מַה שֶּׁקָּשֶׁה קֻשְׁיוֹת עַל הַצַּדִּיקִים, זֶהוּ מֻכְרָח
Questions About the Tzaddikim
It must be that there are questions about the tzaddikim, because the tzaddikim resemble their Maker, and just as there are questions about Hashem, so there must be questions about the tzaddik. Rebbe Nachman would often say: on the contrary, this is how it should be; it is fitting for Hashem's greatness that we cannot understand His ways, for if His conduct matched our reasoning, His mind would be like ours.
🎧 Listen to the full shiur
1-minute recap
Explainer
Full shiur
הַמָּקוֹר · Original text
מַה שֶּׁקָּשֶׁה קֻשְׁיוֹת עַל הַצַּדִּיקִים, זֶהוּ מֻכְרָח לִהְיוֹת. כִּי הַצַּדִּיקִים מִתְדַּמִּים לְיוֹצְרָם, כַּמּוּבָא, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁקָּשֶׁה קֻשְׁיוֹת עַל הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, כְּמוֹ־כֵן בְּהֶכְרֵחַ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה קָשֶׁה קֻשְׁיוֹת עַל הַצַּדִּיק, כִּי הוּא מִתְדַּמֶּה אֵלָיו יִתְבָּרַךְ:
וּבְעִנְיָן הַקֻּשְׁיוֹת שֶׁקָּשֶׁה עַל הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, מַרְגְּלָא בְּפֻמֵּהּ לוֹמַר: אַדְּרַבָּא, כָּךְ רָאוּי לִהְיוֹת דַּיְקָא, שֶׁיִּהְיוּ קֻשְׁיוֹת עַל הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, וְכָךְ נָאֶה וְיָפֶה לוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ לְפִי גְּדֻלָּתוֹ וְרוֹמְמוּתוֹ. כִּי מֵעֹצֶם גְּדֻלָּתוֹ וְרוֹמְמוּתוֹ, שֶׁהוּא מְרוֹמָם מְאֹד מִדַּעְתֵּנוּ, עַל־כֵּן בְּוַדַּאי אִי אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁנָּבִין וְנַשִּׂיג בְּשִׂכְלֵנוּ הַנְהָגָתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ. וְעַל־כֵּן בְּהֶכְרֵחַ שֶׁיִּהְיוּ עָלָיו יִתְבָּרַךְ קֻשְׁיוֹת, כִּי כָּךְ נָאֶה וְיָפֶה לְהַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ, שֶׁיִּהְיֶה מְרוֹמָם וְנִשָּׂא מִדַּעְתֵּנוּ, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה קָשֶׁה הַקֻּשְׁיוֹת כַּנַּ"ל; וְאִם הָיָה הַנְהָגָתוֹ כְּפִי חִיּוּב דַּעְתֵּנוּ, אִם־כֵּן הָיָה, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, דַּעְתּוֹ כְּדַעְתֵּנוּ:
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 fifty two: questions about the tzaddikim.
There must be questions about the tzaddik, because he resembles his Maker.
If Hashem's ways fit our reasoning, His mind would be like ours. Questions are fitting for His greatness.
Our own reflection: a question is a sign of His greatness, not a reason to leave.
Explainer
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah fifty two. A short teaching about the questions that trouble us.
There are questions about the tzaddikim, and Rebbe Nachman says it must be so. The tzaddikim resemble their Maker, and just as there are questions about Hashem, there must be questions about the tzaddik.
About questions on Hashem, he often said: on the contrary, that is exactly how it should be. Hashem is so far above our understanding that we cannot grasp His ways. If His conduct matched our reasoning, His mind would be like ours, Heaven forbid.
Some reflections of our own, not a quotation. When a question troubles you about Hashem or a true tzaddik, don't be shaken. If you could understand everything, He would be no greater than you.
Full shiur
— Part 1: Questions About the Tzaddikim —
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah fifty two. A short shiur in one part: questions about the tzaddikim, and about Hashem.
Gold is Rebbe Nachman's own words, from Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah fifty two. 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.
That there are questions about the tzaddikim must be so. For the tzaddikim resemble their Maker, as is brought; and just as there are questions about Hashem, so there must be questions about the tzaddik, for he resembles Him.
About the questions on Hashem, he used to say: on the contrary, this is precisely how it should be, that there are questions about Hashem; this is fitting and beautiful for Him, according to His greatness and exaltedness.
For from His very great exaltedness, so far above our minds, we surely cannot understand and grasp His conduct with our intellect. So there must be questions about Him; that is fitting for the Creator, to be exalted above our minds. If His conduct followed our reasoning, His mind would be like ours, Heaven forbid.
