הִסְתַּכְּלוּת פְּנֵי הַצַּדִּיקִים לְבַד הוּא גַם־כֵּן דָּבָר
Even Seeing the Tzaddik
Merely looking at the face of the tzaddikim is a very great thing. The Sages say a Torah scholar is greater than the Torah itself, since people stand for a Torah scroll and not for a great person. And if the light in the Torah brings a person back to good, all the more so the light of the tzaddik: even seeing him helps greatly toward holiness, and speaking with him is better still.
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הַמָּקוֹר · Original text
הִסְתַּכְּלוּת פְּנֵי הַצַּדִּיקִים לְבַד הוּא גַם־כֵּן דָּבָר גָּדוֹל מְאֹד. כִּי אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה, שֶׁהַתַּלְמִיד־חָכָם הוּא גָּדוֹל מִן הַתּוֹרָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (מכות כב:): כַּמָּה טִפְשָׁאִי שְׁאָר אֱנָשֵׁי, דְּקַיְמוּ מִקַּמֵּי סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה וְלָא קַיְמוּ מִקַּמֵּי גַּבְרָא רַבָּא. נִמְצָא שֶׁהַתַּלְמִיד־חָכָם הוּא גָּדוֹל יוֹתֵר מִן הַתּוֹרָה.
וְאֵצֶל הַתּוֹרָה מָצִינוּ, שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה, (מ"ר איכה בפתיחתא), כִּי הַמָּאוֹר שֶׁבָּהּ מַחֲזִירוֹ לְמוּטָב, מִכָּל־שֶׁכֵּן אוֹר הַצַּדִּיק, שֶׁהַהִסְתַּכְּלוּת בּוֹ לְבַד הוּא מוֹעִיל לִקְדֻשָּׁה מְאֹד, בְּוַדַּאי כְּשֶׁזּוֹכִין לְדַבֵּר עִמּוֹ טוֹב יוֹתֵר, אַךְ גַּם הַהִסְתַּכְּלוּת לְבַד הוּא גַם־כֵּן דָּבָר גָּדוֹל:
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 five: even Seeing the Tzaddik.
Even just looking at the face of a tzaddik, Rebbe Nachman says, is a very great thing.
The Sages say a Torah scholar is greater than the Torah, for people stand for a Torah scroll but not for a great person.
If the Torah's light brings a person back to good, how much more the light of the tzaddik.
Our own reflection: even being near a tzaddik leaves a mark.
Explainer
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah seventy five. A short teaching about simply seeing a tzaddik.
Rebbe Nachman teaches: merely looking at the face of the tzaddikim is also a very great thing.
For the Sages said a Torah scholar is greater than the Torah. How foolish are people who stand up before a Torah scroll, yet do not stand up before a great man.
And of the Torah the Sages said that the light within it brings a person back to good.
All the more so the light of the tzaddik. Just looking at him helps greatly toward holiness. Speaking with him is surely better, but even the seeing alone is a great thing.
Some reflections of our own, not a quotation. Go to be near the tzaddikim and the true talmidei chachamim. Even if you exchange no words, just being in their presence leaves a mark on the soul.
Full shiur
— Part 1: Even Seeing the Tzaddik —
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah seventy five. A short shiur in one part: even Seeing the Tzaddik.
Gold is Rebbe Nachman's own words, from Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah seventy five. 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.
Merely looking at the face of the tzaddikim is also a very great thing. For our Sages said that the Torah scholar is greater than the Torah, as they said: How foolish are other people, who stand up before a Torah scroll and do not stand up before a great man. It follows that the Torah scholar is greater than the Torah.
And regarding the Torah we find that our Sages said the light in it brings him back to good. All the more so the light of the tzaddik: looking at him alone greatly helps toward holiness. Surely when one merits to speak with him it is better; but even looking alone is also a great thing.
Our explanation. The Torah's light returns a person to good. The Sages call the great scholar greater than the Torah. So his light, even just seen, draws a person toward holiness.
Some reflections of our own, not a quotation. Go to be near the tzaddikim and the true talmidei chachamim. Even if you exchange no words, just being in their presence leaves a mark on the soul.
This has been Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah seventy five.
