הַצַּדִּיק הוּא מֻכְרָח לַעֲשׂוֹת תְּשׁוּבָה בְּעַד יִשְׂרָאֵל
The Tzaddik Does Teshuvah for Israel
When someone strays and throws off the yoke, the tzaddik must do teshuvah for him. A parable of a wild horse shows that no punishment really helps, and every punishment touches the tzaddik himself, for he is the simple root from which the four elements of every person flow. So one who comes to see the tzaddik should find himself in him and see how he holds in each trait. And the day after Yom Kippur is called 'Shem Hashem': once Hashem forgave, His Name, which is joined to ours, grows great, and right away Israel were commanded about Shabbos, the Name of the Holy One.
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הַמָּקוֹר · Original text
הַצַּדִּיק הוּא מֻכְרָח לַעֲשׂוֹת תְּשׁוּבָה בְּעַד יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּהַיְנוּ כְּשֶׁיּוֹצֵא אֶחָד חוּץ לַשּׁוּרָה וּפוֹרֵק עֹל, אֲזַי הַצַּדִּיק מֻכְרָח לַעֲשׂוֹת תְּשׁוּבָה בִּשְׁבִילוֹ.
עַל־פִּי מָשָׁל, שֶׁפַּעַם אֶחָד נָסְעוּ שְׁנֵי בְּנֵי־אָדָם עִם סוּס מְבֹהָל וּמְשֻׁגָּע, וְנָשָׂא אוֹתָם הַסּוּס וְהִשְׁלִיכָם מִן הָעֲגָלָה. וְעָמַד אֶחָד וְהִתְחִיל לְהַכּוֹת אֶת הַסּוּס בְּאֶגְרוֹף, וְהִכָּה אוֹתוֹ הַרְבֵּה. וְשָׂחַק מִמֶּנּוּ הַשֵּׁנִי וְאָמַר לוֹ: הֲלֹא אַתָּה מַכֶּה אֶת יָדְךָ, וּמַה תּוֹעִיל לְהַסּוּס הַכָּאָה זוֹ, רַק אַתָּה צָרִיךְ לִקַּח רְצוּעָה, שֶׁמַּכִּין בָּהּ הַסּוּסִים, לְהַכּוֹת אוֹתוֹ. וְהָלַךְ וְעָשָׂה כֵּן, וְלָקַח רְצוּעָה וְהִתְחִיל לְהַכּוֹת אֶת הַסּוּס. וְעָמַד הַסּוּס וְרָץ בְּבֶהָלָה גְּדוֹלָה, וּבָרַח וְנָשָׂא אוֹתָם וְהִשְׁלִיךְ אוֹתָם לְתוֹךְ רֶפֶשׁ וָטִיט, וְהַסּוּס בָּרַח לוֹ לְהַלָּן. נִמְצָא, שֶׁגַּם זֶה אֵינוֹ עֵצָה טוֹבָה. וְיָעֲצוּ אוֹתוֹ שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה כָּךְ, שֶׁיִּקַּח חֶבֶל יָפֶה, וְיִקְשֹׁר אֶת הַסּוּס לְאֵיזֶה אִילָן, וְיַכֶּה אוֹתוֹ הַרְבֵּה, וּבָזֶה יְלַמְּדוֹ לְהֵיטִיב. וְעָשָׂה כָּךְ, וְהִכָּה הַסּוּס הַרְבֵּה וְנִתְיַגַּע. וְרָאָה שֶׁגַּם זֶה אֵינוֹ עֵצָה טוֹבָה, כִּי אֵינוֹ כְּדַאי הַסּוּס כֻּלּוֹ בְּעַד הַיְגִיעָה וְהַקֹּצֶר־רוּחַ שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ עַל־יְדֵי הַהַכָּאָה, וְאֵין תַּקָּנָה לְסוּס כָּזֶה רַק לִירוֹת אוֹתוֹ עַל־יְדֵי קְנֵי־שְׂרֵפָה, וְזֶה צַר לוֹ.
כָּךְ כְּשֶׁאֶחָד יוֹצֵא לַחוּץ, וְאֵינוֹ מִתְנַהֵג כַּשּׁוּרָה – אֵין יְכוֹלִין לִמְצֹא עֵצָה מַה לַּעֲשׂוֹת לוֹ, כִּי הָיָה אֶפְשָׁר לְהַעֲנִישׁ אוֹתוֹ בְּעַצְמוֹ אוֹ עַל־יְדֵי שָׁלִיחַ אוֹ בְּאֹפֶן אַחֵר, אַךְ כָּל הָעֳנָשִׁים הֵם נוֹגְעִים לְהַצַּדִּיק בְּעַצְמוֹ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁמָּצִינוּ אֵצֶל הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, שֶׁבְּכָל צָרָתָם לוֹ צָר (ישעיה סג), כִּי הֵם חֵלֶק אֱלוֹקַ מִמַּעַל, וְעַל־כֵּן כְּשֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהֶם צָרָה, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, לוֹ צַר כִּבְיָכוֹל;