Our explanation. A question does not disprove; it shows how far above our minds Hashem is. And because the true tzaddik resembles his Maker, questions about him are to be expected too.
Some reflections of our own, not a quotation. When a question troubles you about Hashem or a true tzaddik, don't be shaken. If you could understand everything, He would be no greater than you.
This has been Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah fifty two.
Sources for this Torah
Texts used
Hebrew: Likutei Moharan Tinyana (Part II), Torah 52, edition 'Likutei Moharan Tinyana – rabenubook.com', public domain, via Sefaria — https://www.sefaria.org/Likutei_Moharan%2C_Part_II.52
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 — Questions About the Tzaddikim
Scene 3 · LM II:52 §1 · paragraph §1.1
מַה שֶּׁקָּשֶׁה קֻשְׁיוֹת עַל הַצַּדִּיקִים, זֶהוּ מֻכְרָח לִהְיוֹת. כִּי הַצַּדִּיקִים מִתְדַּמִּים לְיוֹצְרָם, כַּמּוּבָא, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁקָּשֶׁה קֻשְׁיוֹת עַל הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, כְּמוֹ־כֵן בְּהֶכְרֵחַ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה קָשֶׁה קֻשְׁיוֹת עַל הַצַּדִּיק, כִּי הוּא מִתְדַּמֶּה אֵלָיו יִתְבָּרַךְ:
EN (our paraphrase): That there are questions about the tzaddikim must be so. For the tzaddikim resemble their Maker, as is brought; and just as there are questions about Hashem, so there must be questions about the tzaddik, for he resembles Him.
Scene 4 · LM II:52 §1 · paragraph §1.2
וּבְעִנְיָן הַקֻּשְׁיוֹת שֶׁקָּשֶׁה עַל הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, מַרְגְּלָא בְּפֻמֵּהּ לוֹמַר: אַדְּרַבָּא, כָּךְ רָאוּי לִהְיוֹת דַּיְקָא, שֶׁיִּהְיוּ קֻשְׁיוֹת עַל הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, וְכָךְ נָאֶה וְיָפֶה לוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ לְפִי גְּדֻלָּתוֹ וְרוֹמְמוּתוֹ.
EN (our paraphrase): About the questions on Hashem, he used to say: on the contrary, this is precisely how it should be, that there are questions about Hashem; this is fitting and beautiful for Him, according to His greatness and exaltedness.
Scene 5 · LM II:52 §1 · paragraph §1.2
כִּי מֵעֹצֶם גְּדֻלָּתוֹ וְרוֹמְמוּתוֹ, שֶׁהוּא מְרוֹמָם מְאֹד מִדַּעְתֵּנוּ, עַל־כֵּן בְּוַדַּאי אִי אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁנָּבִין וְנַשִּׂיג בְּשִׂכְלֵנוּ הַנְהָגָתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ. וְעַל־כֵּן בְּהֶכְרֵחַ שֶׁיִּהְיוּ עָלָיו יִתְבָּרַךְ קֻשְׁיוֹת, כִּי כָּךְ נָאֶה וְיָפֶה לְהַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ, שֶׁיִּהְיֶה מְרוֹמָם וְנִשָּׂא מִדַּעְתֵּנוּ, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה קָשֶׁה הַקֻּשְׁיוֹת כַּנַּ"ל; וְאִם הָיָה הַנְהָגָתוֹ כְּפִי חִיּוּב דַּעְתֵּנוּ, אִם־כֵּן הָיָה, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, דַּעְתּוֹ כְּדַעְתֵּנוּ:
EN (our paraphrase): For from His very great exaltedness, so far above our minds, we surely cannot understand and grasp His conduct with our intellect. So there must be questions about Him; that is fitting for the Creator, to be exalted above our minds. If His conduct followed our reasoning, His mind would be like ours, Heaven forbid.
Hebrew phrases in the Explainer
Scene 2 · §1.1: כִּי הַצַּדִּיקִים מִתְדַּמִּים לְיוֹצְרָם,
Scene 3 · §1.2: אַדְּרַבָּא, כָּךְ רָאוּי לִהְיוֹת דַּיְקָא,
Hebrew phrases in the 1-minute recap
Scene 2 · §1.1: כִּי הַצַּדִּיקִים מִתְדַּמִּים לְיוֹצְרָם,
Scene 3 · §1.2: וְאִם הָיָה הַנְהָגָתוֹ כְּפִי חִיּוּב דַּעְתֵּנוּ, אִם־כֵּן הָיָה, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, דַּעְתּוֹ כְּדַעְתֵּנוּ: