כָּל מִי שֶׁגָּדוֹל יוֹתֵר, צָרִיךְ לְבַקֵּשׁ מְבֻקָּשׁוֹ
The Greater, the Farther to Seek
The greater a being is, the farther away it must look for what it seeks. A plant finds its life right beside it in the soil; an animal looks a little farther; a person must seek farther still. So Moshe Rabbeinu, who was very great, had to seek his match far away, in Midian.
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הַמָּקוֹר · Original text
כָּל מִי שֶׁגָּדוֹל יוֹתֵר, צָרִיךְ לְבַקֵּשׁ מְבֻקָּשׁוֹ בְּרִחוּק מָקוֹם יוֹתֵר.
כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָנוּ רוֹאִין, שֶׁהַצּוֹמֵחַ חִיּוּתוֹ וּמְבֻקָּשׁוֹ סָמוּךְ לוֹ מִיָּד, כִּי הוּא צוֹמֵחַ מִן הָאָרֶץ בְּסָמוּךְ לוֹ מַמָּשׁ, וּבְהֵמָה מְבֻקָּשָׁהּ סָמוּךְ לָהּ גַם־כֵּן עַל הָאָרֶץ, אַךְ הוּא בְּרִחוּק יוֹתֵר קְצַת מִן הַצּוֹמֵחַ, כִּי הַבְּהֵמָה גְּדוֹלָה בְּמַּעֲלָה מִן הַצּוֹמֵחַ. אֲבָל בֶּן־אָדָם צָרִיךְ לְבַקֵּשׁ מְבֻקָּשׁוֹ בְּרִחוּק יוֹתֵר וְיוֹתֵר מִן הַבְּהֵמָה.
וְעַל־כֵּן מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ, עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם, שֶׁהָיָה גָּדוֹל בְּמַעֲלָה מְאֹד, הָיָה צָרִיךְ לְבַקֵּשׁ מְבֻקָּשׁוֹ בְּרִחוּק מָקוֹם בְּיוֹתֵר, וְעַל־כֵּן הֻצְרַךְ לְבַקֵּשׁ לוֹ אִשָּׁה מִמִּדְיָן, כִּי מְבֻקָּשׁוֹ הָיָה רָחוֹק מֵחֲמַת גְּדֻלָּתוֹ:
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 seventy: the Greater, the Farther to Seek.
The greater one is, Rebbe Nachman says, the farther one must go to find what one seeks.
A plant finds its life right beside it in the soil. An animal looks a little farther. A person must look farther still.
So Moshe Rabbeinu, so very great, had to seek his match far away, in Midian.
Our own reflection: if it feels far, it may be because you are meant to reach high.
Explainer
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah seventy. A short teaching: the greater you are, the farther you must seek.
Rebbe Nachman teaches: whoever is greater must seek what he is looking for in a farther place.
We see it in creation. A plant has its life and its need right next to it, since it grows from the very ground beside it.
An animal's need is also on the ground nearby, but a little farther than the plant's, since the animal stands higher. And a person must seek much farther than the animal.
That is why Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him, so great in stature, had to seek his wife from Midian. Because of his greatness, what he sought was far away.
Some reflections of our own, not a quotation. If what you are looking for feels very far away, do not lose heart. It may be a sign of how high your soul is meant to reach.
Full shiur
— Part 1: The Greater, the Farther to Seek —
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah seventy. A short shiur in one part: the Greater, the Farther to Seek.
Gold is Rebbe Nachman's own words, from Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah seventy. 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.
Whoever is greater must seek what he seeks in a place farther away.
As we see: a plant's life and what it seeks are right beside it, for it grows from the ground right next to it. An animal's need is also near it on the ground, yet a little farther than the plant's, for the animal is higher in rank than the plant. But a human being must seek what he seeks farther and farther away than the animal.
Our explanation. A ladder of creation. The plant's need is in the soil beside it. The animal must move a little to find its food. The person, higher still, must travel farther to find what he truly seeks.
And therefore Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him, who was very great in stature, had to seek what he sought in the farthest place; so he needed to seek a wife from Midian, for what he sought was far, because of his greatness.
Some reflections of our own, not a quotation. If what you are looking for feels very far away, do not lose heart. It may be a sign of how high your soul is meant to reach.
This has been Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah seventy.