כְּמוֹ־כֵן אֵצֶל הַצַּדִּיק גַם־כֵּן, כִּי גַּם עֲנוֹשׁ לַצַּדִּיק לֹא טוֹב (משלי יז), כִּי הָעֹנֶשׁ שֶׁמַּעֲנִישׁ אֶת אֶחָד, הוּא נוֹגֵעַ לְהַצַּדִּיק בְּעַצְמוֹ. כִּי הָאָדָם נִתְהַוָּה מֵאַרְבָּעָה יְסוֹדוֹת: אֵשׁ, רוּחַ, מַיִם, עָפָר. וְכָל אֵלּוּ הָאַרְבָּעָה יְסוֹדוֹת נִמְשָׁכִין מִיסוֹד הַפָּשׁוּט, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת הַצַּדִּיק, בְּחִינַת (משלי י): צַדִּיק יְסוֹד עוֹלָם;
שֶׁהַצַּדִּיק הוּא בְּחִינַת יְסוֹד הַפָּשׁוּט, שֶׁמִּמֶּנּוּ נִמְשָׁכִין כָּל הָאַרְבָּעָה יְסוֹדוֹת, בִּבְחִינַת (בראשית ב׳:י׳): וְנָהָר יֹצֵא מֵעֵדֶן לְהַשְׁקוֹת אֶת הַגָּן, וּמִשָּׁם יִפָּרֵד וְהָיָה לְאַרְבָּעָה רָאשִׁים. נָהָר יֹצֵא מֵעֵדֶן – זֶה בְּחִינַת צַדִּיק יְסוֹד עוֹלָם, בְּחִינַת יְסוֹד הַפָּשׁוּט, אֲשֶׁר מִשָּׁם יִפָּרֵד – הָאַרְבָּעָה יְסוֹדוֹת, שֶׁהֵם בְּחִינַת אַרְבָּעָה רָאשִׁים כַּנַּ"ל. נִמְצָא שֶׁכֻּלָּם נִמְשָׁכִין מֵהַצַּדִּיק, וְעַל־כֵּן אִם הוּא מַעֲנִישׁ אֶת אֶחָד, נוֹגֵעַ אֶת הַצַּדִּיק בְּעַצְמוֹ, וְעַל־כֵּן: גַּם עָנוֹשׁ לַצַּדִּיק לֹא טוֹב כַּנַּ"ל:
וְזֶה שֶׁאָמְרוּ הַבַּעֲלֵי־מוּסָר, שֶׁכְּשֶׁבָּאִים לַצַּדִּיק וְרוֹאִים אוֹתוֹ, בִּבְחִינַת (ישעיהו ל׳:כ׳): וְהָיוּ עֵינֶיךָ רֹאוֹת אֶת מוֹרֶיךָ, רָאוּי שֶׁיִּמְצָא אֶת עַצְמוֹ בְּתוֹךְ הַצַּדִּיק, שֶׁיִּסְתַּכֵּל בְּעַצְמוֹ עַל כָּל הַמִּדּוֹת, אֵיךְ הוּא אוֹחֵז בָּהֶם, עַל־יְדֵי רְאִיַּת פְּנֵי הַצַּדִּיק.
כִּי כָל הַמִּדּוֹת נִמְשָׁכִין מֵהָאַרְבָּעָה יְסוֹדוֹת הַנַּ"ל, כַּמּוּבָא. וְעַל־כֵּן כְּשֶׁרוֹאֶה אֶת הַצַּדִּיק, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת יְסוֹד הַפָּשׁוּט, שֶׁמִּמֶּנּוּ נִמְשָׁכִין כָּל הָאַרְבָּעָה יְסוֹדוֹת, רָאוּי לוֹ שֶׁיִּסְתַּכֵּל וְיַרְגִּישׁ עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה אֵיךְ הוּא אוֹחֵז בְּכָל הַמִּדּוֹת, שֶׁבָּאִין מִן הָאַרְבָּעָה יְסוֹדוֹת, שֶׁנִּמְשָׁכִין מֵהַצַּדִּיק, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת יְסוֹד הַפָּשׁוּט כַּנַּ"ל:
וְזֶה: וְהָיוּ עֵינֶיךָ רֹאוֹת אֶת מוֹרֶיךָ – רָאשֵׁי־תֵבוֹת: אֵשׁ רוּחַ מַיִם עָפָר, שֶׁהֵם הָאַרְבָּעָה יְסוֹדוֹת, שֶׁמֵּהֶם נִמְשָׁכִין כָּל הַמִּדּוֹת, שֶׁכֻּלָּם נִמְשָׁכִין מֵהַצַּדִּיק כַּנַּ"ל. וְעַל־כֵּן כְּשֶׁרוֹאִין אֶת הַצַּדִּיק, שֶׁזֶּה בְּחִינַת: וְהָיוּ עֵינֶיךָ רֹאוֹת אֶת מוֹרֶיךָ, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה רוֹאִין בְּעַצְמוֹ אֵיךְ הוּא אוֹחֵז בְּכָל הַמִּדּוֹת, שֶׁבָּאִין מֵאַרְבָּעָה יְסוֹדוֹת: אֵשׁ, רוּחַ, מַיִם, עָפָר, שֶׁנִּמְשָׁכִין מֵהַצַּדִּיק כַּנַּ"ל:
וְזֶה שֶׁקּוֹרִין הָעוֹלָם אֶת מָחֳרַת יוֹם־הַכִּפּוּרִים "שֵׁם ה'", כִּי אַחַר יוֹם־הַכִּפּוּרִים, אָז נִתְגַּלָּה בְּחִינַת שֵׁם ה'. וְזֶה שֶׁנִּצְטַוּוּ תֵּכֶף לְמָחֳרַת יוֹם־הַכִּפּוּרִים עַל שַׁבָּת, כִּי לְמָחֳרַת יוֹם־הַכִּפּוּרִים נִתְרַצָּה הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל וְהִזְהִירָם עַל מְלֶאכֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן, וַאֲזַי הִקְהִילָם מֹשֶׁה וְהִזְהִירָם עַל שַׁבָּת, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִטְעוּ לוֹמַר שֶׁמְּלֶאכֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן דּוֹחָה שַׁבָּת (כמובא בפירש"י פ' ויקהל). נִמְצָא שֶׁתֵּכֶף לְמָחֳרַת יוֹם־הַכִּפּוּרִים הֻזְהֲרוּ עַל שַׁבָּת, וְשַׁבָּת שְׁמָא דְּקֻדְשָׁא־בְּרִיךְ־הוּא (זוהר יתרו דף פח:). כִּי אָז, אַחַר יוֹם־הַכִּפּוּרִים, נִתְגַּלָּה בְּחִינַת שֵׁם ה'.
