סִפְּרוּ לִי שֶׁאָמַר, שֶׁמִּקָּטֹן וְעַד גָּדוֹל אִי
The Road of Every Tzaddik
Rebbe Nachman said that from the least to the greatest, no one can become truly upright except through hisbodedus; he named many famous true tzaddikim and said they all reached their level only through it. He pointed to a simple grandson of the Baal Shem Tov who also pours out his heart before Hashem with great weeping, and said the Baal Shem Tov's descendants are especially used to this, being of the line of King David, whose whole work was breaking his heart before Hashem, the essence of the Book of Tehillim.
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הַמָּקוֹר · Original text
סִפְּרוּ לִי שֶׁאָמַר, שֶׁמִּקָּטֹן וְעַד גָּדוֹל אִי אֶפְשָׁר לִהְיוֹת אִישׁ כָּשֵׁר בֶּאֱמֶת, כִּי־אִם עַל־יְדֵי הִתְבּוֹדְדוּת. וְהָיָה מַזְכִּיר כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה צַדִּיקִים מְפֻרְסָמִים אֲמִתִּיִּים, וְאָמַר, שֶׁכֻּלָּם לֹא בָּאוּ לְמַדְרֵגָתָם כִּי־אִם עַל־יְדֵי הִתְבּוֹדְדוּת.
וְגַם תָּפַס אִישׁ אֶחָד פָּשׁוּט מִנֶּכְדֵי הַבַּעַל־שֵׁם־טוֹב זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה, וְאָמַר: גַּם זֶה מְפָרֵשׁ שִׂיחָתוֹ בְּכָל פַּעַם לִפְנֵי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ בִּבְכִיָּה גְּדוֹלָה.
וְאָמַר: שֶׁזֶּרַע הַבַּעַל־שֵׁם־טוֹב רְגִילִים בָּזֶה בְּיוֹתֵר, כִּי הֵם מִזֶּרַע דָּוִד הַמֶּלֶךְ, עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם, וְכָל עִסְקוֹ שֶׁל דָּוִד הָיָה עִנְיָן זֶה, שֶׁהָיָה מְשַׁבֵּר לִבּוֹ מְאֹד לִפְנֵי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ תָּמִיד, שֶׁזֶּהוּ עִקָּר סֵפֶר תְּהִלִּים שֶׁיָּסַד, כַּמְבֹאָר בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר:
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 one hundred: the road of every tzaddik.
From the smallest to the greatest, Rebbe Nachman said, no one can become truly upright except through hisbodedus.
He named many famous, true tzaddikim, and said they all reached their level only through hisbodedus.
Even a simple grandson of the Baal Shem Tov, he said, pours out his heart to Hashem every time, with great weeping.
For they come from King David, who always broke his heart before Hashem. That is the heart of Tehillim.
Our own reflection: there is no shortcut to greatness. Every true tzaddik walked the same road: talking to Hashem.
Explainer
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah one hundred. On hisbodedus as the road of every true tzaddik.
Reb Noson was told that Rebbe Nachman said: from the smallest to the greatest, it is impossible to be a truly upright Jew except through hisbodedus.
He mentioned many famous, genuine tzaddikim by name, and said that every one of them reached his level only through hisbodedus.
He also pointed to one simple man, a grandson of the Baal Shem Tov, and said: this one too pours out his words before Hashem every time, with great weeping.
He said the descendants of the Baal Shem Tov are especially used to this, because they come from the line of King David, may peace be upon him.
This was King David's whole work: he would always break his heart before Hashem. And that is the essence of the Book of Tehillim, which he founded.
Our own reflection: when you say Tehillim, you walk in King David's footsteps; and when you add your own words, you walk the road of every tzaddik.
Full shiur
— Part 1: The Road of Every Tzaddik —
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah one hundred. A short shiur in one part: hisbodedus, the tzaddikim, the Baal Shem Tov's family, and King David.
Gold is Rebbe Nachman's own words, from Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah one hundred. 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.
They told me that he said: from small to great, it is impossible to be a truly upright person except through hisbodedus. And he mentioned many well-known true tzaddikim, and said that all of them came to their level only through hisbodedus.
And he also singled out one simple man from the grandchildren of the Baal Shem Tov, of blessed memory, and said: this one too pours out his words every time before Hashem, with great weeping.
He explains why: And he said that the descendants of the Baal Shem Tov are especially used to this, for they are of the seed of King David, peace be upon him; and all of David's occupation was this, that he would break his heart greatly before Hashem, always. And this is the essence of the Book of Tehillim, which he founded, as explained elsewhere.
Our explanation. Hisbodedus is the road of every true tzaddik. King David's whole life was a heart broken open before Hashem, and that is the soul of the Book of Tehillim.
Our own reflection, not a quotation. No one is too small, or too great, for hisbodedus. It is the road of every tzaddik.
This has been Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah one hundred.
