הָיָה אוֹהֵב מְאֹד אֶת הָעֲבוֹדוֹת הַפְּשׁוּטוֹת שֶׁל
Simple Service and Shabbos Zemiros
Rebbe Nachman greatly loved the simple service of plain, sincere Jews, such as saying many tehinos from the large siddurim. He urged his followers to sing zemiros on Shabbos and Motzei Shabbos and was upset with those too clever to do so, for the essence of Judaism is simplicity and wholeheartedness. He himself sang many zemiros every Shabbos until his final illness.
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1-minute recap
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הַמָּקוֹר · Original text
הָיָה אוֹהֵב מְאֹד אֶת הָעֲבוֹדוֹת הַפְּשׁוּטוֹת שֶׁל סְתָם בְּנֵי־אָדָם, הָאֲנָשִׁים הַפְּשׁוּטִים הַכְּשֵׁרִים, וְהָיָה אוֹהֵב מְאֹד מִי שֶׁיָּכוֹל לוֹמַר הַרְבֵּה תְּחִנּוֹת וּבַקָּשׁוֹת בְּתוֹךְ הַסִּדּוּרִים הַגְּדוֹלִים, כְּדֶרֶךְ הַהֲמוֹן־עַם הַכְּשֵׁרִים.
וְהָיָה מַזְהִיר וּמוֹכִיחַ אוֹתָנוּ כַּמָּה פְּעָמִים לְזַמֵּר זְמִירוֹת בְּשַׁבָּת, וְהָיָה מַקְפִּיד וְכוֹעֵס מְאֹד עַל מִי שֶׁהוּא חָכָם בְּעֵינָיו וְאֵינוֹ מִתְאַמֵּץ לְזַמֵּר זְמִירוֹת בְּשַׁבָּת וּבְמוֹצָאֵי־שַׁבָּת אוֹ שְׁאָר עֲבוֹדוֹת פְּשׁוּטוֹת, כִּי עִקָּר הַיַּהֲדוּת הוּא בִּפְשִׁיטוּת וּבִתְמִימוּת גָּמוּר, בְּלִי שׁוּם חָכְמוֹת, כַּמְבֹאָר אֶצְלֵנוּ כְּבָר כַּמָּה פְּעָמִים:
וְגַם הוּא בְּעַצְמוֹ, זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה, קֹדֶם שֶׁהִגִּיעַ לוֹ הַחוֹלַאַת הַכָּבֵד שֶׁנִּסְתַּלֵּק עַל־יָדוֹ, קֹדֶם לָזֶה, כָּל יָמָיו הָיָה מְזַמֵּר זְמִירוֹת הַרְבֵּה בְּכָל שַׁבָּת וְשַׁבָּת וּבְמוֹצָאֵי־שַׁבָּת:
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 and four: simple service and Shabbos zemiros.
Rebbe Nachman greatly loved the simple service of plain, honest Jews, like saying many tehinos from the big siddurim.
He urged his followers to sing zemiros on Shabbos, and was upset with anyone too clever to bother, for the heart of Judaism is simplicity.
And all his days, until his final illness, he himself sang many zemiros every Shabbos and Motzei Shabbos.
Our own reflection: sing this Shabbos, simply, with your whole heart.
Explainer
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah one hundred and four. Reb Noson describes the Rebbe's love of simple service, and of singing on Shabbos.
Rebbe Nachman greatly loved the simple service of ordinary, decent people. He especially loved someone who could say many tehinos and requests from the large siddurim, the way simple, sincere Jews do.
He warned his followers many times to sing zemiros on Shabbos. He was strict, and very upset, with anyone who was wise in his own eyes and made no effort to sing on Shabbos and Motzei Shabbos, or to do other simple practices.
Why? Because the heart of Judaism is complete simplicity and innocence, with no sophistication at all, as has been explained many times.
And the Rebbe lived it. All his days, before the grave illness through which he passed away, he sang many zemiros every Shabbos and every Motzei Shabbos.
Some reflections of our own, not a quotation. Simple service is not small service. Open the siddur, sing at the table, and let the cleverness rest.
Full shiur
— Part 1: Simple Service and Shabbos Zemiros —
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah one hundred and four. A short shiur: simple service, and singing on Shabbos.
Gold is Rebbe Nachman's own words, from Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah one hundred and four. 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.
Reb Noson writes about Rebbe Nachman: He greatly loved the simple service of ordinary people, plain and decent folk. And he greatly loved one who could say many tehinos and requests from the large siddurim, in the way of simple, sincere Jews.
He continues: He warned and rebuked us many times to sing zemiros on Shabbos. And he was strict and very angry with one who is wise in his own eyes and makes no effort to sing zemiros on Shabbos and Motzei Shabbos, or other simple practices. For the essence of Judaism is in simplicity and complete innocence, with no sophistication at all, as we have explained several times.
Our explanation. Peshitus and temimus, simplicity and wholeheartedness, are central in Rebbe Nachman's path. The clever person thinks the simple practices are beneath him. The Rebbe says the opposite: the simple practices, done with a whole heart, are the essence.
And Reb Noson adds: And he himself, of blessed memory, before the grave illness through which he passed away, all his days sang many zemiros every Shabbos and Motzei Shabbos.
Our explanation, step by step. Say the tehinos of the large siddur. Sing zemiros on Shabbos and Motzei Shabbos. And do it without clever excuses.
Some reflections of our own, not a quotation. Choose one zemer to sing this Shabbos, and sing it with your whole heart. Simple service is not small service.
This has been Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah one hundred and four.
Sources for this Torah
Texts used
Hebrew: Likutei Moharan Tinyana (Part II), Torah 104, edition 'Likutei Moharan Tinyana – rabenubook.com', public domain, via Sefaria — https://www.sefaria.org/Likutei_Moharan%2C_Part_II.104
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 — Simple Service and Shabbos Zemiros
Scene 3 · LM II:104 §1 · paragraph §1.1
הָיָה אוֹהֵב מְאֹד אֶת הָעֲבוֹדוֹת הַפְּשׁוּטוֹת שֶׁל סְתָם בְּנֵי־אָדָם, הָאֲנָשִׁים הַפְּשׁוּטִים הַכְּשֵׁרִים, וְהָיָה אוֹהֵב מְאֹד מִי שֶׁיָּכוֹל לוֹמַר הַרְבֵּה תְּחִנּוֹת וּבַקָּשׁוֹת בְּתוֹךְ הַסִּדּוּרִים הַגְּדוֹלִים, כְּדֶרֶךְ הַהֲמוֹן־עַם הַכְּשֵׁרִים.
EN (our paraphrase): He greatly loved the simple service of ordinary people, plain and decent folk. And he greatly loved one who could say many tehinos and requests from the large siddurim, in the way of simple, sincere Jews.
Scene 4 · LM II:104 §1 · paragraph §1.2
וְהָיָה מַזְהִיר וּמוֹכִיחַ אוֹתָנוּ כַּמָּה פְּעָמִים לְזַמֵּר זְמִירוֹת בְּשַׁבָּת, וְהָיָה מַקְפִּיד וְכוֹעֵס מְאֹד עַל מִי שֶׁהוּא חָכָם בְּעֵינָיו וְאֵינוֹ מִתְאַמֵּץ לְזַמֵּר זְמִירוֹת בְּשַׁבָּת וּבְמוֹצָאֵי־שַׁבָּת אוֹ שְׁאָר עֲבוֹדוֹת פְּשׁוּטוֹת, כִּי עִקָּר הַיַּהֲדוּת הוּא בִּפְשִׁיטוּת וּבִתְמִימוּת גָּמוּר, בְּלִי שׁוּם חָכְמוֹת, כַּמְבֹאָר אֶצְלֵנוּ כְּבָר כַּמָּה פְּעָמִים:
EN (our paraphrase): He warned and rebuked us many times to sing zemiros on Shabbos. And he was strict and very angry with one who is wise in his own eyes and makes no effort to sing zemiros on Shabbos and Motzei Shabbos, or other simple practices. For the essence of Judaism is in simplicity and complete innocence, with no sophistication at all, as we have explained several times.
Scene 6 · LM II:104 §1 · paragraph §1.3
וְגַם הוּא בְּעַצְמוֹ, זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה, קֹדֶם שֶׁהִגִּיעַ לוֹ הַחוֹלַאַת הַכָּבֵד שֶׁנִּסְתַּלֵּק עַל־יָדוֹ, קֹדֶם לָזֶה, כָּל יָמָיו הָיָה מְזַמֵּר זְמִירוֹת הַרְבֵּה בְּכָל שַׁבָּת וְשַׁבָּת וּבְמוֹצָאֵי־שַׁבָּת:
EN (our paraphrase): And he himself, of blessed memory, before the grave illness through which he passed away, all his days sang many zemiros every Shabbos and Motzei Shabbos.
Hebrew phrases in the Explainer
Scene 2 · §1.1: וְהָיָה אוֹהֵב מְאֹד מִי שֶׁיָּכוֹל לוֹמַר הַרְבֵּה תְּחִנּוֹת וּבַקָּשׁוֹת בְּתוֹךְ הַסִּדּוּרִים הַגְּדוֹלִים, כְּדֶרֶךְ הַהֲמוֹן־עַם הַכְּשֵׁרִים.
Scene 3 · §1.2: עַל מִי שֶׁהוּא חָכָם בְּעֵינָיו וְאֵינוֹ מִתְאַמֵּץ לְזַמֵּר זְמִירוֹת בְּשַׁבָּת וּבְמוֹצָאֵי־שַׁבָּת
Scene 4 · §1.2: כִּי עִקָּר הַיַּהֲדוּת הוּא בִּפְשִׁיטוּת וּבִתְמִימוּת גָּמוּר, בְּלִי שׁוּם חָכְמוֹת,
Scene 5 · §1.3: כָּל יָמָיו הָיָה מְזַמֵּר זְמִירוֹת הַרְבֵּה בְּכָל שַׁבָּת וְשַׁבָּת
Hebrew phrases in the 1-minute recap
Scene 2 · §1.1: הָיָה אוֹהֵב מְאֹד אֶת הָעֲבוֹדוֹת הַפְּשׁוּטוֹת שֶׁל סְתָם בְּנֵי־אָדָם, הָאֲנָשִׁים הַפְּשׁוּטִים הַכְּשֵׁרִים,
Scene 3 · §1.2: כִּי עִקָּר הַיַּהֲדוּת הוּא בִּפְשִׁיטוּת וּבִתְמִימוּת גָּמוּר,
Scene 4 · §1.3: כָּל יָמָיו הָיָה מְזַמֵּר זְמִירוֹת הַרְבֵּה בְּכָל שַׁבָּת וְשַׁבָּת וּבְמוֹצָאֵי־שַׁבָּת: