לְעִנְיַן הִתְבּוֹדְדוּת וְשִׂיחָה בֵּינוֹ לְבֵין קוֹנוֹ וַאֲמִירַת
Don't Wait for Tears
On hisbodedus, Tehillim and supplications: it is very good to say them with a whole heart, until one weeps before Hashem like a son before his father. But one should not think about and wait for the tears while praying; that expectation is itself a stray thought that confuses the words. Speak truthfully, as one speaks to a friend, and the heart wakes by itself; if tears come, good, and if not, not.
🎧 Listen to the full shiur
1-minute recap
Explainer
Full shiur
הַמָּקוֹר · Original text
לְעִנְיַן הִתְבּוֹדְדוּת וְשִׂיחָה בֵּינוֹ לְבֵין קוֹנוֹ וַאֲמִירַת תְּהִלִּים וּתְחִינוֹת וּבַקָּשׁוֹת,
טוֹב מְאֹד כְּשֶׁזּוֹכִין לְאָמְרָם בְּלֵב שָׁלֵם בֶּאֱמֶת, עַד שֶׁיִּזְכֶּה לִבְכּוֹת לִפְנֵי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ כְּבֵן הַבּוֹכֶה לִפְנֵי אָבִיו.
אֲבָל אָמַר, שֶׁכְּשֶׁהָאָדָם אוֹמֵר תְּחִנּוֹת וּבַקָּשׁוֹת וְחוֹשֵׁב בְּלִבּוֹ וּמְצַפֶּה שֶׁיִּבְכֶּה, זֹאת הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה אֵינָהּ טוֹבָה, וְהִיא מְבַלְבֶּלֶת גַּם־כֵּן אֶת דַּעְתּוֹ, כִּי מֵחֲמַת זֶה אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לוֹמַר הַבַּקָּשׁוֹת בְּלֵב שָׁלֵם בִּשְׁלֵמוּת, כִּי צְרִיכִין בִּשְׁעַת אֲמִירַת תְּחִנּוֹת וּבַקָּשׁוֹת לְהַרְחִיק מֵעַצְמוֹ כָּל מִינֵי מַחֲשָׁבוֹת חוּץ שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם, רַק לְכַוֵּן דַּעְתּוֹ אֶל הַדִּבּוּרִים שֶׁהוּא מְדַבֵּר לִפְנֵי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, כַּאֲשֶׁר יְדַבֵּר אִישׁ אֶל רֵעֵהוּ, וְאָז מִמֵּילָא בְּקַל יִתְעוֹרֵר לִבּוֹ, עַד שֶׁיָּבוֹא לִבְכִיָּה גְּדוֹלָה בֶּאֱמֶת.
אֲבָל כְּשֶׁחוֹשֵׁב וּמְצַפֶּה עַל זֶה שֶׁיִּבְכֶּה, אֲזַי זֶה וָזֶה אֵינוֹ עוֹלֶה בְּיָדוֹ, כִּי הָאֲמִירָה בְּעַצְמָהּ נִתְבַּלְבְּלָה עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה כַּנַּ"ל. כִּי זֶה שֶׁחוֹשֵׁב וּמְצַפֶּה שֶׁיִּבְכֶּה, הוּא גַּם־כֵּן בְּחִינַת מַחֲשָׁבָה זָרָה שֶׁמְּבַלְבֶּלֶת, הַכַּוָּנָה, שֶׁאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לִשְׁמֹעַ הֵיטֵב מַה שֶּׁהוּא מְדַבֵּר עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה,
כִּי הָעִקָּר – לְדַבֵּר הַדִּבּוּר בֶּאֱמֶת לִפְנֵי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ בְּלִי שׁוּם מַחֲשָׁבוֹת אֲחֵרוֹת כְּלָל כַּנַּ"ל. וְאִם יִזְכֶּה לִבְכִיָּה בֶּאֱמֶת – מַה טּוֹב, וְאִם לָאו – לָאו, וְלֹא יְבַלְבֵּל אֲמִירָתוֹ בִּשְׁבִיל זֶה 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 ninety five: don't wait for tears.
When you pour out your heart before Hashem, it is very good to merit tears, like a child crying before his father.
But Rebbe Nachman warns: if you pray while thinking and waiting for the tears to come, that thought is not good. It scatters your mind.
Just speak to Hashem as one speaks to a friend. Then the heart wakes up by itself.
If real tears come, how good. And if not, then not.
Our own reflection: don't chase the tears. Mean the words; the heart will follow.
Explainer
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah ninety five. A short teaching on prayer, hisbodedus, and tears.
This teaching is about hisbodedus, private conversation with Hashem, and about saying Tehillim, supplications and requests.
It is very good to say them with a truly whole heart, until one merits to weep before Hashem, like a son crying before his father.
But Rebbe Nachman said: when a person says his prayers while thinking in his heart, and waiting, for the tears to come, that thought is not good. It confuses his mind, and he can no longer say the words with a whole heart.
While praying, one must push away every outside thought, and simply focus on the words one is saying before Hashem, the way a man speaks to his friend. Then, by itself and easily, the heart is stirred, until real, great weeping may come.
But if he keeps thinking about the tears, he ends up with neither. The words get confused, and the waiting itself becomes a stray thought, so he cannot properly hear what he is saying.
The main thing is to speak the words truthfully before Hashem, with no other thoughts at all. If real tears come, how good. If not, then not. Just don't let it disturb your words.
Our own reflection: tears are a gift, not a goal. Talk to Hashem simply and honestly, as to a close friend, and let the heart do what it will.
Full shiur
— Part 1: Don't Wait for Tears —
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah ninety five. A short shiur in one part: speaking to Hashem with a whole heart, and not waiting for tears.
Gold is Rebbe Nachman's own words, from Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah ninety 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.
On the matter of hisbodedus, conversation between oneself and one's Maker, and saying Tehillim, supplications and requests: it is very good when one merits to say them with a truly whole heart, until he merits to weep before Hashem like a son who weeps before his father.
But he said: when a person says supplications and requests while thinking in his heart and expecting that he will weep, this thought is not good. It also confuses his mind, for because of it he cannot say the requests with a whole heart, completely. For at the time of saying supplications and requests, one must push away from himself every kind of outside thought in the world,
He continues: only to focus his mind on the words he is speaking before Hashem, as a man speaks to his friend. And then by itself, easily, his heart will be aroused, until he comes to great weeping in truth.
But when he thinks and expects that he will weep, then neither one succeeds for him, for the saying itself becomes confused through this, as mentioned. For this thinking and expecting that he will weep is itself a kind of stray thought that confuses the concentration, so that he cannot hear well what he is saying.
He concludes: For the main thing is to speak the words in truth before Hashem, without any other thoughts at all, as mentioned. And if he merits true weeping, how good; and if not, not; and he should not confuse his words because of it.
Our explanation. Speak to Hashem plainly, as you would to a friend. Keep your attention on the words, not on the result you hope for. Then the heart stirs by itself, and tears, if they come, come on their own.
Our own reflection, not a quotation. Tears are a gift, not a goal. Don't watch yourself pray; just talk to Hashem, and mean it.
This has been Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah ninety five.
Sources for this Torah
Texts used
Hebrew: Likutei Moharan Tinyana (Part II), Torah 95, edition 'Likutei Moharan Tinyana – rabenubook.com', public domain, via Sefaria — https://www.sefaria.org/Likutei_Moharan%2C_Part_II.95
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 — Don't Wait for Tears
Scene 3 · LM II:95 §1 · paragraph §1.1, §1.2
לְעִנְיַן הִתְבּוֹדְדוּת וְשִׂיחָה בֵּינוֹ לְבֵין קוֹנוֹ וַאֲמִירַת תְּהִלִּים וּתְחִינוֹת וּבַקָּשׁוֹת, טוֹב מְאֹד כְּשֶׁזּוֹכִין לְאָמְרָם בְּלֵב שָׁלֵם בֶּאֱמֶת, עַד שֶׁיִּזְכֶּה לִבְכּוֹת לִפְנֵי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ כְּבֵן הַבּוֹכֶה לִפְנֵי אָבִיו.
EN (our paraphrase): On the matter of hisbodedus, conversation between oneself and one's Maker, and saying Tehillim, supplications and requests: it is very good when one merits to say them with a truly whole heart, until he merits to weep before Hashem like a son who weeps before his father.
Scene 4 · LM II:95 §1 · paragraph §1.3
אֲבָל אָמַר, שֶׁכְּשֶׁהָאָדָם אוֹמֵר תְּחִנּוֹת וּבַקָּשׁוֹת וְחוֹשֵׁב בְּלִבּוֹ וּמְצַפֶּה שֶׁיִּבְכֶּה, זֹאת הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה אֵינָהּ טוֹבָה, וְהִיא מְבַלְבֶּלֶת גַּם־כֵּן אֶת דַּעְתּוֹ, כִּי מֵחֲמַת זֶה אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לוֹמַר הַבַּקָּשׁוֹת בְּלֵב שָׁלֵם בִּשְׁלֵמוּת, כִּי צְרִיכִין בִּשְׁעַת אֲמִירַת תְּחִנּוֹת וּבַקָּשׁוֹת לְהַרְחִיק מֵעַצְמוֹ כָּל מִינֵי מַחֲשָׁבוֹת חוּץ שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם,
EN (our paraphrase): But he said: when a person says supplications and requests while thinking in his heart and expecting that he will weep, this thought is not good. It also confuses his mind, for because of it he cannot say the requests with a whole heart, completely. For at the time of saying supplications and requests, one must push away from himself every kind of outside thought in the world,
Scene 5 · LM II:95 §1 · paragraph §1.3
רַק לְכַוֵּן דַּעְתּוֹ אֶל הַדִּבּוּרִים שֶׁהוּא מְדַבֵּר לִפְנֵי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, כַּאֲשֶׁר יְדַבֵּר אִישׁ אֶל רֵעֵהוּ, וְאָז מִמֵּילָא בְּקַל יִתְעוֹרֵר לִבּוֹ, עַד שֶׁיָּבוֹא לִבְכִיָּה גְּדוֹלָה בֶּאֱמֶת.
