גֹּדֶל יִקְרַת הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה נוֹדַע לִי עַתָּה. כִּי
The Preciousness of Thought
Rebbe Nachman said he now understood how precious thought is: from a thought, complete things are made that last as long as the worlds last. Wisdom is more precious still, for thought is what merely arises in the mind, while wisdom builds structures in the intellect. The main thing is that it be in truth; even a new plain explanation is a great thing if true, and without truth the opposite is made.
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1-minute recap
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הַמָּקוֹר · Original text
גֹּדֶל יִקְרַת הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה נוֹדַע לִי עַתָּה. כִּי הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה יְקָרָה מְאֹד מְאֹד, שֶׁנַּעֲשֶׂה מִמֶּנָּה דְּבָרִים שְׁלֵמִים מַמָּשׁ, שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהֶם קִיּוּם כָּל הַיָּמִים שֶׁיִּתְקַיְּמוּ הָעוֹלָמוֹת, כָּל זְמַן אֲשֶׁר הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ וְכוּ' וְכוּ'.
וְחָכְמָה יָקָר יוֹתֵר, כִּי מַחֲשָׁבָה הוּא שֶׁעוֹלָה עַל מַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ לְבַד, וְחָכְמָה הוּא שֶׁבּוֹנֶה בְּחָכְמָתוֹ בִּנְיָנִים בְּשִׂכְלוֹ, וְהוּא יָקָר מְאֹד,
וְעִקָּר הַדָּבָר – שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בֶּאֱמֶת. וַאֲפִלּוּ פְּשָׁט שֶׁמְּחַדְּשִׁין, הוּא גַם־כֵּן דָּבָר גָּדוֹל מְאֹד, וְצָרִיךְ גַּם־כֵּן שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בֶּאֱמֶת. וְגַם לְהֵפֶךְ, כְּשֶׁהוּא בְּלֹא אֱמֶת, נַעֲשֶׂה מִמֶּנָּה גַם־כֵּן דְּבָרִים לְהֵפֶךְ:
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 three: the preciousness of thought.
From a thought, whole and lasting things are made.
The main thing: that it be in truth.
Our own reflection: guard your thoughts; they build worlds.
Explainer
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah fifty three. A short teaching about the power of a thought.
Now, Rebbe Nachman said, I have come to know how precious thought is. From a thought, complete things are made, which last as long as the worlds last.
Wisdom is more precious still: a thought just rises in the mind, but wisdom builds whole structures in the intellect. And the main thing is that it be in truth. Even a new plain explanation is a great thing, if it is true; without truth, the opposite is made.
Some reflections of our own, not a quotation. Every thought builds something that lasts. Think true thoughts, learn with honesty, and what you build will stand.
Full shiur
— Part 1: The Preciousness of Thought —
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah fifty three. A short shiur in one part: the preciousness of thought and wisdom, and truth.
Gold is Rebbe Nachman's own words, from Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah fifty 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.
The greatness of the preciousness of thought I have now come to know. For thought is very, very precious: from it complete things are made, which endure all the days that the worlds endure, as long as Hashem, and so on.
And wisdom is more precious, for thought is what rises in his thought alone, while wisdom is when he builds structures in his intellect with his wisdom; and it is very precious,
and the main thing is that it be in truth. Even a plain explanation one newly finds is also a very great thing, and it too must be in truth. And the reverse: when it is without truth, things are made from it too, the opposite way.
Our explanation. A thought is not nothing; it creates something that lasts. Wisdom builds whole structures from thoughts. And truth decides whether what is built is holy, or the opposite.
Some reflections of our own, not a quotation. Every thought builds something that lasts. Think true thoughts, learn with honesty, and what you build will stand.
This has been Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah fifty three.
Sources for this Torah
Texts used
Hebrew: Likutei Moharan Tinyana (Part II), Torah 53, edition 'Likutei Moharan Tinyana – rabenubook.com', public domain, via Sefaria — https://www.sefaria.org/Likutei_Moharan%2C_Part_II.53
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 Preciousness of Thought
Scene 3 · LM II:53 §1 · paragraph §1.1
גֹּדֶל יִקְרַת הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה נוֹדַע לִי עַתָּה. כִּי הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה יְקָרָה מְאֹד מְאֹד, שֶׁנַּעֲשֶׂה מִמֶּנָּה דְּבָרִים שְׁלֵמִים מַמָּשׁ, שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהֶם קִיּוּם כָּל הַיָּמִים שֶׁיִּתְקַיְּמוּ הָעוֹלָמוֹת, כָּל זְמַן אֲשֶׁר הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ וְכוּ' וְכוּ'.
EN (our paraphrase): The greatness of the preciousness of thought I have now come to know. For thought is very, very precious: from it complete things are made, which endure all the days that the worlds endure, as long as Hashem, and so on.
Scene 4 · LM II:53 §1 · paragraph §1.2
וְחָכְמָה יָקָר יוֹתֵר, כִּי מַחֲשָׁבָה הוּא שֶׁעוֹלָה עַל מַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ לְבַד, וְחָכְמָה הוּא שֶׁבּוֹנֶה בְּחָכְמָתוֹ בִּנְיָנִים בְּשִׂכְלוֹ, וְהוּא יָקָר מְאֹד,
EN (our paraphrase): And wisdom is more precious, for thought is what rises in his thought alone, while wisdom is when he builds structures in his intellect with his wisdom; and it is very precious,
Scene 5 · LM II:53 §1 · paragraph §1.3
וְעִקָּר הַדָּבָר – שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בֶּאֱמֶת. וַאֲפִלּוּ פְּשָׁט שֶׁמְּחַדְּשִׁין, הוּא גַם־כֵּן דָּבָר גָּדוֹל מְאֹד, וְצָרִיךְ גַּם־כֵּן שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בֶּאֱמֶת. וְגַם לְהֵפֶךְ, כְּשֶׁהוּא בְּלֹא אֱמֶת, נַעֲשֶׂה מִמֶּנָּה גַם־כֵּן דְּבָרִים לְהֵפֶךְ:
EN (our paraphrase): and the main thing is that it be in truth. Even a plain explanation one newly finds is also a very great thing, and it too must be in truth. And the reverse: when it is without truth, things are made from it too, the opposite way.
Hebrew phrases in the Explainer
Scene 2 · §1.1: גֹּדֶל יִקְרַת הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה נוֹדַע לִי עַתָּה.
Scene 3 · §1.3: וְעִקָּר הַדָּבָר – שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בֶּאֱמֶת.
Hebrew phrases in the 1-minute recap
Scene 2 · §1.1: שֶׁנַּעֲשֶׂה מִמֶּנָּה דְּבָרִים שְׁלֵמִים מַמָּשׁ,
Scene 3 · §1.3: וְעִקָּר הַדָּבָר – שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בֶּאֱמֶת.