שָׁמַעְתִּי בִּשְׁמוֹ, שֶׁאָמַר לְעִנְיַן הַמַחֲלֹקֶת שֶׁהָיוּ חוֹלְקִים
Why Prayer Is Made Light Of
Rebbe Nachman explained the opposition against him with a teaching of the Sages (Berachos 6b): prayer is among the things that stand at the height of the world, yet people make light of them. Since all his work was prayer and hisbodedus, which he urged on his followers without limit, people made light of him too.
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הַמָּקוֹר · Original text
שָׁמַעְתִּי בִּשְׁמוֹ, שֶׁאָמַר לְעִנְיַן הַמַחֲלֹקֶת שֶׁהָיוּ חוֹלְקִים עָלָיו,
כִּי אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (ברכות ו:): כְּרוּם זֻלֻּת לִבְנֵי אָדָם – אֵלּוּ דְּבָרִים הָעוֹמְדִים בְּרוּמוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, וּבְנֵי־אָדָם מְזַלְזְלִין בָּהֶם, וּמַאי נִיהוּ תְּפִלָּה. עַל־כֵּן מֵחֲמַת שֶׁכָּל עִסְקוֹ תְּפִלָּה,
כִּי בְּעִנְיַן תְּפִלָּה הָיָה מַרְבֶּה לְדַבֵּר עִם אֲנָשָׁיו, וְהִזְהִירָם מְאֹד לְהַרְבּוֹת בִּתְפִלָּה וְהִתְבּוֹדְדוּת וְשִׂיחָה בֵּינוֹ לְבֵין קוֹנוֹ, כַּמְבֹאָר בִּסְפָרָיו הַקְּדוֹשִׁים, וְיוֹתֵר מִזֶּה הִרְבָּה לְדַבֵּר עִמָּנוּ וְחִזֵּק אוֹתָנוּ בְּהִתְחַזְּקוּת בְּלִי שִׁעוּר לְהַרְבּוֹת בִּתְפִלָּה וְהִתְבּוֹדְדוּת.
עַל־כֵּן בְּנֵי־אָדָם מְזַלְזְלִין בּוֹ וּמְבַזִּין אוֹתוֹ וְחוֹלְקִין עָלָיו, כִּי כָל עִסְקוֹ הוּא תְּפִלָּה, שֶׁהֵם דְּבָרִים הָעוֹמְדִים בְּרוּמוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם וּבְנֵי־אָדָם מְזַלְזְלִין בָּהֶם. וְהָבֵן:
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 ninety three: why prayer is made light of.
Our Sages teach that some things stand at the very height of the world, yet people make light of them. What are they? Prayer.
Rebbe Nachman's whole work was prayer. He urged his followers, again and again, to pray much and to speak alone with Hashem in hisbodedus.
That, he said, is why people made light of him and opposed him: his work was the very thing the world treats as small.
Our own reflection: if prayer feels small, remember that it stands at the height of the world.
Explainer
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah ninety three. A short teaching on the opposition to Rebbe Nachman, and on the height of prayer.
Reb Noson heard this in Rebbe Nachman's name, about the controversy and opposition that people raised against him.
The verse in Tehillim speaks of things at the height that people treat lightly. Our Sages explain: these are matters that stand at the height of the world, and people make light of them. And what are they? Prayer.
Prayer was at the center of everything Rebbe Nachman did. He spoke of it constantly, and warned his followers to pray much and to practise hisbodedus, speaking privately between themselves and their Maker. Beyond what is written in his books, he encouraged them in person, without limit.
So people made light of him and opposed him. His whole work was prayer, and prayer is exactly what the world looks down on, though it stands at the very top. And Rebbe Nachman adds: understand this.
Our own reflection: when your prayer seems small to others, or even to you, that is no proof of its worth. The things people take lightly may be the ones that stand highest.
Full shiur
— Part 1: Prayer at the Height of the World —
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah ninety three. A short shiur in one part: the opposition to Rebbe Nachman, and prayer that stands at the height of the world.
Gold is Rebbe Nachman's own words, from Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah ninety 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.
I heard in his name that he said, about the controversy of those who opposed him: our Sages, of blessed memory, said on the verse 'kerum zulus livnei adam': these are things that stand at the height of the world, yet people make light of them. And what are they? Prayer. Therefore, since all his occupation was prayer,
He continues: For on the matter of prayer he would speak a great deal with his people, and he warned them strongly to pray much, and to practise hisbodedus, conversation between oneself and one's Maker, as explained in his holy books. And even more than this, he spoke with us and strengthened us beyond measure, to pray much and to practise hisbodedus.
Therefore people make light of him, belittle him and oppose him; for all his occupation is prayer, which is among the things that stand at the height of the world, and people make light of them. Understand this.
Our explanation. Prayer reaches the very height of the world, yet people often treat it as something small. So the tzaddik whose whole life was prayer, and who pushed others to pray, was made light of in the same way.
Our explanation. Hisbodedus means speaking alone with Hashem, in your own words, between you and your Maker. Rebbe Nachman urged it, in his books and in person, without limit.
Our own reflection, not a quotation. When prayer feels small, or others look down on it, remember where it stands: at the height of the world.
This has been Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah ninety three.
Sources for this Torah
Texts used
Hebrew: Likutei Moharan Tinyana (Part II), Torah 93, edition 'Likutei Moharan Tinyana – rabenubook.com', public domain, via Sefaria — https://www.sefaria.org/Likutei_Moharan%2C_Part_II.93
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 — Prayer at the Height of the World
Scene 3 · LM II:93 §1, on Berachos 6b · paragraph §1.1, §1.2
שָׁמַעְתִּי בִּשְׁמוֹ, שֶׁאָמַר לְעִנְיַן הַמַחֲלֹקֶת שֶׁהָיוּ חוֹלְקִים עָלָיו, כִּי אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה: כְּרוּם זֻלֻּת לִבְנֵי אָדָם – אֵלּוּ דְּבָרִים הָעוֹמְדִים בְּרוּמוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, וּבְנֵי־אָדָם מְזַלְזְלִין בָּהֶם, וּמַאי נִיהוּ תְּפִלָּה. עַל־כֵּן מֵחֲמַת שֶׁכָּל עִסְקוֹ תְּפִלָּה,
EN (our paraphrase): I heard in his name that he said, about the controversy of those who opposed him: our Sages, of blessed memory, said on the verse 'kerum zulus livnei adam': these are things that stand at the height of the world, yet people make light of them. And what are they? Prayer. Therefore, since all his occupation was prayer,
Scene 4 · LM II:93 §1 · paragraph §1.3
כִּי בְּעִנְיַן תְּפִלָּה הָיָה מַרְבֶּה לְדַבֵּר עִם אֲנָשָׁיו, וְהִזְהִירָם מְאֹד לְהַרְבּוֹת בִּתְפִלָּה וְהִתְבּוֹדְדוּת וְשִׂיחָה בֵּינוֹ לְבֵין קוֹנוֹ, כַּמְבֹאָר בִּסְפָרָיו הַקְּדוֹשִׁים, וְיוֹתֵר מִזֶּה הִרְבָּה לְדַבֵּר עִמָּנוּ וְחִזֵּק אוֹתָנוּ בְּהִתְחַזְּקוּת בְּלִי שִׁעוּר לְהַרְבּוֹת בִּתְפִלָּה וְהִתְבּוֹדְדוּת.
EN (our paraphrase): For on the matter of prayer he would speak a great deal with his people, and he warned them strongly to pray much, and to practise hisbodedus, conversation between oneself and one's Maker, as explained in his holy books. And even more than this, he spoke with us and strengthened us beyond measure, to pray much and to practise hisbodedus.
Scene 5 · LM II:93 §1 · paragraph §1.4
עַל־כֵּן בְּנֵי־אָדָם מְזַלְזְלִין בּוֹ וּמְבַזִּין אוֹתוֹ וְחוֹלְקִין עָלָיו, כִּי כָל עִסְקוֹ הוּא תְּפִלָּה, שֶׁהֵם דְּבָרִים הָעוֹמְדִים בְּרוּמוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם וּבְנֵי־אָדָם מְזַלְזְלִין בָּהֶם. וְהָבֵן:
EN (our paraphrase): Therefore people make light of him, belittle him and oppose him; for all his occupation is prayer, which is among the things that stand at the height of the world, and people make light of them. Understand this.
Hebrew phrases in the Explainer
Scene 2 · §1.1: לְעִנְיַן הַמַחֲלֹקֶת שֶׁהָיוּ חוֹלְקִים עָלָיו,
Scene 3 · §1.2: כְּרוּם זֻלֻּת לִבְנֵי אָדָם – אֵלּוּ דְּבָרִים הָעוֹמְדִים בְּרוּמוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, וּבְנֵי־אָדָם מְזַלְזְלִין בָּהֶם,
Scene 4 · §1.3: וְהִזְהִירָם מְאֹד לְהַרְבּוֹת בִּתְפִלָּה וְהִתְבּוֹדְדוּת וְשִׂיחָה בֵּינוֹ לְבֵין קוֹנוֹ,
Scene 5 · §1.4: כִּי כָל עִסְקוֹ הוּא תְּפִלָּה, שֶׁהֵם דְּבָרִים הָעוֹמְדִים בְּרוּמוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם וּבְנֵי־אָדָם מְזַלְזְלִין בָּהֶם.
Hebrew phrases in the 1-minute recap
Scene 2 · §1.2: אֵלּוּ דְּבָרִים הָעוֹמְדִים בְּרוּמוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, וּבְנֵי־אָדָם מְזַלְזְלִין בָּהֶם, וּמַאי נִיהוּ תְּפִלָּה.
Scene 3 · §1.2: עַל־כֵּן מֵחֲמַת שֶׁכָּל עִסְקוֹ תְּפִלָּה,
Scene 4 · §1.4: עַל־כֵּן בְּנֵי־אָדָם מְזַלְזְלִין בּוֹ וּמְבַזִּין אוֹתוֹ וְחוֹלְקִין עָלָיו,