EN (our paraphrase): only to focus his mind on the words he is speaking before Hashem, as a man speaks to his friend. And then by itself, easily, his heart will be aroused, until he comes to great weeping in truth.
Scene 6 · LM II:95 §1 · paragraph §1.4
אֲבָל כְּשֶׁחוֹשֵׁב וּמְצַפֶּה עַל זֶה שֶׁיִּבְכֶּה, אֲזַי זֶה וָזֶה אֵינוֹ עוֹלֶה בְּיָדוֹ, כִּי הָאֲמִירָה בְּעַצְמָהּ נִתְבַּלְבְּלָה עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה כַּנַּ"ל. כִּי זֶה שֶׁחוֹשֵׁב וּמְצַפֶּה שֶׁיִּבְכֶּה, הוּא גַּם־כֵּן בְּחִינַת מַחֲשָׁבָה זָרָה שֶׁמְּבַלְבֶּלֶת, הַכַּוָּנָה, שֶׁאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לִשְׁמֹעַ הֵיטֵב מַה שֶּׁהוּא מְדַבֵּר עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה,
EN (our paraphrase): But when he thinks and expects that he will weep, then neither one succeeds for him, for the saying itself becomes confused through this, as mentioned. For this thinking and expecting that he will weep is itself a kind of stray thought that confuses the concentration, so that he cannot hear well what he is saying.
Scene 7 · LM II:95 §1 · paragraph §1.5
כִּי הָעִקָּר – לְדַבֵּר הַדִּבּוּר בֶּאֱמֶת לִפְנֵי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ בְּלִי שׁוּם מַחֲשָׁבוֹת אֲחֵרוֹת כְּלָל כַּנַּ"ל. וְאִם יִזְכֶּה לִבְכִיָּה בֶּאֱמֶת – מַה טּוֹב, וְאִם לָאו – לָאו, וְלֹא יְבַלְבֵּל אֲמִירָתוֹ בִּשְׁבִיל זֶה כַּנַּ"ל:
EN (our paraphrase): For the main thing is to speak the words in truth before Hashem, without any other thoughts at all, as mentioned. And if he merits true weeping, how good; and if not, not; and he should not confuse his words because of it.
Hebrew phrases in the Explainer
Scene 2 · §1.1: לְעִנְיַן הִתְבּוֹדְדוּת וְשִׂיחָה בֵּינוֹ לְבֵין קוֹנוֹ וַאֲמִירַת תְּהִלִּים וּתְחִינוֹת וּבַקָּשׁוֹת,
Scene 3 · §1.2: טוֹב מְאֹד כְּשֶׁזּוֹכִין לְאָמְרָם בְּלֵב שָׁלֵם בֶּאֱמֶת, עַד שֶׁיִּזְכֶּה לִבְכּוֹת לִפְנֵי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ כְּבֵן הַבּוֹכֶה לִפְנֵי אָבִיו.
Scene 4 · §1.3: אֲבָל אָמַר, שֶׁכְּשֶׁהָאָדָם אוֹמֵר תְּחִנּוֹת וּבַקָּשׁוֹת וְחוֹשֵׁב בְּלִבּוֹ וּמְצַפֶּה שֶׁיִּבְכֶּה, זֹאת הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה אֵינָהּ טוֹבָה,
Scene 5 · §1.3: רַק לְכַוֵּן דַּעְתּוֹ אֶל הַדִּבּוּרִים שֶׁהוּא מְדַבֵּר לִפְנֵי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, כַּאֲשֶׁר יְדַבֵּר אִישׁ אֶל רֵעֵהוּ,
Scene 6 · §1.4: זֶה וָזֶה אֵינוֹ עוֹלֶה בְּיָדוֹ,
Scene 7 · §1.5: כִּי הָעִקָּר – לְדַבֵּר הַדִּבּוּר בֶּאֱמֶת לִפְנֵי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ בְּלִי שׁוּם מַחֲשָׁבוֹת אֲחֵרוֹת כְּלָל
Hebrew phrases in the 1-minute recap
Scene 2 · §1.2: עַד שֶׁיִּזְכֶּה לִבְכּוֹת לִפְנֵי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ כְּבֵן הַבּוֹכֶה לִפְנֵי אָבִיו.
Scene 3 · §1.3: זֹאת הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה אֵינָהּ טוֹבָה,
Scene 4 · §1.3: כַּאֲשֶׁר יְדַבֵּר אִישׁ אֶל רֵעֵהוּ,
Scene 5 · §1.5: וְאִם יִזְכֶּה לִבְכִיָּה בֶּאֱמֶת – מַה טּוֹב, וְאִם לָאו – לָאו,