Sources for this Torah
Texts used
Hebrew: Likutei Moharan Tinyana (Part II), Torah 70, edition 'Likutei Moharan Tinyana – rabenubook.com', public domain, via Sefaria — https://www.sefaria.org/Likutei_Moharan%2C_Part_II.70
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 Greater, the Farther to Seek
Scene 3 · LM II:70 §1 · paragraph §1.1
כָּל מִי שֶׁגָּדוֹל יוֹתֵר, צָרִיךְ לְבַקֵּשׁ מְבֻקָּשׁוֹ בְּרִחוּק מָקוֹם יוֹתֵר.
EN (our paraphrase): Whoever is greater must seek what he seeks in a place farther away.
Scene 4 · LM II:70 §1 · paragraph §1.2
כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָנוּ רוֹאִין, שֶׁהַצּוֹמֵחַ חִיּוּתוֹ וּמְבֻקָּשׁוֹ סָמוּךְ לוֹ מִיָּד, כִּי הוּא צוֹמֵחַ מִן הָאָרֶץ בְּסָמוּךְ לוֹ מַמָּשׁ, וּבְהֵמָה מְבֻקָּשָׁהּ סָמוּךְ לָהּ גַם־כֵּן עַל הָאָרֶץ, אַךְ הוּא בְּרִחוּק יוֹתֵר קְצַת מִן הַצּוֹמֵחַ, כִּי הַבְּהֵמָה גְּדוֹלָה בְּמַּעֲלָה מִן הַצּוֹמֵחַ. אֲבָל בֶּן־אָדָם צָרִיךְ לְבַקֵּשׁ מְבֻקָּשׁוֹ בְּרִחוּק יוֹתֵר וְיוֹתֵר מִן הַבְּהֵמָה.
EN (our paraphrase): As we see: a plant's life and what it seeks are right beside it, for it grows from the ground right next to it. An animal's need is also near it on the ground, yet a little farther than the plant's, for the animal is higher in rank than the plant. But a human being must seek what he seeks farther and farther away than the animal.
Scene 6 · LM II:70 §1 · paragraph §1.3
וְעַל־כֵּן מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ, עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם, שֶׁהָיָה גָּדוֹל בְּמַעֲלָה מְאֹד, הָיָה צָרִיךְ לְבַקֵּשׁ מְבֻקָּשׁוֹ בְּרִחוּק מָקוֹם בְּיוֹתֵר, וְעַל־כֵּן הֻצְרַךְ לְבַקֵּשׁ לוֹ אִשָּׁה מִמִּדְיָן, כִּי מְבֻקָּשׁוֹ הָיָה רָחוֹק מֵחֲמַת גְּדֻלָּתוֹ:
EN (our paraphrase): And therefore Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him, who was very great in stature, had to seek what he sought in the farthest place; so he needed to seek a wife from Midian, for what he sought was far, because of his greatness.
Hebrew phrases in the Explainer
Scene 2 · §1.1: כָּל מִי שֶׁגָּדוֹל יוֹתֵר,
Scene 3 · §1.2: שֶׁהַצּוֹמֵחַ חִיּוּתוֹ וּמְבֻקָּשׁוֹ סָמוּךְ לוֹ מִיָּד, כִּי הוּא צוֹמֵחַ מִן הָאָרֶץ בְּסָמוּךְ לוֹ מַמָּשׁ,
Scene 4 · §1.2: וּבְהֵמָה מְבֻקָּשָׁהּ סָמוּךְ לָהּ גַם־כֵּן עַל הָאָרֶץ, אַךְ הוּא בְּרִחוּק יוֹתֵר קְצַת מִן הַצּוֹמֵחַ,
Scene 5 · §1.3: וְעַל־כֵּן הֻצְרַךְ לְבַקֵּשׁ לוֹ אִשָּׁה מִמִּדְיָן, כִּי מְבֻקָּשׁוֹ הָיָה רָחוֹק מֵחֲמַת גְּדֻלָּתוֹ:
Hebrew phrases in the 1-minute recap
Scene 2 · §1.1: כָּל מִי שֶׁגָּדוֹל יוֹתֵר,
Scene 3 · §1.2: שֶׁהַצּוֹמֵחַ חִיּוּתוֹ וּמְבֻקָּשׁוֹ סָמוּךְ לוֹ מִיָּד, כִּי הוּא צוֹמֵחַ מִן הָאָרֶץ בְּסָמוּךְ לוֹ מַמָּשׁ,
Scene 4 · §1.3: וְעַל־כֵּן הֻצְרַךְ לְבַקֵּשׁ לוֹ אִשָּׁה מִמִּדְיָן, כִּי מְבֻקָּשׁוֹ הָיָה רָחוֹק מֵחֲמַת גְּדֻלָּתוֹ: