סִפֵּר שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ הִתְחַזְּקוּת גָּדוֹל בַּעֲבוֹדָתוֹ, וְלֹא
Choose a Path and Stay With It
Rebbe Nachman told how he held firm in his service of Hashem: he chose a straight path and kept to it, pushing away thoughts that urged him to switch. Only after weeks, with a settled mind, would he choose a new order, but he never let himself jump from path to path each time.
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הַמָּקוֹר · Original text
סִפֵּר שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ הִתְחַזְּקוּת גָּדוֹל בַּעֲבוֹדָתוֹ, וְלֹא הִנִּיחַ עַצְמוֹ לְבַלְבֵּל כְּלָל.
וְדַרְכּוֹ הָיָה, שֶׁהָיָה בּוֹרֵר לוֹ אֵיזֶהוּ דֶּרֶךְ יְשָׁרָה אֵיךְ לְהִתְנַהֵג בַּעֲבוֹדַת הַשֵּׁם, וְהִתְחִיל לְהִתְנַהֵג בְּאֵלּוּ הַהַנְהָגוֹת וּבְאוֹתוֹ הַדֶּרֶךְ, שֶׁבָּחַר לוֹ. וְהָיָה מִתְנַהֵג בְּאֵלּוּ הַהַנְהָגוֹת אֵיזֶה זְמַן, וְכָל מַה שֶּׁהָיוּ בָּאִים עָלָיו מַחֲשָׁבוֹת אֲחֵרוֹת לְבַלְבְּלוֹ מֵהַנְהָגָה זֹאת וּלְהִתְנַהֵג בְּדֶרֶךְ אַחֵר, לֹא הָיָה שׁוֹמֵעַ לְאֵלּוּ הַמַּחֲשָׁבוֹת כְּלָל, וְהָיָה דּוֹחֶה אֶת אֵלּוּ הַמַּחֲשָׁבוֹת מִדַּעְתּוֹ, וְלֹא הִנִּיחָם לִכָּנֵס בְּדַעְתּוֹ כְּלָל, רַק הָיָה חָזָק וְאַמִּיץ בְּדַעְתּוֹ מְאֹד, וְהָיָה הוֹלֵךְ וּמִתְנַהֵג בַּדֶּרֶךְ שֶׁבָּחַר לוֹ אֵיזֶה זְמַן.
אַךְ אַחַר־כָּךְ בְּהֶמְשֵׁךְ הַזְּמַן, אַחַר כַּמָּה שָׁבוּעוֹת, חָזַר וּבָא עַל דַּעְתּוֹ אֵיזֶה מַחֲשָׁבוֹת, שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְהִתְנַהֵג בְּדֶרֶךְ אַחֵר, וְאָז, אַחַר שֶׁכְּבָר עָבַר זְמַן אָרֹךְ, אָז יִשֵּׁב עַצְמוֹ וּבָחַר לוֹ אֵיזֶה דֶּרֶךְ וְסֵדֶר אַחֵר, כְּפִי שֶׁהָיָה נִרְאֶה לוֹ אָז. אֲבָל לֹא הִנִּיחַ עַצְמוֹ לְבַלְבֵּל בְּכָל פַּעַם מֵעֲבוֹדָה לַעֲבוֹדָה וּמִדֶּרֶךְ זֶה לְדֶרֶךְ אַחֵר, רַק הָיָה חָזָק לֵילֵךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ אֶחָד זְמַן גָּדוֹל 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 one hundred and fifteen: choose a path and stay with it.
Rebbe Nachman told how he held strong in his service of Hashem and never let himself be thrown into confusion.
He would choose a straight path in serving Hashem and begin to live by it.
When other thoughts came to pull him onto a different path, he did not listen at all. He pushed them out of his mind and kept going.
Only after a long time, many weeks, would he sit down calmly and choose a new order. But he never jumped from path to path every time.
Our own reflection: pick a good path, give it real time, and don't let every passing thought reroute you.
Explainer
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah one hundred and fifteen. Rebbe Nachman describes his own way of holding firm in avodah.
Rebbe Nachman told that he had great strength in his service of Hashem, and did not let himself be confused at all.
His way was to choose a straight path, a clear way to conduct himself in serving Hashem, and to begin living by it.
When other thoughts came to pull him onto another way, he paid them no attention. He pushed them out of his mind.
He stayed very firm, and kept walking on the path he had chosen for a good stretch of time.
Only after several weeks, when thoughts came again, would he settle himself and calmly choose a new path, as it seemed right to him then.
But he never let himself be thrown from one path to the next each time. He was strong to walk one path for a long time.
Our own reflection, not a quotation. Change is allowed; the Rebbe himself chose new paths. But only after real time and calm thought. Choose a good path, and give it a fair chance.
Full shiur
— Part 1: Choose a Path and Stay With It —
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah one hundred and fifteen. A short shiur in one part: choose a path and stay with it.
Gold is Rebbe Nachman's own words, from Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah one hundred and fifteen. 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.
Here Rebbe Nachman tells about himself. He told that he had great strength in his service, and did not let himself be confused at all.
His way was this: he would choose for himself some straight path of how to conduct himself in the service of Hashem, and he began to conduct himself in those practices and on that path which he had chosen.
And he would conduct himself in these practices for some time. And whenever other thoughts came upon him to confuse him away from this practice and to conduct himself in another way, he would not listen to those thoughts at all. He would push those thoughts out of his mind and not let them enter his mind at all; rather, he was very strong and firm in his mind, and he went on conducting himself on the path he had chosen for some time.
Our explanation. Three steps: choose a straight path; when thoughts come to pull you off it, do not argue with them, just push them aside; and stay firm on it for a real stretch of time.
But afterwards, as time went on, after a number of weeks, some thoughts came back to his mind that he needed to conduct himself in a different way. And then, once a long time had already passed, then he settled himself and chose some other path and order, as it seemed to him then.
And the key point: But he did not let himself be thrown each time from one service to another and from this path to another; rather, he was strong to walk on one path for a long time, as mentioned.
Our explanation. The Rebbe did change his path at times. But the change came after weeks, with a settled mind, not every time a new thought arrived. Constant switching is itself the confusion he refused to let in.
Some reflections of our own, not a quotation. Changing direction is not forbidden; the Rebbe himself chose new paths. But the change came after real time and calm thought, not from every passing doubt. Choose a good path, and give it a fair chance.
This has been Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah one hundred and fifteen.
Sources for this Torah
Texts used
Hebrew: Likutei Moharan Tinyana (Part II), Torah 115, edition 'Likutei Moharan Tinyana – rabenubook.com', public domain, via Sefaria — https://www.sefaria.org/Likutei_Moharan%2C_Part_II.115
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 — Choose a Path and Stay With It
Scene 3 · LM II:115 §1 · paragraph §1.1
סִפֵּר שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ הִתְחַזְּקוּת גָּדוֹל בַּעֲבוֹדָתוֹ, וְלֹא הִנִּיחַ עַצְמוֹ לְבַלְבֵּל כְּלָל.
EN (our paraphrase): He told that he had great strength in his service, and did not let himself be confused at all.
Scene 4 · LM II:115 §1 · paragraph §1.2
וְדַרְכּוֹ הָיָה, שֶׁהָיָה בּוֹרֵר לוֹ אֵיזֶהוּ דֶּרֶךְ יְשָׁרָה אֵיךְ לְהִתְנַהֵג בַּעֲבוֹדַת הַשֵּׁם, וְהִתְחִיל לְהִתְנַהֵג בְּאֵלּוּ הַהַנְהָגוֹת וּבְאוֹתוֹ הַדֶּרֶךְ, שֶׁבָּחַר לוֹ.
EN (our paraphrase): His way was this: he would choose for himself some straight path of how to conduct himself in the service of Hashem, and he began to conduct himself in those practices and on that path which he had chosen.
Scene 5 · LM II:115 §1 · paragraph §1.2
וְהָיָה מִתְנַהֵג בְּאֵלּוּ הַהַנְהָגוֹת אֵיזֶה זְמַן, וְכָל מַה שֶּׁהָיוּ בָּאִים עָלָיו מַחֲשָׁבוֹת אֲחֵרוֹת לְבַלְבְּלוֹ מֵהַנְהָגָה זֹאת וּלְהִתְנַהֵג בְּדֶרֶךְ אַחֵר, לֹא הָיָה שׁוֹמֵעַ לְאֵלּוּ הַמַּחֲשָׁבוֹת כְּלָל, וְהָיָה דּוֹחֶה אֶת אֵלּוּ הַמַּחֲשָׁבוֹת מִדַּעְתּוֹ, וְלֹא הִנִּיחָם לִכָּנֵס בְּדַעְתּוֹ כְּלָל, רַק הָיָה חָזָק וְאַמִּיץ בְּדַעְתּוֹ מְאֹד, וְהָיָה הוֹלֵךְ וּמִתְנַהֵג בַּדֶּרֶךְ שֶׁבָּחַר לוֹ אֵיזֶה זְמַן.
EN (our paraphrase): And he would conduct himself in these practices for some time. And whenever other thoughts came upon him to confuse him away from this practice and to conduct himself in another way, he would not listen to those thoughts at all. He would push those thoughts out of his mind and not let them enter his mind at all; rather, he was very strong and firm in his mind, and he went on conducting himself on the path he had chosen for some time.