כִּי כְּשֶׁמַּעֲנִישִׁין אֶת אֶחָד, עוֹקְרִין אוֹתוֹ מִשֹּׁרֶשׁ חִיּוּתוֹ, כִּי אֲפִלּוּ שְׁאָר עֳנָשִׁים נִקְרָאִים בְּחִינַת מִיתָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (שמות ד׳:י״ט): כִּי מֵתוּ כָּל הָאֲנָשִׁים הַמְבַקְּשִׁים אֶת נַפְשֶׁךָ, וְאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (ע"ז ה.), שֶׁנַּעֲשׂוּ עֲנִיִּים; וְהַשֵּׁם הוּא הַחִיּוּת, בִּבְחִינַת (בראשית ב׳:י״ט): נֶפֶשׁ חַיָה הוּא שְׁמוֹ; וּשְׁמוֹ מְשֻׁתָּף בִּשְׁמֵנוּ כִּבְיָכוֹל (ירושלמי תענית פ"ב, ובפירש"י יהושע ז, ירמיהו ד׳:י״ד, ובילקוט יהושע ז). וְעַל־כֵּן כְּשֶׁיֵּשׁ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל אֵיזֶה עֹנֶשׁ, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, נוֹגֵעַ אֶת עַצְמוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ, כִּבְיָכוֹל, כִּי עִקָּר הָעֹנֶשׁ נוֹגֵעַ בְּהַחִיּוּת שֶׁהוּא הַשֵּׁם, וּשְׁמוֹ מְשֻׁתָּף בִּשְׁמֵנוּ כַּנַּ"ל.
וְעַל־כֵּן כְּשֶׁאָמַר מֹשֶׁה: וְאִם אַיִן מְחֵנִי נָא (שמות ל״ב:ל״ג), וְהֱשִׁיבוֹ הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ: מִי אֲשֶׁר חָטָא לִי אֶמְחֶנּוּ וְכוּ' (שם) – בִּקֵּשׁ מֹשֶׁה, שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה לְמַעַן שְׁמוֹ הַגָּדוֹל הַמְּשֻׁתָּף בִּשְׁמֵנוּ. כִּי מֵאַחַר שֶׁשְּׁמוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ מְשֻׁתָּף בִּשְׁמֵנוּ, נִמְצָא כְּשֶׁיַּעֲנִישׁ אוֹתָם, נוֹגֵעַ אֶת עַצְמוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ, כִּבְיָכוֹל, כַּנַּ"ל. וְעַל־כֵּן אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (מגילה י:): הוּא אֵינוֹ שָׂשׂ וְכוּ', כִּי נוֹגֵעַ בְּעַצְמוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ, כִּבְיָכוֹל, כִּי שְׁמוֹ מְשֻׁתָּף בִּשְׁמֵנוּ כַּנַּ"ל.
נִמְצָא כְּשֶׁנִּתְרַצָּה הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּיוֹם־הַכִּפּוּרִים וְאָמַר: סָלַחְתִּי כִּדְבָרֶיךָ, אֲזַי, כִּבְיָכוֹל, נִגְדָּל שְׁמוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ הַמְשֻׁתָּף בִּשְׁמֵנוּ כַּנַּ"ל. וְעַל־כֵּן נִצְטַוּוּ תֵּכֶף אַחַר יוֹם־הַכִּפּוּרִים עַל שַׁבָּת כַּנַּ"ל, כִּי שַׁבָּת שְׁמָא דְּקֻדְשָׁא־בְּרִיךְ־הוּא כַּנַּ"ל, וְעַל־כֵּן קוֹרִין מָחֲרַת יוֹם־הַכִּיפּוּרִים "שֵׁם ה'", כִּי אַחַר הַמְּחִילָה וְהַסְּלִיחָה שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה בְּיוֹם־הַכִּפּוּרִים, נִגְדָּל שֵׁם ה', 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 sixty six: the tzaddik does teshuvah for Israel.
When someone strays and throws off the yoke, the tzaddik must do teshuvah for him.
Why not punish him? Every punishment touches the tzaddik himself, for all souls flow from him, like a river from Eden.
So when you see the tzaddik, look for yourself in him: how do you hold in each of your traits?
And after Yom Kippur, when Hashem forgave, His Name joined to ours grows great. That day is called Shem Hashem.
Our own reflection: before you condemn, remember that someone holy feels every soul's pain, and is praying for its return.
Explainer
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah sixty six. When someone goes off the path and throws off the yoke, what can be done with him? Rebbe Nachman's answer: the tzaddik himself must do teshuvah for him.
He tells a parable. Two men are thrown from their wagon by a wild horse. One beats it with his fist and only hurts his hand. He takes a whip, and the horse bolts and throws them into the mud. He ties it to a tree and beats it, and only exhausts himself. The last resort is to shoot it, and that grieves him.
So it is with one who strays. He could be punished directly, through a messenger, or some other way, but every punishment touches the tzaddik himself. It is like Hashem, of whom it says: in all their troubles He is troubled, for every Jew is a portion of the Divine above.
Why? A person is made of four elements: fire, wind, water and earth. All four flow from one simple element, which is the tzaddik, the foundation of the world, like the river that goes out of Eden and divides into four heads. Strike anyone below, and it is felt at the root. So punishing the righteous is not good.
That is why the mussar teachers said: when you come to see the tzaddik, find yourself in him. All the traits grow from the four elements, and he is their root. Your eyes shall see your teacher: its first letters spell fire, wind, water, earth.
Section three lifts the idea higher. A punishment uproots a person from his life-force, and the name is the life-force. Hashem's Name is joined with ours, as it were. So our punishment touches Him, which is why Moshe pleaded for the sake of the Name, and why the Sages say He does not rejoice.
