Likutei Moharan II:82 · תּוֹרָה פ״ב✓ watched

כִּי תֵצֵא לַמִּלְחָמָה וְכוּ' .

When Life Goes Out of Order

Some things go 'in order' and some 'out of order', like the alef-beis forwards and backwards. Malchus, the power to rule, has no life of its own; when a person claims it for himself ('I will reign') things go against him, and when he humbles himself to be 'mah', bound to Hashem, things go in order again. Rebbe Nachman adds Moshe's way in Elul, binding himself even to the lowest Jew, finding Hashem at every height, and the secret of winning every 'war' of clashing wills by binding one's thoughts to Hashem.

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הַמָּקוֹר · Original text 1,003 words

א׳

כִּי תֵצֵא לַמִּלְחָמָה וְכוּ' (דברים כ״א:י׳).

כְּתִיב: אָחוֹר וָקֶדֶם צַרְתָּנִי (תהלים קלט) – זֶה בְּחִינַת כְּסֵדֶר וְשֶׁלֹּא כְּסֵדֶר. קֶדֶם הוּא בְּחִינַת כְּסֵדֶר, בְּחִינַת אָלֶף בֵּית כְּסֵדֶר, וְאָחוֹר הוּא בְּחִינַת תַּשְׁרַ"ק שֶׁלֹּא כְּסֵדֶר.

וְזֶה בְּחִינַת אָדָם וְחַוָּה, כְּסֵדֶר וְשֶׁלֹּא כְּסֵדֶר. הוי"ה בְּמִלּוּי אַלְפִין גִּימַטְרִיָּא מ"ה – אָדָם, וְחַוָּה הוּא בְּחִינַת: מַלְכוּת פֶּה וְתוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל־פֶּה קָרִינַן לָהּ. וְחַוָּה לְשׁוֹן דִּבּוּר, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (תהלים יט): וְלַיְלָה לְלַיְלָה יְחַוֶּה דָּעַת, הַיְנוּ מַלְכוּת פֶּה. כִּי הַמַּלְכוּת נִקְרָא דִּבּוּר, עַל־שֵׁם כִּי אֵין מֶלֶךְ בְּלֹא עָם, וְאֵין הָעָם יוֹדְעִים רְצוֹנוֹ אֶלָּא־אִם־כֵּן כְּשֶׁהַמֶּלֶךְ מְגַלֶּה מַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ וּרְצוֹנוֹ לְתוֹךְ דִּבּוּרוֹ. נִמְצָא שֶׁעִקָּר הַנְהָגַת מַלְכוּתוֹ אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא עַל־יְדֵי דִּבּוּר, וְזֶה פֵּרוּשׁ: מַלְכוּת פֶּה.

וְזֶה שֶׁאָנוּ רוֹאִים, שֶׁלִּפְעָמִים הוֹלֵךְ לְהָאָדָם שֶׁלֹּא כְּסֵדֶר, כִּי שְׁלֵמוּת שֶׁל כָּל הַדְּבָרִים אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא כְּשֶׁהֵם מְיֻחָדִים וּמְקֻשָּׁרִים בּוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ, כִּי הַשְּׁלֵמוּת וְהַמִּלּוּי הוּא הַחִיּוּת. כִּי אֵיבָר שֶׁנִּסְתַּלֵּק מִמֶּנּוּ הַחִיּוּת, אֲזַי נִקְרָא חִסָּרוֹן. וְהַחִיּוּת הִיא הַמֹּחִין וְהַשֵּׂכֶל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (קהלת ז׳:י״ב): וְהַחָכְמָה תְּחַיֶּה וְכוּ', וְהַחָכְמָה הוּא בְּחִינַת "מָה" – "כֹּחַ מָה", מֶה חַיֵּינוּ מַה כֹּחֵנוּ. וּמַה הוּא אָדָם, כִּי לֵית אָדָם בְּלָא אָלֶף, הַיְנוּ הוי"ה בְּמִלּוּי אַלְפִין. הַיְנוּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא הוּא חִיּוּת שֶׁל כָּל הַדְּבָרִים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (נחמיה ט׳:ו׳:): וְאַתָּה מְחַיֶּה אֶת כֻּלָּם.

נִמְצָא זֹאת הַבְּחִינָה מַלְכוּת, חַוָּה, כְּשֶׁהִיא מְקֻשֶּׁרֶת לָאָדָם, לִבְחִינַת "מָה", הַיְנוּ לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא, אֲזַי יֵשׁ לָהּ שְׁלֵמוּת. כִּי הַשֵּׂכֶל שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא שָׂם בְּהַנְהָגַת מַלְכוּתוֹ, בָּזֶה הוּא מְחַיֶּה אוֹתָהּ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: הַחָכְמָה תְּחַיֶּה. וְזֶהוּ (תהילים כ״ד:א׳): לַה' הָאָרֶץ וּמְלוֹאָהּ – כְּשֶׁהָאָרֶץ, הַיְנוּ בְּחִינַת חַוָּה מַלְכוּת, מְקֻשֶּׁרֶת לַה', אֲזַי הוּא בִּמְלֹאוֹ וּבִשְׁלֵמוּת.

וּמִי שֶׁמְּחַלֵּק בְּחִינַת חַוָּה מַלְכוּת לְעַצְמוֹ, שֶׁאוֹמֵר: אֲנָּא אֶמְלֹךְ – בָּזֶה הוּא מְחַלֵּק וּמַפְרִיד אוֹתָהּ מֵהַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא, אֲזַי אֵינָהּ בִּשְׁלֵמוּת. כִּי עִקָּר חִיּוּתָהּ – "מָה", הַיְנוּ הַשֵּׂכֶל. וְזֶה (ירמיה י): כִּי בְכָל חַכְמֵי הַגּוֹיִם וּבְכָל מַלְכוּתָם מֵאֵין כָּמוֹךָ. פֵּרוּשׁ: שִׂכְלָם אֵין כָּל־כָּךְ גָּדוֹל לְהַחֲיוֹת אֶת מַלְכוּתָם, וּכְשֶׁהוּא מְחַלֵּק אֶת מַלְכוּת לְעַצְמוֹ, אֲזַי הוֹלֵךְ לוֹ שֶׁלֹּא כְּסֵדֶר, כִּי הוּא בְּתוֹךְ בְּחִינַת שֶׁלֹּא כְּסֵדֶר, הַיְנוּ מַלְכוּת, חַוָּה, תַּשְׁרַ"ק. וּכְשֶׁזֹּאת הַבְּחִינָה חַוָּה הִיא מְקֻשֶּׁרֶת לְהָאָדָם, הַיְנוּ לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא, אֲזַי הוֹלֵךְ לוֹ כְּסֵדֶר, כִּי בַּאֲתָר דְּאִית דְּכַר, נֻקְבֵּהּ לָא אִדְכַּר תַּמָּן (זוהר חוקת קפג ועיין זוהר בא דף לח לט). נִמְצָא כִּי בְּחִינוֹת חַוָּה שֶׁלֹּא כְּסֵדֶר נִתְבַּטְּלִים עַל־יְדֵי הָאָדָם כְּסֵדֶר:

ב׳

וּבְחִינַת כְּסֵדֶר נִקְרָא יוּד. שֶׁמַּלְכוּת הַנִּקְרָא דָּלֶת, לֵית לָהּ מִגַּרְמָהּ כְּלוּם, וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא מַמְשִׁיךְ לָהּ חִיּוּת הַחָכְמָה, הַנִּקְרָא יוּ"ד, וְזֶה: יוּ"ד וָ"ו דָּלֶ"ת. וְזֶה: אָחוֹר וָקֶדֶם צַרְתָּנִי וַתָּשֶׁת עָלַי כַּפֶּךָ – אַל תִּקְרֵי כַּפֶּךָ, אֶלָּא כָּפֶךָ, הַיְנוּ יוּד גִּימַטְרִיָּא כָּף. וּכְשֶׁמְּחַלֵּק אֶת הד' לְעַצְמוֹ וּמַמְשִׁיךְ לְעַצְמוֹ חִיּוּת מִמֶּנָּה, אֲזַי נַעֲשֵׂית לוֹ שֶׁלֹּא כְּסֵדֶר: דַּוָּי – מִיּוּד נַעֲשֶׂה דַּוָּי. וְזֶה (ישעיה א): וְכָל לֵבָב דַּוָּי, כִּי כְּשֶׁהוֹלֵךְ לְאָדָם שֶׁלֹּא כְּסֵדֶר, זֶה לוֹ מַחֲלַת לֵב, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (משלי יג): תּוֹחֶלֶת מְמֻשָּׁכָה וְכוּ'.

וּכְשֶׁרוֹאֶה אָדָם בְּעַצְמוֹ, שֶׁהוֹלֵךְ לוֹ שֶׁלֹּא כְּסֵדֶר, יֵדַע שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ גַּדְלוּת, הַיְנוּ: אֲנָא אֶמְלֹךְ – יַּעֲשֶׂה תְּשׁוּבָה וְיַשְׁפִּיל אֶת עַצְמוֹ, וְיִהְיֶה בְּחִינַת "מָה", כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (שמות טז): וְנַחְנוּ מָה, וַאֲזַי נֶחֱזָר חַוָּה לִבְחִינַת אָדָם, לִבְחִינַת מָה, וְנַעֲשֶׂה כְּסֵדֶר, הַיְנוּ אָחוֹר וָקֶדֶם וְכוּ' כַּפֶּךָ הַיְנוּ יוּ"ד:

ג׳

וְעִקָּר הַתְּשׁוּבָה הוּא בְּחֹדֶשׁ אֱלוּל, כִּי הֵם יְמֵי רָצוֹן, שֶׁעָלָה מֹשֶׁה לְקַבֵּל לוּחוֹת אַחֲרוֹנוֹת וּפָתַח דֶּרֶךְ כְּבוּשָׁה לֵילֵךְ בָּהּ. וְהַדֶּרֶךְ שֶׁעָשָׂה מֹשֶׁה הוּא כָּךְ, שֶׁמֹּשֶׁה קָשַׁר אֶת עַצְמוֹ אֲפִלּוּ לַפָּחוּת שֶׁבְּיִשְׁרָאֵל וּמָסַר נַפְשׁוֹ עֲלֵיהֶם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (שמות ל״ב:ל״ב): וְאִם אַיִן מְחֵנִי נָא. וְזֶה פֵּרוּשׁ (שמות ל״ה:א׳): וַיַּקְהֵל מֹשֶׁה וְכוּ' – שֶׁמֹּשֶׁה הָיָה מְאַסֵּף וּמְיַחֵד וּמְקַשֵּׁר אֶת עַצְמוֹ עִם כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֲפִלּוּ עִם הַפָּחוּת שֶׁבַּפְּחוּתִים. וְזֶה פֵּרוּשׁ (תהילים נ״ג:ד׳): כֻּלּוֹ סָג יַחְדָּו – אֲפִלּוּ כְּשֶׁאֲנִי רוֹאֶה אֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁסָּג מִכֹּל וָכֹל מֵהַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא, אַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן צָרִיךְ אֲנִי שֶׁנִּהְיֶה יַחְדָּו – צָרִיךְ לְיַחֵד וּלְקַשֵּׁר עִמּוֹ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁעָשָׂה מֹשֶׁה.

כִּי יֵשׁ בְּחִינַת אֱלֹקוּת אֲפִלּוּ בַּדְּיוּטָא הַתַּחְתּוֹנָה, אֲפִלּוּ בַּעֲשָׂרָה כִּתְרֵי דִּמְסָאֲבוּתָא, לְקַיֵּם (תהילים ק״ג:י״ט): וּמַלְכוּתוֹ בַּכֹּל מָשָׁלָה. וְזֶה בְּחִינַת חִירִיק, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (בת"ז תי' י' דף כה): וּבְחִירִיק לְאַנְחָתָא לָהּ לְתַתָּא, לְהַמְלִיךְ לָהּ עַל תַּתָּאִין. נִמְצָא שֶׁבַּפָּחוּת מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל יֵשׁ בּוֹ בְּוַדַּאי אֵיזֶה אֱלֹקוּת, וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה אֲנִי יָכוֹל לִהְיוֹת יַחְדָּו עִמּוֹ, וְזֶה: כֻּלּוֹ סָג יַחְדָּו.

וְעוֹד זֹאת הַבְּחִינָה הָיְתָה לְמֹשֶׁה, כִּי כָל מַה שֶּׁעָלָה לְמַעֲלָה יוֹתֵר עֶלְיוֹנָה, מָצָא שָׁם אֱלֹקִים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (שמות י״ט:ג׳): וּמֹשֶׁה עָלָה אֶל הָאֱלֹֹקִים. כִּי בְּגַשְׁמִיּוּת אָנוּ רוֹאִים, שֶׁיֵּשׁ אָדָם שֶׁהוּא לְמַטָּה בְּדַחֲקוּת, אֲזַי הוּא עוֹבֵד הַשֵּׁם וּמַכִּיר אוֹתוֹ, וּכְשֶׁהוּא נִתְעַלֶּה לְמַעְלָה, שֶׁנִּתְעַשֵּׁר, אֲזַי הוּא שׁוֹכֵחַ בְּהַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא.

וְדָוִד אָמַר (תהילים קל״ט:ח׳): אִם אֶסַּק שָׁמַיִם שָׁם אָתָּה – אֲפִלּוּ בַּשָּׁמַיִם שָׁם יֵשׁ הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא, בְּכָל עֲלִיָּה וַעֲלִיָּה צָרִיךְ לִמְצֹא שָׁם הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא. וּמָצִינוּ שֶׁאֱלִישָׁע אַחֵר עָלָה לָרָקִיעַ עַל־יְדֵי שֵׁם, וְאַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן כָּפַר בָּעִקָּר (חגיגה יד).

וְהַדָּבָר תָּמוּהַּ, כִּי אַדְּרַבָּא, כִּי כָל מַה שֶּׁאָדָם נִתְעַלֶּה בְּיוֹתֵר, בְּוַדַּאי הוּא יוֹתֵר קָרוֹב לֶאֱלֹקוּת, כִּי כָל הַטּוֹב הוּא אֱלֹקוּת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (תהילים קמ״ה:ט׳): טוֹב ה' לַכֹּל, וְאָנוּ רוֹאִים בְּהֵפֶךְ – כְּשֶׁאָדָם בָּא בַּעֲשִׁירוּת, בְּטוֹב, אֲזַי הוּא שׁוֹכֵחַ בְּהַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא.

וְתֵדַע, שֶׁזֶּה בְּחִינַת (בראשית כ״ז:א׳): וַתִּכְהֶינָה עֵינָיו מֵרְאוֹת, מֵחֲמַת שֶׁנִּתְקָרֵב בְּיוֹתֵר אֶל הָאוֹר אֱלֹקוּת, אֲזַי הָאוֹר מַכְהֶה עֵינָיו וּמַזִּיק לוֹ, כְּמוֹ כְּשֶׁאָדָם מִסְתַּכֵּל בְּעֶצֶם הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ, אוֹר הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ מַזִּיק לְעֵינָיו. אֲבָל יֵשׁ בְּחִינַת סְגוֹל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (ת"ז תי' יח דף לא): וּסְגוֹל כַּד אִיהִי בֵּין תְּרֵין דְּרוֹעִין דְּמַלְכָּא,

שֶׁזֶּהוּ בְּחִינַת (שמות ל״ג:כ״ב): וְשַׂכֹּתִי כַפִּי עָלֶיךָ, כִּי בְּלֹא זֶה הָיָה עֹצֶם אוֹר הַכָּבוֹד מַזִּיק לְמֹשֶׁה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (שם): כִּי לֹא יִרְאַנִי הָאָדָם וָחָי, וְרָאִיתָ אֶת אֲחוֹרָי וְכוּ'. וְזֶה שֶׁבִּקֵּשׁ דָּוִד: וְאַחַר כָּבוֹד תִּקָּחֵנִי (תהילים ע״ג:כ״ד) – תְּקָרְבֵנִי בְּהִתְקָרְבוּת שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה, שֶׁבִּקֵּשׁ מִמְּךָ הַרְאֵנִי נָא אֶת כְּבֹדֶךָ (שמות שם), וְהֶרְאֵיתָ לוֹ אֶת אֲחוֹרֵי כְּבוֹדֶךָ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: וְשַׂכֹּתִי וְכוּ' וְרָאִיתָ אֶת אֲחוֹרָי:

ד׳

וּכְשֶׁהוֹלֵךְ לָאָדָם שֶׁלֹּא כְּסֵדֶר, זֶהוּ הִתְנַגְּדוּת הָרָצוֹן – אֲנִי רוֹצֶה שֶׁיִּהְיֶה כֵּן הַדָּבָר, וְהַדָּבָר לְהֵפֶךְ, שֶׁלֹּא כְּסֵדֶר. וְזֶה בְּחִינַת מִלְחָמָה, כִּי כָל מִלְחָמָה הוּא הִתְנַגְּדוּת הָרָצוֹן, הוּא בְּחִינַת שֶׁלֹּא כְּסֵדֶר.

וְזֶהוּ: כִּי תֵצֵא לַמִּלְחָמָה – כְּשֶׁהוֹלֵךְ לְךָ שֶׁלֹּא כְּסֵדֶר, הַיְנוּ הִתְנַגְּדוּת הָרָצוֹן,

וּנְתָנוֹ ה' אֱלֹקֶיךָ בְּיָדֶךָ – שֶׁיִּתְבַּטֵל כָּל רְצוֹנוֹת נֶגֶד רְצוֹנְךָ, שֶׁיֵּלֵךְ לְךָ כְּסֵדֶר כִּרְצוֹנְךָ, אֵימָתַי כַּד

וְשָׁבִיתָ שִׁבְיוֹ – כְּשֶׁתִּהְיֶה בִּבְחִינַת מָה, כְּשֶׁתַּמְשִׁיךְ לְךְ אֱלֹקוּת, הוי"ה בְּמִלּוּי אַלְפִין. וְזֶה פֵּרוּשׁ מַחֲשָׁבָה – חֲשֹׁב מָה (זוהר בראשית כד ותיקון סט). כְּשֶׁתְּקַשֵּׁר תָּמִיד בְּמַחֲשַׁבְתְּךָ אֱלֹקוּתוֹ. וְזֶה בְּחִינַת (שיר השירים ז׳:ו׳): מֶלֶךְ אָסוּר בָּרְהָטִים – בִּרְהִיטֵי מֹחִין דִּילָךְ.

וְזֶהוּ: וְשָׁבִיתָ שִׁבְיוֹ – שֶׁתַּמְשִׁיךְ "מָה" בְּתוֹךְ מַחֲשַׁבְתְּךָ, שֶׁתְּקַשֵּׁר אֱלֹקוּתוֹ בְּמַחֲשַׁבְתְּךָ, כִּי כָל דָּבָר שֶׁנִּמְשָׁךְ מִמָּקוֹם גָּבוֹהַּ נִקְרָא שְׁבִי, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (תהילים ס״ח:י״ט): עָלִיתָ לַמָּרוֹם שָׁבִיתָ שֶׁבִי, וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה יִתְבַּטְּלוּ כָּל הַמִּלְחָמוֹת וְכָל הָרְצוֹנוֹת נֶגֶד רְצוֹנְךָ.

וְזֶה הַסּוֹד נִרְמָז בְּעֵץ־הַחַיִּים, בַּהַקְדָּמָה בִּכְלָל יט, וּבְכַוָּנוֹת שֶׁל רֹאשׁ־חֹדֶשׁ אֱלוּל:

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 eighty two.

Sometimes life goes in order, and sometimes everything goes out of order, against what you want.

Rebbe Nachman says: when that happens, look for pride, the voice that says I will rule. Humble yourself, and things return to order.

In Elul, Moshe showed the way: he bound himself even to the lowest Jew, for there is Hashem's presence in everyone.

And when you face a war of wills, bind your thoughts to Hashem. Then every will against yours falls away.

Our own reflection: when things go wrong, ask what you are trying to rule, and give it back to Hashem.

Explainer

Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah eighty two: when you go out to war. A Torah about life going in order and out of order, and how to bring it back.

The verse says: achor vakedem tzartani, behind and before You formed me. Kedem, before, is the alef-beis in order. Achor, behind, is the alef-beis backwards: tav, shin, reish, kuf. In life too, some things go in order, and some out of order.

This is Adam and Chava. Hashem's four-letter Name, spelled out in full with alefs, adds up to forty five, mah, the same as Adam. Chava is Malchus, kingship, which works through speech: a king's people know his will only when he speaks it.

Why do things sometimes go out of order? Because anything is whole only when it is bound to Hashem. Wholeness is life, and the life is wisdom, koach mah. Hashem gives life to everything.

But someone who takes kingship for himself, saying I will rule, cuts it off from Hashem. Then it has no life, and things go out of order for him.

Rebbe Nachman adds a play on letters. Order is yud, wisdom, which Hashem draws into Malchus, the dalet that has nothing of its own. But when a person draws that life to himself, yud, yud-vav-dalet, turns into davai, faintness: every heart is faint.

So when you see things going out of order, know that there is pride in you. Do teshuvah, lower yourself, be mah, as Moshe said: v'nachnu mah, what are we? Then things go in order again.

The main time for teshuvah is Elul, days of favor, when Moshe went up for the second tablets and paved a road for us to walk.

Moshe's road was this: he bound himself to every Jew, even the lowest, and gave himself for them: if not, erase me. Even when I see a Jew who has turned away completely, I must still be together with him.

Why? Because there is Elokus, Hashem's presence, even at the very bottom, for His kingdom rules over all. So the lowest Jew surely has some Elokus in him, and through it we can be one.

Moshe had a second strength: the higher he climbed, the more he found Hashem there. Most people are the reverse: in hardship they serve Hashem, but when they become rich, they forget Him.

Why should rising make us forget? Rebbe Nachman answers: it is like staring at the sun. Coming too close to the light dims the eyes. So one needs a shield, like Hashem's hand that covered Moshe.

Finally the verse ki seitzei lamilchamah. When things go against you, that is a war: I want one thing, and the opposite happens. Every war is a clash of wills.

Hashem gives the enemy into your hand when you take his captives: when you draw mah, Elokus, into your thoughts. Machshavah, thought, is chashov mah: think of mah. Then every will against yours falls away.

Our own reflection: when your day goes out of order, don't fight the world first. Check where you have claimed the crown for yourself, think of Hashem, and let the order return.

Full shiur

— Part 1: In Order and Out of Order —

Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah eighty two: when you go out to war. A shiur in two parts. Part one: in order and out of order, and the pride that turns life upside down.

Gold is Rebbe Nachman's own words, from Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah eighty 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.

Rebbe Nachman opens with the verse of the week, and then another: When you go out to war, and so on. It is written: achor vakedem tzartani, behind and before You formed me. This is the idea of in order and out of order. Kedem, before, is in order, like the alef-beis in its proper order. Achor, behind, is tashrak, the letters backwards, out of order.

Our explanation. Kedem, the front, is the alef-beis read forwards: alef, beis, gimmel. Achor, the back, is the alef-beis read backwards: tav, shin, reish, kuf, called tashrak. Rebbe Nachman uses these two orders to describe life itself: sometimes things go smoothly, in order, and sometimes everything comes out backwards.

This is the idea of Adam and Chava, in order and out of order. Hashem's four-letter Name, spelled out in full with alefs, has the numerical value of mah, forty five, which is Adam. And Chava is the level the Zohar calls: Malchus is the mouth, and we call it the Oral Torah.

He explains the name Chava: Chava means speech, as it is written: night to night yechaveh, expresses knowledge. That is, Malchus is the mouth. Kingship is called speech because there is no king without a people, and the people know the king's will only when he reveals his thought and will in his words. So the whole running of his kingdom is through speech. That is the meaning of: Malchus is the mouth.

Now the question that the whole Torah answers: And this is what we see: sometimes things go out of order for a person. For anything is whole only when it is united and bound with Hashem, blessed be He, because wholeness and fullness are life. A limb that the life has left is called lacking.

And the life is the mind and intellect, as it is written: wisdom gives life. Wisdom is mah, koach mah, as we say: what is our life, what is our strength. And mah is Adam, for there is no Adam without alef: the Name spelled out with alefs. That is, the Holy One, blessed be He, is the life of everything, as it is written: and You give life to them all.

Our explanation. The word chochmah, wisdom, can be read as koach mah, the power of what. Mah, what, is the stance of someone who sees himself as nothing before Hashem. The Name spelled with alefs equals forty five, mah, and so does Adam. True life, the life of the mind, flows from Hashem into everything.

So this level, Malchus, Chava, when it is bound to Adam, to mah, that is to the Holy One, blessed be He, then it is whole. For through the wisdom that Hashem puts into the running of His kingdom, He gives it life, as it is written: wisdom gives life. That is: the earth and its fullness belong to Hashem. When the earth, that is Chava, Malchus, is bound to Hashem, it is full and whole.

And the other side: But one who takes Chava, Malchus, for himself, saying I will rule, divides it and separates it from the Holy One, blessed be He, and then it is not whole, for its main life is mah, the intellect. That is the verse: among all the wise of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is none like You. Meaning, their intellect is not great enough to give life to their kingdom.

When a person takes kingship for himself, things go out of order for him, because he is inside the out-of-order level: Malchus, Chava, tashrak. But when Chava is bound to Adam, to the Holy One, blessed be He, things go in order for him, for, as the Zohar says, where the higher is present, the lower is not mentioned. So the out-of-order aspects of Chava are cancelled by Adam, who is in order.

Our explanation. Malchus, kingship, is the power to run things. On its own it has no life; its life is the wisdom of Hashem. When a person says, like Adoniyahu, I will rule, and takes the running of his life for himself, he cuts it off from its source, and things start to go out of order.

Section two goes into the letters: The in-order level is called yud. For Malchus, called dalet, has nothing of its own, and the Holy One, blessed be He, draws into it the life of wisdom, called yud: yud, vav, dalet. And this is: behind and before You formed me, and You laid Your hand on me. Do not read kapecha, Your hand, but kafecha, Your kaf: yud has the value of kaf.

And when he takes the dalet for himself and draws life from it for himself, then it becomes out of order for him: davai, faint. From yud comes davai. That is the verse: every heart is faint. For when things go out of order for a person, it is a sickness of the heart, as it is written: hope deferred, and so on.

Our explanation. Spell out the letter yud: yud, vav, dalet. It ends in dalet, Malchus, filled with Hashem's wisdom. Scramble the same three letters and you get davai: faint, sick at heart. The same life, taken out of order, becomes the pain of a heart whose hopes keep being pushed off.

And the practical teaching: So when a person sees that things are going out of order for him, let him know that he has pride: I will rule. Let him do teshuvah, lower himself, and be mah, as it is written: v'nachnu mah, and what are we. Then Chava returns to Adam, to mah, and things go in order: behind and before, and so on, Your kaf, that is, yud.

Our explanation, step by step. First notice it: things keep going backwards. Then look for the pride behind it: where am I trying to rule alone? Then lower yourself, be mah, and let Hashem's order return.

— Part 2: Moshe's Road and the War of Wills —

Part two: Elul and Moshe's road, finding Hashem at every height, and winning the war of wills.

Section three: The main teshuvah is in the month of Elul, for those are days of favor, when Moshe went up to receive the last tablets and opened a paved road to walk on. And the road Moshe made was this: Moshe bound himself even to the lowest in Israel and gave his life for them, as it is written: and if not, erase me.

That is the meaning of: Moshe gathered. Moshe gathered, united and bound himself with all Israel, even with the lowest of the low. And that is the meaning of: kulo sag yachdav, all have turned away together. Even when I see a Jew who has turned away completely from the Holy One, blessed be He, still we must be together; I must unite and bind myself with him, as Moshe did.

Our explanation. In the psalm, kulo sag yachdav laments that everyone has turned away. Rebbe Nachman reads it as a call: even one who has turned away, sag, must still be yachdav, together with us. That is the road Moshe paved in Elul: binding himself to every Jew.

For there is Elokus even on the very lowest level, even in the ten crowns of impurity, to fulfil: and His kingdom rules over all. This is the idea of chirik, as the Tikkunim say: with chirik, to bring her down below, to make her rule over the lower ones. So the lowest Jew surely has some Elokus in him, and through it I can be together with him. That is: kulo sag yachdav.

He continues: Moshe had another quality: however high he went, he found Elokim there, as it is written: and Moshe went up to Elokim. For we see in the physical world that a person who is low, in hardship, serves Hashem and knows Him, and when he rises, when he becomes rich, he forgets the Holy One, blessed be He.

And David said: if I go up to heaven, You are there. Even in heaven the Holy One, blessed be He, is there; at every single ascent one must find Hashem there. And we find that Elisha Acher went up to the heavens through a holy Name, and even so he denied the very root of faith.

Then a question: This is puzzling. On the contrary: the higher a person rises, surely the closer he is to Elokus, for all good is Elokus, as it is written: Hashem is good to all. Yet we see the opposite: when a person comes to wealth and good, he forgets the Holy One, blessed be He.

And the answer: Know that this is: his eyes grew dim from seeing. Because he came too close to the light of Elokus, the light dims his eyes and harms him, like a person who looks straight at the sun: the sun's light harms his eyes. But there is the level of segol, as it is written: and segol, when it is between the two arms of the King.

That is: and I will shield you with My hand. For without this, the great intensity of the light of glory would have harmed Moshe, as it is written: for no man can see Me and live; and you will see My back, and so on. That is what David asked: and afterwards take me to glory. Draw me close with Moshe's closeness, who asked You: show me Your glory, and You showed him only the back of Your glory, as it is written: and I will shield, and you will see My back.

Our explanation. Good things are the light of Elokus, and a sudden flood of good can blind, like staring into the sun. That is why people forget Hashem when they become rich. The segol, the King's two arms, is a shield: Hashem covers us, as He covered Moshe, so that we can rise higher and still see Him there.

Section four brings us back to the opening verse. And when things go out of order for a person, that is a clash of wills: I want the matter to be this way, and it turns out the opposite, out of order. That is the idea of war, for every war is a clash of wills, and that is out of order.

That is: when you go out to war; when things go out of order for you, a clash of wills. And Hashem gives him into your hand: every will against yours is cancelled, and things go in order, as you want. When? When:

And you take his captives: when you are on the level of mah, when you draw Elokus into yourself, the Name spelled out with alefs. That is the meaning of machshavah, thought: chashov mah, think of mah, when you always bind His Elokus in your thought. That is: the king is bound in the tresses, in the running channels of your mind.

And that is: and you take his captives. Draw mah into your thought, bind His Elokus in your thought. For anything drawn from a high place is called captive, as it is written: you went up on high, you took captives. And through this, all the wars and all the wills against yours are cancelled.

He ends: This secret is hinted in the Etz Chaim, in the introduction, rule nineteen, and in the kavanos of Rosh Chodesh Elul.

Our explanation. The word machshavah, thought, can be read as chashov mah: think of mah. When a person keeps his thoughts bound to Hashem and sees himself as mah, the war of wills, my will against the world's, starts to fall away, and life goes in order again.

Some reflections of our own, not a quotation. When the day keeps going backwards, look for the pride behind it. Bind yourself even to the Jew who seems far away. And think of Hashem, and let His order return.

This has been Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah eighty two.

Sources for this Torah

Texts used

Hebrew: Likutei Moharan Tinyana (Part II), Torah 82, edition 'Likutei Moharan Tinyana – rabenubook.com', public domain, via Sefaria — https://www.sefaria.org/Likutei_Moharan%2C_Part_II.82

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 — In Order and Out of Order

Scene 3 · LM II:82 §1, on Devarim 21:10, Tehillim 139:5 · paragraph §1.1, §1.2

כִּי תֵצֵא לַמִּלְחָמָה וְכוּ'. כְּתִיב: אָחוֹר וָקֶדֶם צַרְתָּנִי – זֶה בְּחִינַת כְּסֵדֶר וְשֶׁלֹּא כְּסֵדֶר. קֶדֶם הוּא בְּחִינַת כְּסֵדֶר, בְּחִינַת אָלֶף בֵּית כְּסֵדֶר, וְאָחוֹר הוּא בְּחִינַת תַּשְׁרַ"ק שֶׁלֹּא כְּסֵדֶר.

EN (our paraphrase): When you go out to war, and so on. It is written: achor vakedem tzartani, behind and before You formed me. This is the idea of in order and out of order. Kedem, before, is in order, like the alef-beis in its proper order. Achor, behind, is tashrak, the letters backwards, out of order.

Scene 5 · LM II:82 §1, on Tikkunei Zohar · paragraph §1.3

EN (our paraphrase): This is the idea of Adam and Chava, in order and out of order. Hashem's four-letter Name, spelled out in full with alefs, has the numerical value of mah, forty five, which is Adam. And Chava is the level the Zohar calls: Malchus is the mouth, and we call it the Oral Torah.

Scene 6 · LM II:82 §1, on Tehillim 19:3 · paragraph §1.3

וְחַוָּה לְשׁוֹן דִּבּוּר, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: וְלַיְלָה לְלַיְלָה יְחַוֶּה דָּעַת, הַיְנוּ מַלְכוּת פֶּה. כִּי הַמַּלְכוּת נִקְרָא דִּבּוּר, עַל־שֵׁם כִּי אֵין מֶלֶךְ בְּלֹא עָם, וְאֵין הָעָם יוֹדְעִים רְצוֹנוֹ אֶלָּא־אִם־כֵּן כְּשֶׁהַמֶּלֶךְ מְגַלֶּה מַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ וּרְצוֹנוֹ לְתוֹךְ דִּבּוּרוֹ. נִמְצָא שֶׁעִקָּר הַנְהָגַת מַלְכוּתוֹ אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא עַל־יְדֵי דִּבּוּר, וְזֶה פֵּרוּשׁ: מַלְכוּת פֶּה.

EN (our paraphrase): Chava means speech, as it is written: night to night yechaveh, expresses knowledge. That is, Malchus is the mouth. Kingship is called speech because there is no king without a people, and the people know the king's will only when he reveals his thought and will in his words. So the whole running of his kingdom is through speech. That is the meaning of: Malchus is the mouth.

Scene 7 · LM II:82 §1 · paragraph §1.4

EN (our paraphrase): And this is what we see: sometimes things go out of order for a person. For anything is whole only when it is united and bound with Hashem, blessed be He, because wholeness and fullness are life. A limb that the life has left is called lacking.

Scene 8 · LM II:82 §1, on Koheles 7:12, Nechemyah 9:6 · paragraph §1.4

וְהַחִיּוּת הִיא הַמֹּחִין וְהַשֵּׂכֶל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: וְהַחָכְמָה תְּחַיֶּה וְכוּ', וְהַחָכְמָה הוּא בְּחִינַת "מָה" – "כֹּחַ מָה", מֶה חַיֵּינוּ מַה כֹּחֵנוּ. וּמַה הוּא אָדָם, כִּי לֵית אָדָם בְּלָא אָלֶף, הַיְנוּ הוי"ה בְּמִלּוּי אַלְפִין. הַיְנוּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא הוּא חִיּוּת שֶׁל כָּל הַדְּבָרִים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: וְאַתָּה מְחַיֶּה אֶת כֻּלָּם.

EN (our paraphrase): And the life is the mind and intellect, as it is written: wisdom gives life. Wisdom is mah, koach mah, as we say: what is our life, what is our strength. And mah is Adam, for there is no Adam without alef: the Name spelled out with alefs. That is, the Holy One, blessed be He, is the life of everything, as it is written: and You give life to them all.

Scene 10 · LM II:82 §1, on Tehillim 24:1 · paragraph §1.5

נִמְצָא זֹאת הַבְּחִינָה מַלְכוּת, חַוָּה, כְּשֶׁהִיא מְקֻשֶּׁרֶת לָאָדָם, לִבְחִינַת "מָה", הַיְנוּ לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא, אֲזַי יֵשׁ לָהּ שְׁלֵמוּת. כִּי הַשֵּׂכֶל שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא שָׂם בְּהַנְהָגַת מַלְכוּתוֹ, בָּזֶה הוּא מְחַיֶּה אוֹתָהּ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: הַחָכְמָה תְּחַיֶּה. וְזֶהוּ: לַה' הָאָרֶץ וּמְלוֹאָהּ – כְּשֶׁהָאָרֶץ, הַיְנוּ בְּחִינַת חַוָּה מַלְכוּת, מְקֻשֶּׁרֶת לַה', אֲזַי הוּא בִּמְלֹאוֹ וּבִשְׁלֵמוּת.

EN (our paraphrase): So this level, Malchus, Chava, when it is bound to Adam, to mah, that is to the Holy One, blessed be He, then it is whole. For through the wisdom that Hashem puts into the running of His kingdom, He gives it life, as it is written: wisdom gives life. That is: the earth and its fullness belong to Hashem. When the earth, that is Chava, Malchus, is bound to Hashem, it is full and whole.

Scene 11 · LM II:82 §1, on Melachim I 1:5, Yirmeyahu 10:7 · paragraph §1.6

EN (our paraphrase): But one who takes Chava, Malchus, for himself, saying I will rule, divides it and separates it from the Holy One, blessed be He, and then it is not whole, for its main life is mah, the intellect. That is the verse: among all the wise of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is none like You. Meaning, their intellect is not great enough to give life to their kingdom.

Scene 12 · LM II:82 §1, on the Zohar · paragraph §1.6

וּכְשֶׁהוּא מְחַלֵּק אֶת מַלְכוּת לְעַצְמוֹ, אֲזַי הוֹלֵךְ לוֹ שֶׁלֹּא כְּסֵדֶר, כִּי הוּא בְּתוֹךְ בְּחִינַת שֶׁלֹּא כְּסֵדֶר, הַיְנוּ מַלְכוּת, חַוָּה, תַּשְׁרַ"ק. וּכְשֶׁזֹּאת הַבְּחִינָה חַוָּה הִיא מְקֻשֶּׁרֶת לְהָאָדָם, הַיְנוּ לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא, אֲזַי הוֹלֵךְ לוֹ כְּסֵדֶר, כִּי בַּאֲתָר דְּאִית דְּכַר, נֻקְבֵּהּ לָא אִדְכַּר תַּמָּן. נִמְצָא כִּי בְּחִינוֹת חַוָּה שֶׁלֹּא כְּסֵדֶר נִתְבַּטְּלִים עַל־יְדֵי הָאָדָם כְּסֵדֶר:

EN (our paraphrase): When a person takes kingship for himself, things go out of order for him, because he is inside the out-of-order level: Malchus, Chava, tashrak. But when Chava is bound to Adam, to the Holy One, blessed be He, things go in order for him, for, as the Zohar says, where the higher is present, the lower is not mentioned. So the out-of-order aspects of Chava are cancelled by Adam, who is in order.

Scene 14 · LM II:82 §2, on Tehillim 139:5 · paragraph §2.1

EN (our paraphrase): The in-order level is called yud. For Malchus, called dalet, has nothing of its own, and the Holy One, blessed be He, draws into it the life of wisdom, called yud: yud, vav, dalet. And this is: behind and before You formed me, and You laid Your hand on me. Do not read kapecha, Your hand, but kafecha, Your kaf: yud has the value of kaf.

Scene 15 · LM II:82 §2, on Yeshayahu 1:5, Mishlei 13:12 · paragraph §2.1

וּכְשֶׁמְּחַלֵּק אֶת הד' לְעַצְמוֹ וּמַמְשִׁיךְ לְעַצְמוֹ חִיּוּת מִמֶּנָּה, אֲזַי נַעֲשֵׂית לוֹ שֶׁלֹּא כְּסֵדֶר: דַּוָּי – מִיּוּד נַעֲשֶׂה דַּוָּי. וְזֶה: וְכָל לֵבָב דַּוָּי, כִּי כְּשֶׁהוֹלֵךְ לְאָדָם שֶׁלֹּא כְּסֵדֶר, זֶה לוֹ מַחֲלַת לֵב, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: תּוֹחֶלֶת מְמֻשָּׁכָה וְכוּ'.

EN (our paraphrase): And when he takes the dalet for himself and draws life from it for himself, then it becomes out of order for him: davai, faint. From yud comes davai. That is the verse: every heart is faint. For when things go out of order for a person, it is a sickness of the heart, as it is written: hope deferred, and so on.

Scene 17 · LM II:82 §2, on Shemos 16:7 · paragraph §2.2

וּכְשֶׁרוֹאֶה אָדָם בְּעַצְמוֹ, שֶׁהוֹלֵךְ לוֹ שֶׁלֹּא כְּסֵדֶר, יֵדַע שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ גַּדְלוּת, הַיְנוּ: אֲנָא אֶמְלֹךְ – יַּעֲשֶׂה תְּשׁוּבָה וְיַשְׁפִּיל אֶת עַצְמוֹ, וְיִהְיֶה בְּחִינַת "מָה", כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: וְנַחְנוּ מָה, וַאֲזַי נֶחֱזָר חַוָּה לִבְחִינַת אָדָם, לִבְחִינַת מָה, וְנַעֲשֶׂה כְּסֵדֶר, הַיְנוּ אָחוֹר וָקֶדֶם וְכוּ' כַּפֶּךָ הַיְנוּ יוּ"ד:

EN (our paraphrase): So when a person sees that things are going out of order for him, let him know that he has pride: I will rule. Let him do teshuvah, lower himself, and be mah, as it is written: v'nachnu mah, and what are we. Then Chava returns to Adam, to mah, and things go in order: behind and before, and so on, Your kaf, that is, yud.

Part 2 — Moshe's Road and the War of Wills

Scene 2 · LM II:82 §3, on Shemos 32:32 · paragraph §3.1

EN (our paraphrase): The main teshuvah is in the month of Elul, for those are days of favor, when Moshe went up to receive the last tablets and opened a paved road to walk on. And the road Moshe made was this: Moshe bound himself even to the lowest in Israel and gave his life for them, as it is written: and if not, erase me.

Scene 3 · LM II:82 §3, on Shemos 35:1, Tehillim 14:3 · paragraph §3.1

וְזֶה פֵּרוּשׁ: וַיַּקְהֵל מֹשֶׁה וְכוּ' – שֶׁמֹּשֶׁה הָיָה מְאַסֵּף וּמְיַחֵד וּמְקַשֵּׁר אֶת עַצְמוֹ עִם כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֲפִלּוּ עִם הַפָּחוּת שֶׁבַּפְּחוּתִים. וְזֶה פֵּרוּשׁ: כֻּלּוֹ סָג יַחְדָּו – אֲפִלּוּ כְּשֶׁאֲנִי רוֹאֶה אֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁסָּג מִכֹּל וָכֹל מֵהַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא, אַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן צָרִיךְ אֲנִי שֶׁנִּהְיֶה יַחְדָּו – צָרִיךְ לְיַחֵד וּלְקַשֵּׁר עִמּוֹ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁעָשָׂה מֹשֶׁה.

EN (our paraphrase): That is the meaning of: Moshe gathered. Moshe gathered, united and bound himself with all Israel, even with the lowest of the low. And that is the meaning of: kulo sag yachdav, all have turned away together. Even when I see a Jew who has turned away completely from the Holy One, blessed be He, still we must be together; I must unite and bind myself with him, as Moshe did.

Scene 5 · LM II:82 §3, on Tehillim 103:19, Tikkunei Zohar · paragraph §3.2

כִּי יֵשׁ בְּחִינַת אֱלֹקוּת אֲפִלּוּ בַּדְּיוּטָא הַתַּחְתּוֹנָה, אֲפִלּוּ בַּעֲשָׂרָה כִּתְרֵי דִּמְסָאֲבוּתָא, לְקַיֵּם: וּמַלְכוּתוֹ בַּכֹּל מָשָׁלָה. וְזֶה בְּחִינַת חִירִיק, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: וּבְחִירִיק לְאַנְחָתָא לָהּ לְתַתָּא, לְהַמְלִיךְ לָהּ עַל תַּתָּאִין. נִמְצָא שֶׁבַּפָּחוּת מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל יֵשׁ בּוֹ בְּוַדַּאי אֵיזֶה אֱלֹקוּת, וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה אֲנִי יָכוֹל לִהְיוֹת יַחְדָּו עִמּוֹ, וְזֶה: כֻּלּוֹ סָג יַחְדָּו.

EN (our paraphrase): For there is Elokus even on the very lowest level, even in the ten crowns of impurity, to fulfil: and His kingdom rules over all. This is the idea of chirik, as the Tikkunim say: with chirik, to bring her down below, to make her rule over the lower ones. So the lowest Jew surely has some Elokus in him, and through it I can be together with him. That is: kulo sag yachdav.

Scene 6 · LM II:82 §3, on Shemos 19:3 · paragraph §3.3

וְעוֹד זֹאת הַבְּחִינָה הָיְתָה לְמֹשֶׁה, כִּי כָל מַה שֶּׁעָלָה לְמַעֲלָה יוֹתֵר עֶלְיוֹנָה, מָצָא שָׁם אֱלֹקִים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: וּמֹשֶׁה עָלָה אֶל הָאֱלֹֹקִים. כִּי בְּגַשְׁמִיּוּת אָנוּ רוֹאִים, שֶׁיֵּשׁ אָדָם שֶׁהוּא לְמַטָּה בְּדַחֲקוּת, אֲזַי הוּא עוֹבֵד הַשֵּׁם וּמַכִּיר אוֹתוֹ, וּכְשֶׁהוּא נִתְעַלֶּה לְמַעְלָה, שֶׁנִּתְעַשֵּׁר, אֲזַי הוּא שׁוֹכֵחַ בְּהַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא.

EN (our paraphrase): Moshe had another quality: however high he went, he found Elokim there, as it is written: and Moshe went up to Elokim. For we see in the physical world that a person who is low, in hardship, serves Hashem and knows Him, and when he rises, when he becomes rich, he forgets the Holy One, blessed be He.

Scene 7 · LM II:82 §3, on Tehillim 139:8, Chagigah 15a · paragraph §3.4

וְדָוִד אָמַר: אִם אֶסַּק שָׁמַיִם שָׁם אָתָּה – אֲפִלּוּ בַּשָּׁמַיִם שָׁם יֵשׁ הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא, בְּכָל עֲלִיָּה וַעֲלִיָּה צָרִיךְ לִמְצֹא שָׁם הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא. וּמָצִינוּ שֶׁאֱלִישָׁע אַחֵר עָלָה לָרָקִיעַ עַל־יְדֵי שֵׁם, וְאַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן כָּפַר בָּעִקָּר.

EN (our paraphrase): And David said: if I go up to heaven, You are there. Even in heaven the Holy One, blessed be He, is there; at every single ascent one must find Hashem there. And we find that Elisha Acher went up to the heavens through a holy Name, and even so he denied the very root of faith.

Scene 8 · LM II:82 §3, on Tehillim 145:9 · paragraph §3.5

וְהַדָּבָר תָּמוּהַּ, כִּי אַדְּרַבָּא, כִּי כָל מַה שֶּׁאָדָם נִתְעַלֶּה בְּיוֹתֵר, בְּוַדַּאי הוּא יוֹתֵר קָרוֹב לֶאֱלֹקוּת, כִּי כָל הַטּוֹב הוּא אֱלֹקוּת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: טוֹב ה' לַכֹּל, וְאָנוּ רוֹאִים בְּהֵפֶךְ – כְּשֶׁאָדָם בָּא בַּעֲשִׁירוּת, בְּטוֹב, אֲזַי הוּא שׁוֹכֵחַ בְּהַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא.

EN (our paraphrase): This is puzzling. On the contrary: the higher a person rises, surely the closer he is to Elokus, for all good is Elokus, as it is written: Hashem is good to all. Yet we see the opposite: when a person comes to wealth and good, he forgets the Holy One, blessed be He.

Scene 9 · LM II:82 §3, on Bereishis 27:1, Tikkunei Zohar · paragraph §3.6

וְתֵדַע, שֶׁזֶּה בְּחִינַת: וַתִּכְהֶינָה עֵינָיו מֵרְאוֹת, מֵחֲמַת שֶׁנִּתְקָרֵב בְּיוֹתֵר אֶל הָאוֹר אֱלֹקוּת, אֲזַי הָאוֹר מַכְהֶה עֵינָיו וּמַזִּיק לוֹ, כְּמוֹ כְּשֶׁאָדָם מִסְתַּכֵּל בְּעֶצֶם הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ, אוֹר הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ מַזִּיק לְעֵינָיו. אֲבָל יֵשׁ בְּחִינַת סְגוֹל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: וּסְגוֹל כַּד אִיהִי בֵּין תְּרֵין דְּרוֹעִין דְּמַלְכָּא,

EN (our paraphrase): Know that this is: his eyes grew dim from seeing. Because he came too close to the light of Elokus, the light dims his eyes and harms him, like a person who looks straight at the sun: the sun's light harms his eyes. But there is the level of segol, as it is written: and segol, when it is between the two arms of the King.

Scene 10 · LM II:82 §3, on Shemos 33:18–23, Tehillim 73:24 · paragraph §3.7

שֶׁזֶּהוּ בְּחִינַת: וְשַׂכֹּתִי כַפִּי עָלֶיךָ, כִּי בְּלֹא זֶה הָיָה עֹצֶם אוֹר הַכָּבוֹד מַזִּיק לְמֹשֶׁה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: כִּי לֹא יִרְאַנִי הָאָדָם וָחָי, וְרָאִיתָ אֶת אֲחוֹרָי וְכוּ'. וְזֶה שֶׁבִּקֵּשׁ דָּוִד: וְאַחַר כָּבוֹד תִּקָּחֵנִי – תְּקָרְבֵנִי בְּהִתְקָרְבוּת שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה, שֶׁבִּקֵּשׁ מִמְּךָ הַרְאֵנִי נָא אֶת כְּבֹדֶךָ, וְהֶרְאֵיתָ לוֹ אֶת אֲחוֹרֵי כְּבוֹדֶךָ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: וְשַׂכֹּתִי וְכוּ' וְרָאִיתָ אֶת אֲחוֹרָי:

EN (our paraphrase): That is: and I will shield you with My hand. For without this, the great intensity of the light of glory would have harmed Moshe, as it is written: for no man can see Me and live; and you will see My back, and so on. That is what David asked: and afterwards take me to glory. Draw me close with Moshe's closeness, who asked You: show me Your glory, and You showed him only the back of Your glory, as it is written: and I will shield, and you will see My back.