Scene 7 · LM II:115 §1 · paragraph §1.3
אַךְ אַחַר־כָּךְ בְּהֶמְשֵׁךְ הַזְּמַן, אַחַר כַּמָּה שָׁבוּעוֹת, חָזַר וּבָא עַל דַּעְתּוֹ אֵיזֶה מַחֲשָׁבוֹת, שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְהִתְנַהֵג בְּדֶרֶךְ אַחֵר, וְאָז, אַחַר שֶׁכְּבָר עָבַר זְמַן אָרֹךְ, אָז יִשֵּׁב עַצְמוֹ וּבָחַר לוֹ אֵיזֶה דֶּרֶךְ וְסֵדֶר אַחֵר, כְּפִי שֶׁהָיָה נִרְאֶה לוֹ אָז.
EN (our paraphrase): But afterwards, as time went on, after a number of weeks, some thoughts came back to his mind that he needed to conduct himself in a different way. And then, once a long time had already passed, then he settled himself and chose some other path and order, as it seemed to him then.
Scene 8 · LM II:115 §1 · paragraph §1.3
אֲבָל לֹא הִנִּיחַ עַצְמוֹ לְבַלְבֵּל בְּכָל פַּעַם מֵעֲבוֹדָה לַעֲבוֹדָה וּמִדֶּרֶךְ זֶה לְדֶרֶךְ אַחֵר, רַק הָיָה חָזָק לֵילֵךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ אֶחָד זְמַן גָּדוֹל כַּנַּ"ל:
EN (our paraphrase): But he did not let himself be thrown each time from one service to another and from this path to another; rather, he was strong to walk on one path for a long time, as mentioned.
Hebrew phrases in the Explainer
Scene 2 · §1.1: סִפֵּר שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ הִתְחַזְּקוּת גָּדוֹל בַּעֲבוֹדָתוֹ, וְלֹא הִנִּיחַ עַצְמוֹ לְבַלְבֵּל כְּלָל.
Scene 3 · §1.2: בּוֹרֵר לוֹ אֵיזֶהוּ דֶּרֶךְ יְשָׁרָה אֵיךְ לְהִתְנַהֵג בַּעֲבוֹדַת הַשֵּׁם,
Scene 4 · §1.2: לֹא הָיָה שׁוֹמֵעַ לְאֵלּוּ הַמַּחֲשָׁבוֹת כְּלָל, וְהָיָה דּוֹחֶה אֶת אֵלּוּ הַמַּחֲשָׁבוֹת מִדַּעְתּוֹ,
Scene 5 · §1.2: רַק הָיָה חָזָק וְאַמִּיץ בְּדַעְתּוֹ מְאֹד, וְהָיָה הוֹלֵךְ וּמִתְנַהֵג בַּדֶּרֶךְ שֶׁבָּחַר לוֹ אֵיזֶה זְמַן.
Scene 6 · §1.3: וְאָז, אַחַר שֶׁכְּבָר עָבַר זְמַן אָרֹךְ, אָז יִשֵּׁב עַצְמוֹ וּבָחַר לוֹ אֵיזֶה דֶּרֶךְ וְסֵדֶר אַחֵר, כְּפִי שֶׁהָיָה נִרְאֶה לוֹ אָז.
Scene 7 · §1.3: רַק הָיָה חָזָק לֵילֵךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ אֶחָד זְמַן גָּדוֹל כַּנַּ"ל:
Hebrew phrases in the 1-minute recap
Scene 2 · §1.1: סִפֵּר שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ הִתְחַזְּקוּת גָּדוֹל בַּעֲבוֹדָתוֹ, וְלֹא הִנִּיחַ עַצְמוֹ לְבַלְבֵּל כְּלָל.
Scene 3 · §1.2: בּוֹרֵר לוֹ אֵיזֶהוּ דֶּרֶךְ יְשָׁרָה אֵיךְ לְהִתְנַהֵג בַּעֲבוֹדַת הַשֵּׁם,
Scene 4 · §1.2: לֹא הָיָה שׁוֹמֵעַ לְאֵלּוּ הַמַּחֲשָׁבוֹת כְּלָל, וְהָיָה דּוֹחֶה אֶת אֵלּוּ הַמַּחֲשָׁבוֹת מִדַּעְתּוֹ,
Scene 5 · §1.3: אֲבָל לֹא הִנִּיחַ עַצְמוֹ לְבַלְבֵּל בְּכָל פַּעַם מֵעֲבוֹדָה לַעֲבוֹדָה וּמִדֶּרֶךְ זֶה לְדֶרֶךְ אַחֵר,