On Yom Kippur Hashem said, I have forgiven. Then His Name, joined with ours, grew great. So the very next day Israel were warned about Shabbos, which is the Name of the Holy One, and that day is called Shem Hashem.
Some reflections of our own, not a quotation. When someone around you falls, punishment rarely brings him home; prayer and teshuvah on his behalf might. And every time Hashem forgives us, His Name becomes greater in the world.
Full shiur
— Part 1: The Wild Horse —
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah sixty six: the tzaddik must do teshuvah for Israel. A shiur in two parts. Part one: the wild horse, and why punishment touches the tzaddik.
Gold is Rebbe Nachman's own words, from Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah sixty six. 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 tzaddik is compelled to do teshuvah for Israel. That is, when someone goes outside the line and throws off the yoke, then the tzaddik must do teshuvah for his sake.
He gives a parable. It is like a parable. Once two people were travelling with a wild, crazed horse, and the horse ran off with them and threw them out of the wagon. One of them got up and began beating the horse with his fist, again and again. The second laughed at him and said: you are only hurting your own hand! What good does this do the horse? You need to take a strap, the kind used to whip horses, and hit him with that.
So he went and did that: he took a strap and began whipping the horse. The horse leapt up and ran off in a great panic, carried them away and threw them into mud and mire, and then ran off further on its own. So this too was no good advice.
Then they advised him: take a good rope, tie the horse to a tree, and beat it soundly; that will teach it to behave. He did so, beat the horse a great deal, and wore himself out. And he saw that this too was no good advice: the whole horse is not worth the effort and frustration the beating costs him. For such a horse there is no remedy except to shoot it with a gun, and that pains him.
Our explanation. Each step of the parable is another kind of punishment. A blow by hand hurts the one who gives it. A harsher blow only makes the horse bolt further away, into the mud. Tying it up and beating it exhausts its owner and teaches nothing. And the last resort, to destroy it, is exactly what its owner cannot bear.
Now the lesson. So when someone goes outside and does not behave as he should, no advice can be found for what to do with him. One could punish him directly, or through a messenger, or in another way, but all the punishments touch the tzaddik himself. As we find with Hashem, blessed be He: in all their troubles He is troubled, for they are a portion of the Divine above; so when they have trouble, heaven forbid, He is troubled, as it were.
So too with the tzaddik, for 'punishing the righteous is also not good': the punishment he gives someone touches the tzaddik himself. For a person is made of four elements, fire, wind, water and earth, and all four are drawn from the simple element, which is the tzaddik, as in 'the tzaddik is the foundation of the world'.
The tzaddik is the simple element from which all four elements are drawn, as in 'a river goes out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it divides and becomes four heads'. A river goes out of Eden: that is the tzaddik, foundation of the world, the simple element, from which divide the four elements, the four heads. So all of them are drawn from the tzaddik; if he punishes someone, it touches the tzaddik himself. That is why punishing the righteous is not good.
Our explanation. A person is built from four elements, fire, wind, water and earth. Rebbe Nachman says all four flow out of one simple root, like the river of Eden that splits into four. The tzaddik stands at that root. So a blow struck at anyone below is felt at the source, by the tzaddik himself. And that is why the only real remedy is that the tzaddik does teshuvah for him.
— Part 2: Finding Yourself in the Tzaddik, and Shem Hashem —
Part two: finding yourself in the tzaddik, and why the day after Yom Kippur is called Shem Hashem.
Section two. This is what the masters of mussar said: when one comes to the tzaddik and sees him, as in 'your eyes shall see your teacher', he should find himself within the tzaddik. Through seeing the tzaddik's face, he should look at himself in all the traits, and see how he holds in them.
For all the traits are drawn from the four elements, as is brought. So when he sees the tzaddik, who is the simple element from which all four elements are drawn, he ought to look and feel through this how he holds in all the traits, which come from the four elements that are drawn from the tzaddik, the simple element.
And this is 'v'hayu einecha ro'os es morecha', your eyes shall see your teacher: its first letters spell esh, ruach, mayim, afar, fire, wind, water, earth, the four elements from which all the traits are drawn, and all of them flow from the tzaddik. So when one sees the tzaddik, through this he sees in himself how he holds in all the traits that come from the four elements.
Our summary. The tzaddik is the simple root of the four elements. Every trait a person has, anger, desire, laziness, pride, grows from those elements. So standing before the tzaddik is like standing before a mirror at the source: you can see how you hold in every one of your traits.
Section three. This is why people call the day after Yom Kippur 'Shem Hashem', the Name of Hashem, for after Yom Kippur the Name of Hashem is revealed. And this is why, right on the day after Yom Kippur, they were commanded about Shabbos. On that day Hashem was reconciled with Israel and told them about the work of the Mishkan; then Moshe gathered them and warned them about Shabbos, so that they would not think the work of the Mishkan overrides Shabbos. And Shabbos is the Name of the Holy One, blessed be He.
For when one is punished, he is uprooted from the root of his life; even other punishments are called a kind of death, as written 'all the men who sought your life have died', and the Sages said they had become poor. And the name is the life-force, as in 'a living soul, that is its name'; and His Name is joined with our name, as it were. So when Israel suffers some punishment, heaven forbid, it touches Him, as it were, for punishment touches the life-force, which is the name, and His Name is joined with ours.
Our explanation. In the Torah a name is a creature's life-force. Rebbe Nachman cites the Sages that Hashem joined His Name to the name of Israel. So any punishment that cuts into a Jew's life-force touches that shared Name, as it were. This is the same idea as the tzaddik in part one, now at the highest level.
So when Moshe said, 'and if not, erase me', and Hashem answered him, 'whoever has sinned against Me, him will I erase', Moshe was asking that He act for the sake of His great Name, joined with ours. Since His Name is joined with ours, punishing them touches Him, as it were. And so the Sages said: He does not rejoice, for it touches Him, as it were, since His Name is joined with ours.
