי יְנִיקָתָם רַק מִבְּחִינַת רָזֵי תּוֹרָה, דְּהַיְנוּ מִמַּה שֶּׁהוּא לְמַעְלָה מִמֹּחַ הָאָדָם, כָּל אֶחָד לְפִי הֲבָנָתוֹ.
EN (our paraphrase): These husks also want to feed from the Torah, and they can feed only from the surplus: what one hears beyond his mind and understanding is surplus, and from there they feed. This is the secrets of the Torah that were handed to the outside forces: they feed only from what is above a person's mind, each according to his understanding.
Scene 8 · LM II:47 §1 · paragraph §1.5
עַל־כֵּן צָרִיךְ הֶחָכָם הָאוֹמֵר תּוֹרָה, שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לוֹ אָמָּנוּת הַנַּ"ל, שֶׁלֹּא יִשְׁמַע שׁוּם אֶחָד מֵהַשּׁוֹמְעִין מַה שֶּׁאֵינוֹ לְפִי מֹחוֹ וַהֲבָנָתוֹ, שֶׁאֵינוֹ שַׁיָּךְ לוֹ כַּנַּ"ל, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא לִתֵּן לָהֶם יְנִיקָה, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם.
EN (our paraphrase): So the wise man who says Torah must have this skill: that none of the listeners hears what is not according to his mind and understanding, what does not belong to him, so as not to give them nourishment, Heaven forbid.
Scene 9 · LM II:47 §1 · paragraph §1.6
וְדַע, שֶׁיֵּשׁ קְלִפָּה דַּקָּה, שֶׁסְּמוּכָה לְהַקְּדֻשָּׁה, שֶׁזֹּאת הַקְּלִפָּה הַדַּקָּה יְכוֹלָה לִינֹק אֲפִלּוּ מִגּוּף הַתּוֹרָה בְּעַצְמָהּ, אֲפִלּוּ אִם אֵין בָּהּ מוֹתָרוֹת. וְהַתִּקּוּן לָזֶה – כְּשֶׁמְּדַבְּרִים מִישׁוּעַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁאָז בּוֹרַחַת אוֹתוֹ הַקְּלִפָּה הַדַּקָּה.
EN (our paraphrase): And know that there is a subtle husk, close to holiness, which can feed even from the body of the Torah itself, even if there is no surplus in it. The remedy for this is when one speaks of the salvation of Israel; then that subtle husk flees.
Scene 10 · LM II:47 §1, on Zevachim 116a · paragraph §1.7
וְזֶה בְּחִינַת מַה שֶּׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה, שֶׁיִּתְרוֹ בָּא וְהָלַךְ לוֹ קֹדֶם מַתַּן־תּוֹרָה, כִּי יִתְרוֹ הוּא בְּחִינַת הַקְּלִפָּה הַדַּקָּה שֶׁבּוֹרַחַת כְּשֶׁשּׁוֹמַעַת יְשׁוּעוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל.
EN (our paraphrase): This is what our Sages said: Yisro came and went away before the giving of the Torah. For Yisro is the aspect of the subtle husk, which flees when it hears the salvations of Israel.
Scene 11 · LM II:47 §1 · paragraph §1.8
וְהַצַּדִּיק הָאֱמֶת יֵשׁ לוֹ אֵימָה גְּדוֹלָה כְּשֶׁאוֹמֵר תּוֹרָה, יוֹתֵר מֵאֵימַת רֹאשׁ־הַשָּׁנָה וְיוֹם־הַכִּפּוּרִים:
EN (our paraphrase): And the true tzaddik has great awe when he says Torah, more than the awe of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
Hebrew phrases in the Explainer
Scene 2 · §1.1: שֶׁלֹּא יִשְׁמַע כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד מֵהַשּׁוֹמְעִין כִּי־אִם מַה שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לוֹ,
Scene 3 · §1.3: וְהֵם הַדּוֹחֲקִים אֶת הָעוֹלָם וְעוֹשִׂים בִּלְבּוּל וְדֹחַק גָּדוֹל בִּשְׁעַת אֲמִירַת הַתּוֹרָה,
Scene 4 · §1.4: וִינִיקָתָם הוּא רַק מֵהַמּוֹתָרוֹת,
Scene 5 · §1.6: כְּשֶׁמְּדַבְּרִים מִישׁוּעַת יִשְׂרָאֵל,
Scene 6 · §1.8: יוֹתֵר מֵאֵימַת רֹאשׁ־הַשָּׁנָה וְיוֹם־הַכִּפּוּרִים:
Hebrew phrases in the 1-minute recap
Scene 2 · §1.1: שֶׁלֹּא יִשְׁמַע כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד מֵהַשּׁוֹמְעִין כִּי־אִם מַה שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לוֹ,
Scene 3 · §1.3: וְהֵם הַדּוֹחֲקִים אֶת הָעוֹלָם וְעוֹשִׂים בִּלְבּוּל וְדֹחַק גָּדוֹל בִּשְׁעַת אֲמִירַת הַתּוֹרָה,
Scene 4 · §1.6: כְּשֶׁמְּדַבְּרִים מִישׁוּעַת יִשְׂרָאֵל,
Scene 5 · §1.8: יֵשׁ לוֹ אֵימָה גְּדוֹלָה כְּשֶׁאוֹמֵר תּוֹרָה,