Scene 12 · LM II:82 §4 · paragraph §4.1

EN (our paraphrase): And when things go out of order for a person, that is a clash of wills: I want the matter to be this way, and it turns out the opposite, out of order. That is the idea of war, for every war is a clash of wills, and that is out of order.

Scene 13 · LM II:82 §4, on Devarim 21:10 · paragraph §4.2, §4.3

וְזֶהוּ: כִּי תֵצֵא לַמִּלְחָמָה – כְּשֶׁהוֹלֵךְ לְךָ שֶׁלֹּא כְּסֵדֶר, הַיְנוּ הִתְנַגְּדוּת הָרָצוֹן, וּנְתָנוֹ ה' אֱלֹקֶיךָ בְּיָדֶךָ – שֶׁיִּתְבַּטֵל כָּל רְצוֹנוֹת נֶגֶד רְצוֹנְךָ, שֶׁיֵּלֵךְ לְךָ כְּסֵדֶר כִּרְצוֹנְךָ, אֵימָתַי כַּד

EN (our paraphrase): That is: when you go out to war; when things go out of order for you, a clash of wills. And Hashem gives him into your hand: every will against yours is cancelled, and things go in order, as you want. When? When:

Scene 14 · LM II:82 §4, on Shir HaShirim 7:6 · paragraph §4.4

וְשָׁבִיתָ שִׁבְיוֹ – כְּשֶׁתִּהְיֶה בִּבְחִינַת מָה, כְּשֶׁתַּמְשִׁיךְ לְךְ אֱלֹקוּת, הוי"ה בְּמִלּוּי אַלְפִין. וְזֶה פֵּרוּשׁ מַחֲשָׁבָה – חֲשֹׁב מָה. כְּשֶׁתְּקַשֵּׁר תָּמִיד בְּמַחֲשַׁבְתְּךָ אֱלֹקוּתוֹ. וְזֶה בְּחִינַת: מֶלֶךְ אָסוּר בָּרְהָטִים – בִּרְהִיטֵי מֹחִין דִּילָךְ.

EN (our paraphrase): And you take his captives: when you are on the level of mah, when you draw Elokus into yourself, the Name spelled out with alefs. That is the meaning of machshavah, thought: chashov mah, think of mah, when you always bind His Elokus in your thought. That is: the king is bound in the tresses, in the running channels of your mind.

Scene 15 · LM II:82 §4, on Tehillim 68:19 · paragraph §4.5

וְזֶהוּ: וְשָׁבִיתָ שִׁבְיוֹ – שֶׁתַּמְשִׁיךְ "מָה" בְּתוֹךְ מַחֲשַׁבְתְּךָ, שֶׁתְּקַשֵּׁר אֱלֹקוּתוֹ בְּמַחֲשַׁבְתְּךָ, כִּי כָל דָּבָר שֶׁנִּמְשָׁךְ מִמָּקוֹם גָּבוֹהַּ נִקְרָא שְׁבִי, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: עָלִיתָ לַמָּרוֹם שָׁבִיתָ שֶׁבִי, וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה יִתְבַּטְּלוּ כָּל הַמִּלְחָמוֹת וְכָל הָרְצוֹנוֹת נֶגֶד רְצוֹנְךָ.

EN (our paraphrase): And that is: and you take his captives. Draw mah into your thought, bind His Elokus in your thought. For anything drawn from a high place is called captive, as it is written: you went up on high, you took captives. And through this, all the wars and all the wills against yours are cancelled.

Scene 16 · LM II:82 §4 · paragraph §4.6

וְזֶה הַסּוֹד נִרְמָז בְּעֵץ־הַחַיִּים, בַּהַקְדָּמָה בִּכְלָל יט, וּבְכַוָּנוֹת שֶׁל רֹאשׁ־חֹדֶשׁ אֱלוּל:

EN (our paraphrase): This secret is hinted in the Etz Chaim, in the introduction, rule nineteen, and in the kavanos of Rosh Chodesh Elul.

Hebrew phrases in the Explainer

Scene 2 · §1.2: קֶדֶם הוּא בְּחִינַת כְּסֵדֶר, בְּחִינַת אָלֶף בֵּית כְּסֵדֶר, וְאָחוֹר הוּא בְּחִינַת תַּשְׁרַ"ק שֶׁלֹּא כְּסֵדֶר.

Scene 3 · §1.3: וְחַוָּה הוּא בְּחִינַת: מַלְכוּת פֶּה וְתוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל־פֶּה

Scene 4 · §1.4: כִּי שְׁלֵמוּת שֶׁל כָּל הַדְּבָרִים אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא כְּשֶׁהֵם מְיֻחָדִים וּמְקֻשָּׁרִים בּוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ,

Scene 5 · §1.6: וּמִי שֶׁמְּחַלֵּק בְּחִינַת חַוָּה מַלְכוּת לְעַצְמוֹ, שֶׁאוֹמֵר: אֲנָּא אֶמְלֹךְ

Scene 6 · §2.1: מִיּוּד נַעֲשֶׂה דַּוָּי.

Scene 7 · §2.2: שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ גַּדְלוּת, הַיְנוּ: אֲנָא אֶמְלֹךְ

Scene 8 · §3.1: וְעִקָּר הַתְּשׁוּבָה הוּא בְּחֹדֶשׁ אֱלוּל,

Scene 9 · §3.1: כֻּלּוֹ סָג יַחְדָּו

Scene 10 · §3.2: כִּי יֵשׁ בְּחִינַת אֱלֹקוּת אֲפִלּוּ בַּדְּיוּטָא הַתַּחְתּוֹנָה,

Scene 11 · §3.3: כִּי כָל מַה שֶּׁעָלָה לְמַעֲלָה יוֹתֵר עֶלְיוֹנָה, מָצָא שָׁם

Scene 12 · §3.6: כְּמוֹ כְּשֶׁאָדָם מִסְתַּכֵּל בְּעֶצֶם הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ, אוֹר הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ מַזִּיק לְעֵינָיו.

Scene 13 · §4.1: וְזֶה בְּחִינַת מִלְחָמָה, כִּי כָל מִלְחָמָה הוּא הִתְנַגְּדוּת הָרָצוֹן,

Scene 14 · §4.4: וְזֶה פֵּרוּשׁ מַחֲשָׁבָה – חֲשֹׁב מָה.

Hebrew phrases in the 1-minute recap

Scene 2 · §1.4: שֶׁלִּפְעָמִים הוֹלֵךְ לְהָאָדָם שֶׁלֹּא כְּסֵדֶר,

Scene 3 · §2.2: וְיַשְׁפִּיל אֶת עַצְמוֹ, וְיִהְיֶה בְּחִינַת "מָה",

Scene 4 · §3.1: שֶׁמֹּשֶׁה קָשַׁר אֶת עַצְמוֹ אֲפִלּוּ לַפָּחוּת שֶׁבְּיִשְׁרָאֵל

Scene 5 · §4.5: שֶׁתְּקַשֵּׁר אֱלֹקוּתוֹ בְּמַחֲשַׁבְתְּךָ,

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