So when the Holy One, blessed be He, was reconciled with Israel on Yom Kippur and said 'I have forgiven, as you asked', then, as it were, His Name joined with ours grew great. That is why right after Yom Kippur they were commanded about Shabbos, for Shabbos is the Name of the Holy One. And that is why the day after Yom Kippur is called 'Shem Hashem': after the pardon and forgiveness of Yom Kippur, the Name of Hashem grows great.
Our summary of the whole Torah. The tzaddik does teshuvah for the one who strays, because punishment cannot truly help and touches the root itself. The same is true above: Hashem's Name is joined with ours, so when He forgives on Yom Kippur His Name grows great, and the next day is called Shem Hashem.
Some reflections of our own, not a quotation. When someone strays, try praying and doing teshuvah yourself before reaching for punishment. Look for yourself in the ways of the tzaddik, trait by trait. And know that every forgiveness makes Hashem's Name great in the world.
This has been Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah sixty six.
Sources for this Torah
Texts used
Hebrew: Likutei Moharan Tinyana (Part II), Torah 66, edition 'Likutei Moharan Tinyana – rabenubook.com', public domain, via Sefaria — https://www.sefaria.org/Likutei_Moharan%2C_Part_II.66
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 Wild Horse
Scene 3 · LM II:66 §1 · paragraph §1.1
הַצַּדִּיק הוּא מֻכְרָח לַעֲשׂוֹת תְּשׁוּבָה בְּעַד יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּהַיְנוּ כְּשֶׁיּוֹצֵא אֶחָד חוּץ לַשּׁוּרָה וּפוֹרֵק עֹל, אֲזַי הַצַּדִּיק מֻכְרָח לַעֲשׂוֹת תְּשׁוּבָה בִּשְׁבִילוֹ.
EN (our paraphrase): The tzaddik is compelled to do teshuvah for Israel. That is, when someone goes outside the line and throws off the yoke, then the tzaddik must do teshuvah for his sake.
Scene 4 · LM II:66 §1 · paragraph §1.2
עַל־פִּי מָשָׁל, שֶׁפַּעַם אֶחָד נָסְעוּ שְׁנֵי בְּנֵי־אָדָם עִם סוּס מְבֹהָל וּמְשֻׁגָּע, וְנָשָׂא אוֹתָם הַסּוּס וְהִשְׁלִיכָם מִן הָעֲגָלָה. וְעָמַד אֶחָד וְהִתְחִיל לְהַכּוֹת אֶת הַסּוּס בְּאֶגְרוֹף, וְהִכָּה אוֹתוֹ הַרְבֵּה. וְשָׂחַק מִמֶּנּוּ הַשֵּׁנִי וְאָמַר לוֹ: הֲלֹא אַתָּה מַכֶּה אֶת יָדְךָ, וּמַה תּוֹעִיל לְהַסּוּס הַכָּאָה זוֹ, רַק אַתָּה צָרִיךְ לִקַּח רְצוּעָה, שֶׁמַּכִּין בָּהּ הַסּוּסִים, לְהַכּוֹת אוֹתוֹ.
EN (our paraphrase): It is like a parable. Once two people were travelling with a wild, crazed horse, and the horse ran off with them and threw them out of the wagon. One of them got up and began beating the horse with his fist, again and again. The second laughed at him and said: you are only hurting your own hand! What good does this do the horse? You need to take a strap, the kind used to whip horses, and hit him with that.
Scene 5 · LM II:66 §1 · paragraph §1.2
וְהָלַךְ וְעָשָׂה כֵּן, וְלָקַח רְצוּעָה וְהִתְחִיל לְהַכּוֹת אֶת הַסּוּס. וְעָמַד הַסּוּס וְרָץ בְּבֶהָלָה גְּדוֹלָה, וּבָרַח וְנָשָׂא אוֹתָם וְהִשְׁלִיךְ אוֹתָם לְתוֹךְ רֶפֶשׁ וָטִיט, וְהַסּוּס בָּרַח לוֹ לְהַלָּן. נִמְצָא, שֶׁגַּם זֶה אֵינוֹ עֵצָה טוֹבָה.
EN (our paraphrase): So he went and did that: he took a strap and began whipping the horse. The horse leapt up and ran off in a great panic, carried them away and threw them into mud and mire, and then ran off further on its own. So this too was no good advice.
Scene 6 · LM II:66 §1 · paragraph §1.2
וְיָעֲצוּ אוֹתוֹ שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה כָּךְ, שֶׁיִּקַּח חֶבֶל יָפֶה, וְיִקְשֹׁר אֶת הַסּוּס לְאֵיזֶה אִילָן, וְיַכֶּה אוֹתוֹ הַרְבֵּה, וּבָזֶה יְלַמְּדוֹ לְהֵיטִיב. וְעָשָׂה כָּךְ, וְהִכָּה הַסּוּס הַרְבֵּה וְנִתְיַגַּע. וְרָאָה שֶׁגַּם זֶה אֵינוֹ עֵצָה טוֹבָה, כִּי אֵינוֹ כְּדַאי הַסּוּס כֻּלּוֹ בְּעַד הַיְגִיעָה וְהַקֹּצֶר־רוּחַ שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ עַל־יְדֵי הַהַכָּאָה, וְאֵין תַּקָּנָה לְסוּס כָּזֶה רַק לִירוֹת אוֹתוֹ עַל־יְדֵי קְנֵי־שְׂרֵפָה, וְזֶה צַר לוֹ.
EN (our paraphrase): Then they advised him: take a good rope, tie the horse to a tree, and beat it soundly; that will teach it to behave. He did so, beat the horse a great deal, and wore himself out. And he saw that this too was no good advice: the whole horse is not worth the effort and frustration the beating costs him. For such a horse there is no remedy except to shoot it with a gun, and that pains him.
Scene 8 · LM II:66 §1, on Yeshayahu 63:9 · paragraph §1.3
כָּךְ כְּשֶׁאֶחָד יוֹצֵא לַחוּץ, וְאֵינוֹ מִתְנַהֵג כַּשּׁוּרָה – אֵין יְכוֹלִין לִמְצֹא עֵצָה מַה לַּעֲשׂוֹת לוֹ, כִּי הָיָה אֶפְשָׁר לְהַעֲנִישׁ אוֹתוֹ בְּעַצְמוֹ אוֹ עַל־יְדֵי שָׁלִיחַ אוֹ בְּאֹפֶן אַחֵר, אַךְ כָּל הָעֳנָשִׁים הֵם נוֹגְעִים לְהַצַּדִּיק בְּעַצְמוֹ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁמָּצִינוּ אֵצֶל הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, שֶׁבְּכָל צָרָתָם לוֹ צָר, כִּי הֵם חֵלֶק אֱלוֹקַ מִמַּעַל, וְעַל־כֵּן כְּשֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהֶם צָרָה, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, לוֹ צַר כִּבְיָכוֹל;
EN (our paraphrase): So when someone goes outside and does not behave as he should, no advice can be found for what to do with him. One could punish him directly, or through a messenger, or in another way, but all the punishments touch the tzaddik himself. As we find with Hashem, blessed be He: in all their troubles He is troubled, for they are a portion of the Divine above; so when they have trouble, heaven forbid, He is troubled, as it were.
Scene 9 · LM II:66 §1, on Mishlei 17:26 and Mishlei 10:25 · paragraph §1.4
כְּמוֹ־כֵן אֵצֶל הַצַּדִּיק גַם־כֵּן, כִּי גַּם עֲנוֹשׁ לַצַּדִּיק לֹא טוֹב, כִּי הָעֹנֶשׁ שֶׁמַּעֲנִישׁ אֶת אֶחָד, הוּא נוֹגֵעַ לְהַצַּדִּיק בְּעַצְמוֹ. כִּי הָאָדָם נִתְהַוָּה מֵאַרְבָּעָה יְסוֹדוֹת: אֵשׁ, רוּחַ, מַיִם, עָפָר. וְכָל אֵלּוּ הָאַרְבָּעָה יְסוֹדוֹת נִמְשָׁכִין מִיסוֹד הַפָּשׁוּט, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת הַצַּדִּיק, בְּחִינַת: צַדִּיק יְסוֹד עוֹלָם;
EN (our paraphrase): So too with the tzaddik, for 'punishing the righteous is also not good': the punishment he gives someone touches the tzaddik himself. For a person is made of four elements, fire, wind, water and earth, and all four are drawn from the simple element, which is the tzaddik, as in 'the tzaddik is the foundation of the world'.
Scene 10 · LM II:66 §1, on Bereishis 2:10 · paragraph §1.5
שֶׁהַצַּדִּיק הוּא בְּחִינַת יְסוֹד הַפָּשׁוּט, שֶׁמִּמֶּנּוּ נִמְשָׁכִין כָּל הָאַרְבָּעָה יְסוֹדוֹת, בִּבְחִינַת: וְנָהָר יֹצֵא מֵעֵדֶן לְהַשְׁקוֹת אֶת הַגָּן, וּמִשָּׁם יִפָּרֵד וְהָיָה לְאַרְבָּעָה רָאשִׁים. נָהָר יֹצֵא מֵעֵדֶן – זֶה בְּחִינַת צַדִּיק יְסוֹד עוֹלָם, בְּחִינַת יְסוֹד הַפָּשׁוּט, אֲשֶׁר מִשָּׁם יִפָּרֵד – הָאַרְבָּעָה יְסוֹדוֹת, שֶׁהֵם בְּחִינַת אַרְבָּעָה רָאשִׁים כַּנַּ"ל. נִמְצָא שֶׁכֻּלָּם נִמְשָׁכִין מֵהַצַּדִּיק, וְעַל־כֵּן אִם הוּא מַעֲנִישׁ אֶת אֶחָד, נוֹגֵעַ אֶת הַצַּדִּיק בְּעַצְמוֹ, וְעַל־כֵּן: גַּם עָנוֹשׁ לַצַּדִּיק לֹא טוֹב כַּנַּ"ל:
EN (our paraphrase): The tzaddik is the simple element from which all four elements are drawn, as in 'a river goes out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it divides and becomes four heads'. A river goes out of Eden: that is the tzaddik, foundation of the world, the simple element, from which divide the four elements, the four heads. So all of them are drawn from the tzaddik; if he punishes someone, it touches the tzaddik himself. That is why punishing the righteous is not good.
Part 2 — Finding Yourself in the Tzaddik, and Shem Hashem
Scene 2 · LM II:66 §2, on Yeshayahu 30:20 · paragraph §2.1
וְזֶה שֶׁאָמְרוּ הַבַּעֲלֵי־מוּסָר, שֶׁכְּשֶׁבָּאִים לַצַּדִּיק וְרוֹאִים אוֹתוֹ, בִּבְחִינַת: וְהָיוּ עֵינֶיךָ רֹאוֹת אֶת מוֹרֶיךָ, רָאוּי שֶׁיִּמְצָא אֶת עַצְמוֹ בְּתוֹךְ הַצַּדִּיק, שֶׁיִּסְתַּכֵּל בְּעַצְמוֹ עַל כָּל הַמִּדּוֹת, אֵיךְ הוּא אוֹחֵז בָּהֶם, עַל־יְדֵי רְאִיַּת פְּנֵי הַצַּדִּיק.
EN (our paraphrase): This is what the masters of mussar said: when one comes to the tzaddik and sees him, as in 'your eyes shall see your teacher', he should find himself within the tzaddik. Through seeing the tzaddik's face, he should look at himself in all the traits, and see how he holds in them.
Scene 3 · LM II:66 §2 · paragraph §2.2
כִּי כָל הַמִּדּוֹת נִמְשָׁכִין מֵהָאַרְבָּעָה יְסוֹדוֹת הַנַּ"ל, כַּמּוּבָא. וְעַל־כֵּן כְּשֶׁרוֹאֶה אֶת הַצַּדִּיק, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת יְסוֹד הַפָּשׁוּט, שֶׁמִּמֶּנּוּ נִמְשָׁכִין כָּל הָאַרְבָּעָה יְסוֹדוֹת, רָאוּי לוֹ שֶׁיִּסְתַּכֵּל וְיַרְגִּישׁ עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה אֵיךְ הוּא אוֹחֵז בְּכָל הַמִּדּוֹת, שֶׁבָּאִין מִן הָאַרְבָּעָה יְסוֹדוֹת, שֶׁנִּמְשָׁכִין מֵהַצַּדִּיק, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת יְסוֹד הַפָּשׁוּט כַּנַּ"ל:
EN (our paraphrase): For all the traits are drawn from the four elements, as is brought. So when he sees the tzaddik, who is the simple element from which all four elements are drawn, he ought to look and feel through this how he holds in all the traits, which come from the four elements that are drawn from the tzaddik, the simple element.
Scene 4 · LM II:66 §2, on Yeshayahu 30:20 · paragraph §2.3
וְזֶה: וְהָיוּ עֵינֶיךָ רֹאוֹת אֶת מוֹרֶיךָ – רָאשֵׁי־תֵבוֹת: אֵשׁ רוּחַ מַיִם עָפָר, שֶׁהֵם הָאַרְבָּעָה יְסוֹדוֹת, שֶׁמֵּהֶם נִמְשָׁכִין כָּל הַמִּדּוֹת, שֶׁכֻּלָּם נִמְשָׁכִין מֵהַצַּדִּיק כַּנַּ"ל. וְעַל־כֵּן כְּשֶׁרוֹאִין אֶת הַצַּדִּיק, שֶׁזֶּה בְּחִינַת: וְהָיוּ עֵינֶיךָ רֹאוֹת אֶת מוֹרֶיךָ, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה רוֹאִין בְּעַצְמוֹ אֵיךְ הוּא אוֹחֵז בְּכָל הַמִּדּוֹת, שֶׁבָּאִין מֵאַרְבָּעָה יְסוֹדוֹת: אֵשׁ, רוּחַ, מַיִם, עָפָר, שֶׁנִּמְשָׁכִין מֵהַצַּדִּיק כַּנַּ"ל:
EN (our paraphrase): And this is 'v'hayu einecha ro'os es morecha', your eyes shall see your teacher: its first letters spell esh, ruach, mayim, afar, fire, wind, water, earth, the four elements from which all the traits are drawn, and all of them flow from the tzaddik. So when one sees the tzaddik, through this he sees in himself how he holds in all the traits that come from the four elements.
Scene 6 · LM II:66 §3, on Rashi on Vayakhel and the Zohar, Yisro · paragraph §3.1
וְזֶה שֶׁקּוֹרִין הָעוֹלָם אֶת מָחֳרַת יוֹם־הַכִּפּוּרִים "שֵׁם ה'", כִּי אַחַר יוֹם־הַכִּפּוּרִים, אָז נִתְגַּלָּה בְּחִינַת שֵׁם ה'. וְזֶה שֶׁנִּצְטַוּוּ תֵּכֶף לְמָחֳרַת יוֹם־הַכִּפּוּרִים עַל שַׁבָּת, כִּי לְמָחֳרַת יוֹם־הַכִּפּוּרִים נִתְרַצָּה הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל וְהִזְהִירָם עַל מְלֶאכֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן, וַאֲזַי הִקְהִילָם מֹשֶׁה וְהִזְהִירָם עַל שַׁבָּת, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִטְעוּ לוֹמַר שֶׁמְּלֶאכֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן דּוֹחָה שַׁבָּת. נִמְצָא שֶׁתֵּכֶף לְמָחֳרַת יוֹם־הַכִּפּוּרִים הֻזְהֲרוּ עַל שַׁבָּת, וְשַׁבָּת שְׁמָא דְּקֻדְשָׁא־בְּרִיךְ־הוּא. כִּי אָז, אַחַר יוֹם־הַכִּפּוּרִים, נִתְגַּלָּה בְּחִינַת שֵׁם ה'.
EN (our paraphrase): This is why people call the day after Yom Kippur 'Shem Hashem', the Name of Hashem, for after Yom Kippur the Name of Hashem is revealed. And this is why, right on the day after Yom Kippur, they were commanded about Shabbos. On that day Hashem was reconciled with Israel and told them about the work of the Mishkan; then Moshe gathered them and warned them about Shabbos, so that they would not think the work of the Mishkan overrides Shabbos. And Shabbos is the Name of the Holy One, blessed be He.
Scene 7 · LM II:66 §3, on Shemos 4:19, Avodah Zarah 5a, Bereishis 2:19 and the Yerushalmi, Taanis 2 · paragraph §3.2
כִּי כְּשֶׁמַּעֲנִישִׁין אֶת אֶחָד, עוֹקְרִין אוֹתוֹ מִשֹּׁרֶשׁ חִיּוּתוֹ, כִּי אֲפִלּוּ שְׁאָר עֳנָשִׁים נִקְרָאִים בְּחִינַת מִיתָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: כִּי מֵתוּ כָּל הָאֲנָשִׁים הַמְבַקְּשִׁים אֶת נַפְשֶׁךָ, וְאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה, שֶׁנַּעֲשׂוּ עֲנִיִּים; וְהַשֵּׁם הוּא הַחִיּוּת, בִּבְחִינַת: נֶפֶשׁ חַיָה הוּא שְׁמוֹ; וּשְׁמוֹ מְשֻׁתָּף בִּשְׁמֵנוּ כִּבְיָכוֹל. וְעַל־כֵּן כְּשֶׁיֵּשׁ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל אֵיזֶה עֹנֶשׁ, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, נוֹגֵעַ אֶת עַצְמוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ, כִּבְיָכוֹל, כִּי עִקָּר הָעֹנֶשׁ נוֹגֵעַ בְּהַחִיּוּת שֶׁהוּא הַשֵּׁם, וּשְׁמוֹ מְשֻׁתָּף בִּשְׁמֵנוּ כַּנַּ"ל.
EN (our paraphrase): For when one is punished, he is uprooted from the root of his life; even other punishments are called a kind of death, as written 'all the men who sought your life have died', and the Sages said they had become poor. And the name is the life-force, as in 'a living soul, that is its name'; and His Name is joined with our name, as it were. So when Israel suffers some punishment, heaven forbid, it touches Him, as it were, for punishment touches the life-force, which is the name, and His Name is joined with ours.
Scene 9 · LM II:66 §3, on Shemos 32:32–33 and Megillah 10b · paragraph §3.3
וְעַל־כֵּן כְּשֶׁאָמַר מֹשֶׁה: וְאִם אַיִן מְחֵנִי נָא, וְהֱשִׁיבוֹ הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ: מִי אֲשֶׁר חָטָא לִי אֶמְחֶנּוּ וְכוּ' – בִּקֵּשׁ מֹשֶׁה, שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה לְמַעַן שְׁמוֹ הַגָּדוֹל הַמְּשֻׁתָּף בִּשְׁמֵנוּ. כִּי מֵאַחַר שֶׁשְּׁמוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ מְשֻׁתָּף בִּשְׁמֵנוּ, נִמְצָא כְּשֶׁיַּעֲנִישׁ אוֹתָם, נוֹגֵעַ אֶת עַצְמוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ, כִּבְיָכוֹל, כַּנַּ"ל. וְעַל־כֵּן אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה: הוּא אֵינוֹ שָׂשׂ וְכוּ', כִּי נוֹגֵעַ בְּעַצְמוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ, כִּבְיָכוֹל, כִּי שְׁמוֹ מְשֻׁתָּף בִּשְׁמֵנוּ כַּנַּ"ל.
EN (our paraphrase): So when Moshe said, 'and if not, erase me', and Hashem answered him, 'whoever has sinned against Me, him will I erase', Moshe was asking that He act for the sake of His great Name, joined with ours. Since His Name is joined with ours, punishing them touches Him, as it were. And so the Sages said: He does not rejoice, for it touches Him, as it were, since His Name is joined with ours.
Scene 10 · LM II:66 §3, on Bamidbar 14:20 · paragraph §3.4
נִמְצָא כְּשֶׁנִּתְרַצָּה הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּיוֹם־הַכִּפּוּרִים וְאָמַר: סָלַחְתִּי כִּדְבָרֶיךָ, אֲזַי, כִּבְיָכוֹל, נִגְדָּל שְׁמוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ הַמְשֻׁתָּף בִּשְׁמֵנוּ כַּנַּ"ל. וְעַל־כֵּן נִצְטַוּוּ תֵּכֶף אַחַר יוֹם־הַכִּפּוּרִים עַל שַׁבָּת כַּנַּ"ל, כִּי שַׁבָּת שְׁמָא דְּקֻדְשָׁא־בְּרִיךְ־הוּא כַּנַּ"ל, וְעַל־כֵּן קוֹרִין מָחֲרַת יוֹם־הַכִּיפּוּרִים "שֵׁם ה'", כִּי אַחַר הַמְּחִילָה וְהַסְּלִיחָה שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה בְּיוֹם־הַכִּפּוּרִים, נִגְדָּל שֵׁם ה', כַּנַּ"ל:
EN (our paraphrase): So when the Holy One, blessed be He, was reconciled with Israel on Yom Kippur and said 'I have forgiven, as you asked', then, as it were, His Name joined with ours grew great. That is why right after Yom Kippur they were commanded about Shabbos, for Shabbos is the Name of the Holy One. And that is why the day after Yom Kippur is called 'Shem Hashem': after the pardon and forgiveness of Yom Kippur, the Name of Hashem grows great.
Hebrew phrases in the Explainer
Scene 2 · §1.2: וְאֵין תַּקָּנָה לְסוּס כָּזֶה רַק לִירוֹת אוֹתוֹ עַל־יְדֵי קְנֵי־שְׂרֵפָה, וְזֶה צַר לוֹ.
Scene 3 · §1.3: שֶׁבְּכָל צָרָתָם לוֹ צָר,
Scene 4 · §1.5: וְנָהָר יֹצֵא מֵעֵדֶן לְהַשְׁקוֹת אֶת הַגָּן,
Scene 5 · §2.3: רָאשֵׁי־תֵבוֹת: אֵשׁ רוּחַ מַיִם עָפָר,
Scene 6 · §3.2: וּשְׁמוֹ מְשֻׁתָּף בִּשְׁמֵנוּ כִּבְיָכוֹל.
Scene 7 · §3.4: וְעַל־כֵּן קוֹרִין מָחֲרַת יוֹם־הַכִּיפּוּרִים "שֵׁם ה'",
Hebrew phrases in the 1-minute recap
Scene 2 · §1.1: אֲזַי הַצַּדִּיק מֻכְרָח לַעֲשׂוֹת תְּשׁוּבָה בִּשְׁבִילוֹ.
Scene 3 · §1.4: גַּם עֲנוֹשׁ לַצַּדִּיק לֹא טוֹב,
Scene 4 · §2.1: רָאוּי שֶׁיִּמְצָא אֶת עַצְמוֹ בְּתוֹךְ הַצַּדִּיק,
Scene 5 · §3.4: נִגְדָּל שֵׁם ה',