Sources for this Torah
Texts used
Hebrew: Likutei Moharan Tinyana (Part II), Torah 100, edition 'Likutei Moharan Tinyana – rabenubook.com', public domain, via Sefaria — https://www.sefaria.org/Likutei_Moharan%2C_Part_II.100
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 Road of Every Tzaddik
Scene 3 · LM II:100 §1 · paragraph §1.1
סִפְּרוּ לִי שֶׁאָמַר, שֶׁמִּקָּטֹן וְעַד גָּדוֹל אִי אֶפְשָׁר לִהְיוֹת אִישׁ כָּשֵׁר בֶּאֱמֶת, כִּי־אִם עַל־יְדֵי הִתְבּוֹדְדוּת. וְהָיָה מַזְכִּיר כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה צַדִּיקִים מְפֻרְסָמִים אֲמִתִּיִּים, וְאָמַר, שֶׁכֻּלָּם לֹא בָּאוּ לְמַדְרֵגָתָם כִּי־אִם עַל־יְדֵי הִתְבּוֹדְדוּת.
EN (our paraphrase): They told me that he said: from small to great, it is impossible to be a truly upright person except through hisbodedus. And he mentioned many well-known true tzaddikim, and said that all of them came to their level only through hisbodedus.
Scene 4 · LM II:100 §1 · paragraph §1.2
וְגַם תָּפַס אִישׁ אֶחָד פָּשׁוּט מִנֶּכְדֵי הַבַּעַל־שֵׁם־טוֹב זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה, וְאָמַר: גַּם זֶה מְפָרֵשׁ שִׂיחָתוֹ בְּכָל פַּעַם לִפְנֵי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ בִּבְכִיָּה גְּדוֹלָה.
EN (our paraphrase): And he also singled out one simple man from the grandchildren of the Baal Shem Tov, of blessed memory, and said: this one too pours out his words every time before Hashem, with great weeping.
Scene 5 · LM II:100 §1 · paragraph §1.3
וְאָמַר: שֶׁזֶּרַע הַבַּעַל־שֵׁם־טוֹב רְגִילִים בָּזֶה בְּיוֹתֵר, כִּי הֵם מִזֶּרַע דָּוִד הַמֶּלֶךְ, עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם, וְכָל עִסְקוֹ שֶׁל דָּוִד הָיָה עִנְיָן זֶה, שֶׁהָיָה מְשַׁבֵּר לִבּוֹ מְאֹד לִפְנֵי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ תָּמִיד, שֶׁזֶּהוּ עִקָּר סֵפֶר תְּהִלִּים שֶׁיָּסַד, כַּמְבֹאָר בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר:
EN (our paraphrase): And he said that the descendants of the Baal Shem Tov are especially used to this, for they are of the seed of King David, peace be upon him; and all of David's occupation was this, that he would break his heart greatly before Hashem, always. And this is the essence of the Book of Tehillim, which he founded, as explained elsewhere.
Hebrew phrases in the Explainer
Scene 2 · §1.1: שֶׁמִּקָּטֹן וְעַד גָּדוֹל אִי אֶפְשָׁר לִהְיוֹת אִישׁ כָּשֵׁר בֶּאֱמֶת, כִּי־אִם עַל־יְדֵי הִתְבּוֹדְדוּת.
Scene 3 · §1.1: שֶׁכֻּלָּם לֹא בָּאוּ לְמַדְרֵגָתָם כִּי־אִם עַל־יְדֵי הִתְבּוֹדְדוּת.
Scene 4 · §1.2: גַּם זֶה מְפָרֵשׁ שִׂיחָתוֹ בְּכָל פַּעַם לִפְנֵי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ בִּבְכִיָּה גְּדוֹלָה.
Scene 5 · §1.3: שֶׁזֶּרַע הַבַּעַל־שֵׁם־טוֹב רְגִילִים בָּזֶה בְּיוֹתֵר,
Scene 6 · §1.3: שֶׁהָיָה מְשַׁבֵּר לִבּוֹ מְאֹד לִפְנֵי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ תָּמִיד, שֶׁזֶּהוּ עִקָּר סֵפֶר תְּהִלִּים שֶׁיָּסַד,
Hebrew phrases in the 1-minute recap
Scene 2 · §1.1: שֶׁמִּקָּטֹן וְעַד גָּדוֹל אִי אֶפְשָׁר לִהְיוֹת אִישׁ כָּשֵׁר בֶּאֱמֶת, כִּי־אִם עַל־יְדֵי הִתְבּוֹדְדוּת.
Scene 3 · §1.1: שֶׁכֻּלָּם לֹא בָּאוּ לְמַדְרֵגָתָם כִּי־אִם עַל־יְדֵי הִתְבּוֹדְדוּת.
Scene 4 · §1.2: גַּם זֶה מְפָרֵשׁ שִׂיחָתוֹ בְּכָל פַּעַם לִפְנֵי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ בִּבְכִיָּה גְּדוֹלָה.
Scene 5 · §1.3: שֶׁהָיָה מְשַׁבֵּר לִבּוֹ מְאֹד לִפְנֵי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ תָּמִיד,