Sources for this Torah
Texts used
Hebrew: Likutei Moharan Tinyana (Part II), Torah 75, edition 'Likutei Moharan Tinyana – rabenubook.com', public domain, via Sefaria — https://www.sefaria.org/Likutei_Moharan%2C_Part_II.75
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.
Notes
Part 1, scene 3: Makkos 22b.
Part 1, scene 4: Eichah Rabbah, Pesichta 2.
Every on-screen quotation in the full shiur, by part
Part 1 — Even Seeing the Tzaddik
Scene 3 · LM II:75 §1 · paragraph §1.1
הִסְתַּכְּלוּת פְּנֵי הַצַּדִּיקִים לְבַד הוּא גַם־כֵּן דָּבָר גָּדוֹל מְאֹד. כִּי אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה, שֶׁהַתַּלְמִיד־חָכָם הוּא גָּדוֹל מִן הַתּוֹרָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה: כַּמָּה טִפְשָׁאִי שְׁאָר אֱנָשֵׁי, דְּקַיְמוּ מִקַּמֵּי סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה וְלָא קַיְמוּ מִקַּמֵּי גַּבְרָא רַבָּא. נִמְצָא שֶׁהַתַּלְמִיד־חָכָם הוּא גָּדוֹל יוֹתֵר מִן הַתּוֹרָה.
EN (our paraphrase): Merely looking at the face of the tzaddikim is also a very great thing. For our Sages said that the Torah scholar is greater than the Torah, as they said: How foolish are other people, who stand up before a Torah scroll and do not stand up before a great man. It follows that the Torah scholar is greater than the Torah.
Scene 4 · LM II:75 §1 · paragraph §1.2
וְאֵצֶל הַתּוֹרָה מָצִינוּ, שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה, כִּי הַמָּאוֹר שֶׁבָּהּ מַחֲזִירוֹ לְמוּטָב, מִכָּל־שֶׁכֵּן אוֹר הַצַּדִּיק, שֶׁהַהִסְתַּכְּלוּת בּוֹ לְבַד הוּא מוֹעִיל לִקְדֻשָּׁה מְאֹד, בְּוַדַּאי כְּשֶׁזּוֹכִין לְדַבֵּר עִמּוֹ טוֹב יוֹתֵר, אַךְ גַּם הַהִסְתַּכְּלוּת לְבַד הוּא גַם־כֵּן דָּבָר גָּדוֹל:
EN (our paraphrase): And regarding the Torah we find that our Sages said the light in it brings him back to good. All the more so the light of the tzaddik: looking at him alone greatly helps toward holiness. Surely when one merits to speak with him it is better; but even looking alone is also a great thing.
Hebrew phrases in the Explainer
Scene 2 · §1.1: הִסְתַּכְּלוּת פְּנֵי הַצַּדִּיקִים לְבַד הוּא גַם־כֵּן דָּבָר גָּדוֹל מְאֹד.
Scene 3 · §1.1: כַּמָּה טִפְשָׁאִי שְׁאָר אֱנָשֵׁי, דְּקַיְמוּ מִקַּמֵּי סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה וְלָא קַיְמוּ מִקַּמֵּי גַּבְרָא רַבָּא.
Scene 4 · §1.2: כִּי הַמָּאוֹר שֶׁבָּהּ מַחֲזִירוֹ לְמוּטָב,
Scene 5 · §1.2: מִכָּל־שֶׁכֵּן אוֹר הַצַּדִּיק, שֶׁהַהִסְתַּכְּלוּת בּוֹ לְבַד הוּא מוֹעִיל לִקְדֻשָּׁה מְאֹד,
Hebrew phrases in the 1-minute recap
Scene 2 · §1.1: הִסְתַּכְּלוּת פְּנֵי הַצַּדִּיקִים לְבַד הוּא גַם־כֵּן דָּבָר גָּדוֹל מְאֹד.
Scene 3 · §1.1: כַּמָּה טִפְשָׁאִי שְׁאָר אֱנָשֵׁי, דְּקַיְמוּ מִקַּמֵּי סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה וְלָא קַיְמוּ מִקַּמֵּי גַּבְרָא רַבָּא.
Scene 4 · §1.2: כִּי הַמָּאוֹר שֶׁבָּהּ מַחֲזִירוֹ לְמוּטָב, מִכָּל־שֶׁכֵּן אוֹר הַצַּדִּיק,