פַּעַם אֶחָד דִּבֵּר מֵעִנְיַן מִאוּס וְהַרְחָקַת הַתַּאֲוָה
Distance from Desire
Rebbe Nachman spoke about despising and keeping far from the 'general desire', the physical desire between man and woman. He noted that eating at least gives a person strength, while this desire only drains a person's vitality; one needs it only for the sake of having children.
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1-minute recap
Explainer
Full shiur
הַמָּקוֹר · Original text
פַּעַם אֶחָד דִּבֵּר מֵעִנְיַן מִאוּס וְהַרְחָקַת הַתַּאֲוָה הַכְּלָלִית, שֶׁהִיא תַּאֲוַת נִאוּף.
עָנָה וְאָמַר: הִנֵּה אֲכִילָה, עַל־כָּל־פָּנִים נִתּוֹסֵף לְהָאָדָם כֹּחַ וְחִיּוּת עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה, אֲבָל זֹאת הַתַּאֲוָה, הֲלֹא אַדְּרַבָּא, הִיא מַפְסֶדֶת וּמַזֶּקֶת הַחִיּוּת מְאֹד וּמַתֶּשֶׁת כֹּחוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם מְאֹד, בְּוַדַּאי אֵין צְרִיכִין אוֹתָהּ כְּלָל, כִּי־אִם בִּשְׁבִיל קִיּוּם הַמִּין לְבַד:
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 seven: why this desire gives nothing.
Rebbe Nachman compared two desires. Eating at least gives a person strength and life.
But the physical desire between man and woman only drains a person's strength. One needs it only for the sake of having children.
Our own reflection: see a desire for what it truly gives you, and it loses its pull.
Explainer
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah one hundred and seven. Reb Noson records a short conversation about the strongest desire.
Once Rebbe Nachman spoke about despising and keeping far from what is called the general desire, the physical desire between man and woman.
He said: look at eating. At least through food a person gains strength and life.
But this desire, on the contrary, wastes and harms a person's vitality greatly and drains his strength. Surely there is no need for it at all, except for having children.
Some reflections of our own, not a quotation. A desire seems strong until you ask what it gives you. Seen clearly, it weakens, and holiness becomes easier.
Full shiur
— Part 1: Distance from Desire —
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah one hundred and seven. A very short shiur: seeing a desire for what it is.
Gold is Rebbe Nachman's own words, from Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah one hundred and seven. 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: Once he spoke about despising and keeping far from the general desire, the physical desire between man and woman.
He said: eating, at least, adds strength and vitality to a person. But this desire, on the contrary, wastes and harms a person's vitality greatly and drains his strength greatly. Surely one does not need it at all, except for the sake of having children.
Our explanation. Rebbe Nachman calls it the general desire because it is the root of many others. Instead of fighting it with force alone, he points out a simple fact: unlike food, it does not even give strength; it takes it away. Its true place is only within marriage, for bringing children into the world.
Some reflections of our own, not a quotation. Ask what a desire truly gives you. Seen clearly, it loses its pull. Keep your strength for holiness.
This has been Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah one hundred and seven.
Sources for this Torah
Texts used
Hebrew: Likutei Moharan Tinyana (Part II), Torah 107, edition 'Likutei Moharan Tinyana – rabenubook.com', public domain, via Sefaria — https://www.sefaria.org/Likutei_Moharan%2C_Part_II.107
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 — Distance from Desire
Scene 3 · LM II:107 §1 · paragraph §1.1
פַּעַם אֶחָד דִּבֵּר מֵעִנְיַן מִאוּס וְהַרְחָקַת הַתַּאֲוָה הַכְּלָלִית, שֶׁהִיא תַּאֲוַת נִאוּף.
EN (our paraphrase): Once he spoke about despising and keeping far from the general desire, the physical desire between man and woman.
Scene 4 · LM II:107 §1 · paragraph §1.2
עָנָה וְאָמַר: הִנֵּה אֲכִילָה, עַל־כָּל־פָּנִים נִתּוֹסֵף לְהָאָדָם כֹּחַ וְחִיּוּת עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה, אֲבָל זֹאת הַתַּאֲוָה, הֲלֹא אַדְּרַבָּא, הִיא מַפְסֶדֶת וּמַזֶּקֶת הַחִיּוּת מְאֹד וּמַתֶּשֶׁת כֹּחוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם מְאֹד, בְּוַדַּאי אֵין צְרִיכִין אוֹתָהּ כְּלָל, כִּי־אִם בִּשְׁבִיל קִיּוּם הַמִּין לְבַד:
EN (our paraphrase): He said: eating, at least, adds strength and vitality to a person. But this desire, on the contrary, wastes and harms a person's vitality greatly and drains his strength greatly. Surely one does not need it at all, except for the sake of having children.
Hebrew phrases in the Explainer
Scene 2 · §1.1: מִאוּס וְהַרְחָקַת הַתַּאֲוָה הַכְּלָלִית,
Scene 3 · §1.2: הִנֵּה אֲכִילָה, עַל־כָּל־פָּנִים נִתּוֹסֵף לְהָאָדָם כֹּחַ וְחִיּוּת
Scene 4 · §1.2: בְּוַדַּאי אֵין צְרִיכִין אוֹתָהּ כְּלָל, כִּי־אִם בִּשְׁבִיל קִיּוּם הַמִּין לְבַד:
Hebrew phrases in the 1-minute recap
Scene 2 · §1.2: הִנֵּה אֲכִילָה, עַל־כָּל־פָּנִים נִתּוֹסֵף לְהָאָדָם כֹּחַ וְחִיּוּת
Scene 3 · §1.2: בְּוַדַּאי אֵין צְרִיכִין אוֹתָהּ כְּלָל, כִּי־אִם בִּשְׁבִיל קִיּוּם הַמִּין לְבַד: