דִּבֵּר עִמָּנוּ כַּמָּה פְּעָמִים מֵעִנְיַן יִסּוּרֵי עוֹלָם
There Is No 'This World'
Rebbe Nachman often said that no one truly has 'this world': even the richest and most powerful are full of anger, worry and pain. Man is born to toil, and the only escape is to run to Hashem and to Torah; fortunate is the one whose toil is in Torah. He even said that here looks more like Gehinnom, and that there is no 'this world' at all.
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הַמָּקוֹר · Original text
דִּבֵּר עִמָּנוּ כַּמָּה פְּעָמִים מֵעִנְיַן יִסּוּרֵי עוֹלָם הַזֶּה, שֶׁכָּל בְּנֵי הָעוֹלָם כֻּלָּם מְלֵאִים יִסּוּרִים, אֵין גַּם אֶחָד שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לוֹ עוֹלָם הַזֶּה. וַאֲפִלּוּ הָעֲשִׁירִים הַגְּדוֹלִים וַאֲפִלּוּ הַשָּׂרִים, אֵין לָהֶם שׁוּם עוֹלָם הַזֶּה כְּלָל, כִּי כָל יְמֵיהֶם כַּעַס וּמַכְאוֹבוֹת, וְכֻלָּם מְלֵאִים טְרָדוֹת וּדְאָגוֹת וְעַצְבוּת וְיָגוֹן וַאֲנָחָה תָּמִיד, וְכָל אֶחָד יֵשׁ לוֹ יִסּוּרִים מְיֻחָדִים, וְאֵין גַּם אֶחָד מִכָּל הַגְּבִירִים וְהַשָּׂרִים, שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לוֹ הַכֹּל כְּסֵדֶר כִּרְצוֹנוֹ תָּמִיד, וְכֻלָּם כְּאֶחָד מְלֵאִים יִסּוּרִים וּדְאָגוֹת תָּמִיד, וְזֶה בָּרוּר וְיָדוּעַ לְכָל מִי שֶׁבָּקִי קְצָת בָּהֶם וּבְדַרְכֵיהֶם.
וְכַמָּה פְּעָמִים דִּבַּרְנוּ מִזֶּה, וְהָיִינוּ רוֹאִים בְּעֵינֵינוּ כָּל זֹאת. וַאֲפִלּוּ מִי שֶׁנִּדְמֶה עָלָיו, שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה בִּשְׁלֵמוּת וְיֵשׁ לוֹ כָּל הַתַּעֲנוּגִים: עֹשֶׁר וּנְכָסִים וְכָבוֹד וְהוֹן רַב וְאַרְמוֹנִים גְּדוֹלִים וְכֵלִים נִפְלָאִים וְתַכְשִׁיטִין וּסְגֻלַּת מְלָכִים וְכוּ' – אִם יִסְתַּכְּלוּ בּוֹ הֵיטֵב, הוּא גַּם־כֵּן מָלֵא כַּעַס וּמַכְאוֹבוֹת הַרְבֵּה תָּמִיד בְּכַמָּה מִינֵי אֳפָנִים וְעִנְיָנִים, כַּנִּרְאֶה בְּחוּשׁ, וְאֵין צָרִיךְ לְבָאֵר זֹאת לְמִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ מֹחַ בְּקָדְקֳדוֹ וּמִסְתַּכֵּל קְצָת בָּהֶם בֶּאֱמֶת, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר שְׁלֹמֹה הַמֶּלֶךְ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם (קהלת ב׳:כ״ג): גַּם כָל יָמָיו כַּעַס וּמַכְאוֹבוֹת וְכוּ', וּכְתִיב: אָדָם לְעָמָל יוּלָד קְצַר יָמִים וּשְׂבַע רֹגֶז (איוב י״ד:א׳).
וְזֶה כּוֹלֵל כָּל בְּנֵי־אָדָם שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם מִקָּטֹן וְעַד גָּדוֹל, כִּי כֻלָּם נוֹלְדוּ לְעָמָל וּמְלֵאִים רֹגֶז וְיִסּוּרִין, וְאֵין שׁוּם עֵצָה וְתַחְבּוּלָה לְהִנָּצֵל מֵעָמָל וְיָגוֹן הַזֶּה כִּי־אִם לִבְרֹחַ לְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ וְלַעֲסֹק בַּתּוֹרָה.
וּכְמוֹ שֶׁמּוּבָא בַּמִּדְרָשׁ (ב"ר פ' יג): אָדָם לְעָמָל יוּלָד – אַשְׁרֵי מִי שֶׁעֲמָלוֹ בַּתּוֹרָה, הַיְנוּ מֵאַחַר שֶׁכָּל אָדָם נוֹלָד לְעָמָל, וְאִי אֶפְשָׁר לְהִמָּלֵט מִזֶּה בְּשׁוּם אֹפֶן, אֲפִלּוּ אִם יִהְיֶה לוֹ כָּל חֲלָלֵי דְּעָלְמָא, בְּוַדַּאי יִהְיֶה לוֹ עָמָל וְיִסּוּרִין וּדְאָגוֹת הַרְבֵּה, עַל־כֵּן הֶחָכָם עֵינָיו בְּרֹאשׁוֹ – שֶׁיַּהֲפֹךְ הֶעָמָל לְעָמָל שֶׁל תּוֹרָה, אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׁבִיל זֶה נוֹלָד שֶׁיַּעֲמֹל בַּתּוֹרָה, וְאָז אַשְׁרֵי לוֹ, כִּי נִצּוֹל מֵעֲמַל הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וְזוֹכֶה לְחַיֵּי עוֹלָם הַבָּא:
עָנָה וְאָמַר רַבֵּנוּ זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה: הִנֵּה הַכֹּל אוֹמְרִים, שֶׁיֵּשׁ עוֹלָם הַזֶּה וְעוֹלָם הַבָּא. וְהִנֵּה עוֹלָם הַבָּא – אָנוּ מַאֲמִינִים שֶׁיֵּשׁ עוֹלָם הַבָּא, אֶפְשָׁר יֵשׁ גַּם עוֹלָם הַזֶּה גַּם־כֵּן בְּאֵיזֶה עוֹלָם, כִּי בְּכָאן נִרְאֶה שֶׁהוּא הַגֵּיהִנֹּם, כִּי כֻלָּם מְלֵאִים יִסּוּרִים גְּדוֹלִים תָּמִיד.
וְאָמַר: שֶׁאֵין נִמְצָא שׁוּם עוֹלָם הַזֶּה כְּלָל:
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 nineteen: there is no 'this world'.
Rebbe Nachman often spoke about the pain of this world. Everyone is full of suffering, even the very rich and the powerful. None of them really has this world.
Look closely at anyone who seems to have it all, and you will find worry and grief. As Shlomo HaMelech said: all his days are pain and anger.
Every person is born to toil. There is only one way out: to run to Hashem and to busy oneself with Torah.
As the Midrash says: fortunate is the one whose toil is in Torah. Turn the toil you cannot escape into the toil you were born for.
Our own reflection: everyone carries some toil. Choose what your effort is spent on, and let it be Torah and prayer.
Explainer
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah one hundred and nineteen. Rebbe Nachman's surprising conclusion: there is no such thing as 'this world' at all.
He often said that everyone is full of suffering. Even the great rich men and rulers have none of this world: their days are anger and pain, worry and sighing, and not one of them has everything going his way all the time.
Even someone who seems to have it all, wealth, honour, palaces and jewels, is full of pain if you look closely. As Iyov said: man is born to toil, short of days and full of trouble.
This is true of everyone, small and great. And there is no trick to escape it, except one: to run to Hashem and to busy oneself with Torah.
The Midrash says: fortunate is the one whose toil is in Torah. No one avoids toil, so the wise person turns his toil into the toil of Torah, the toil he was born for. Then he is saved from the toil of this world, and earns the World to Come.
Then Rebbe Nachman declared: the World to Come, we believe in. Perhaps 'this world' exists somewhere else, because here it looks more like Gehinnom. And he said: there is no 'this world' at all.
Some reflections of our own, not a quotation. Toil is coming either way, so choose where it goes. Effort spent on Torah and prayer is never wasted.
Full shiur
— Part 1: There Is No 'This World' —
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah one hundred and nineteen. A short shiur in one part: why there is no 'this world', and the one way out of its toil.
Gold is Rebbe Nachman's own words, from Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah one hundred and nineteen. 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.
He spoke with us several times about the sufferings of this world: that all the people of the world are full of suffering, and not even one has 'this world'. Even the great rich men, even the rulers, have no 'this world' at all.
He goes on: For all their days are anger and pain. They are all full of pressures, worries, sadness, grief and constant sighing. Each one has his own particular troubles, and of all the wealthy and powerful, not one has everything always going in order, as he wants. All of them alike are always full of suffering and worry. This is plain to anyone who knows them and their ways a little.
We spoke about this many times, and we saw it all with our own eyes. Even someone who seems to have this world in full, with every pleasure: wealth, property, honour, great riches, large palaces, wonderful vessels, jewels, the treasures of kings,
if you look at him carefully, he too is always full of anger and much pain, in many ways and matters. This can be seen plainly, and it needs no explaining to anyone with a head on his shoulders who looks at them honestly. As Shlomo HaMelech said: also all his days are pain and anger. And it is written: man is born to toil, short of days and full of trouble.
This takes in every person in the world, from the smallest to the greatest. All of them are born to toil and are full of trouble and suffering. And there is no advice or scheme to be saved from this toil and grief, except to run to Hashem and to busy oneself with Torah.
As the Midrash brings: man is born to toil; fortunate is the one whose toil is in Torah. That is: since every person is born to toil, and there is no way at all to escape it, even if he had all the treasures of the world he would surely have toil, suffering and many worries,
therefore the wise man has his eyes in his head: he turns his toil into the toil of Torah, which is what he was born for, to toil in Torah. Then he is fortunate, for he is saved from the toil of this world and merits the life of the World to Come.
Our explanation. No one escapes toil, rich or poor. What a person can choose is where that toil goes. When it is turned to Torah, it stops being the empty toil of this world and becomes the very thing he was born for.
Our Rebbe, of blessed memory, spoke up and said: everyone says there is this world and the World to Come. Now, the World to Come, we believe that it exists. Perhaps there is also a 'this world' in some world somewhere, because here it looks like Gehinnom, for everyone is always full of great suffering.
And he said: there is no 'this world' at all.
Some reflections of our own, not a quotation. The comfort others seem to have is mostly an illusion. Don't chase a 'this world' that isn't there. Turn the toil you will have anyway into Torah and prayer.
This has been Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah one hundred and nineteen.
Sources for this Torah
Texts used
Hebrew: Likutei Moharan Tinyana (Part II), Torah 119, edition 'Likutei Moharan Tinyana – rabenubook.com', public domain, via Sefaria — https://www.sefaria.org/Likutei_Moharan%2C_Part_II.119
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 — There Is No 'This World'
Scene 3 · LM II:119 §1 · paragraph §1.1
דִּבֵּר עִמָּנוּ כַּמָּה פְּעָמִים מֵעִנְיַן יִסּוּרֵי עוֹלָם הַזֶּה, שֶׁכָּל בְּנֵי הָעוֹלָם כֻּלָּם מְלֵאִים יִסּוּרִים, אֵין גַּם אֶחָד שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לוֹ עוֹלָם הַזֶּה. וַאֲפִלּוּ הָעֲשִׁירִים הַגְּדוֹלִים וַאֲפִלּוּ הַשָּׂרִים, אֵין לָהֶם שׁוּם עוֹלָם הַזֶּה כְּלָל,
EN (our paraphrase): He spoke with us several times about the sufferings of this world: that all the people of the world are full of suffering, and not even one has 'this world'. Even the great rich men, even the rulers, have no 'this world' at all.
Scene 4 · LM II:119 §1 · paragraph §1.1
כִּי כָל יְמֵיהֶם כַּעַס וּמַכְאוֹבוֹת, וְכֻלָּם מְלֵאִים טְרָדוֹת וּדְאָגוֹת וְעַצְבוּת וְיָגוֹן וַאֲנָחָה תָּמִיד, וְכָל אֶחָד יֵשׁ לוֹ יִסּוּרִים מְיֻחָדִים, וְאֵין גַּם אֶחָד מִכָּל הַגְּבִירִים וְהַשָּׂרִים, שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לוֹ הַכֹּל כְּסֵדֶר כִּרְצוֹנוֹ תָּמִיד, וְכֻלָּם כְּאֶחָד מְלֵאִים יִסּוּרִים וּדְאָגוֹת תָּמִיד, וְזֶה בָּרוּר וְיָדוּעַ לְכָל מִי שֶׁבָּקִי קְצָת בָּהֶם וּבְדַרְכֵיהֶם.
EN (our paraphrase): For all their days are anger and pain. They are all full of pressures, worries, sadness, grief and constant sighing. Each one has his own particular troubles, and of all the wealthy and powerful, not one has everything always going in order, as he wants. All of them alike are always full of suffering and worry. This is plain to anyone who knows them and their ways a little.
Scene 5 · LM II:119 §1 · paragraph §1.2
וְכַמָּה פְּעָמִים דִּבַּרְנוּ מִזֶּה, וְהָיִינוּ רוֹאִים בְּעֵינֵינוּ כָּל זֹאת. וַאֲפִלּוּ מִי שֶׁנִּדְמֶה עָלָיו, שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה בִּשְׁלֵמוּת וְיֵשׁ לוֹ כָּל הַתַּעֲנוּגִים: עֹשֶׁר וּנְכָסִים וְכָבוֹד וְהוֹן רַב וְאַרְמוֹנִים גְּדוֹלִים וְכֵלִים נִפְלָאִים וְתַכְשִׁיטִין וּסְגֻלַּת מְלָכִים וְכוּ'
EN (our paraphrase): We spoke about this many times, and we saw it all with our own eyes. Even someone who seems to have this world in full, with every pleasure: wealth, property, honour, great riches, large palaces, wonderful vessels, jewels, the treasures of kings,
Scene 6 · LM II:119 §1, on Koheles 2:23 and Iyov 14:1 · paragraph §1.2
אִם יִסְתַּכְּלוּ בּוֹ הֵיטֵב, הוּא גַּם־כֵּן מָלֵא כַּעַס וּמַכְאוֹבוֹת הַרְבֵּה תָּמִיד בְּכַמָּה מִינֵי אֳפָנִים וְעִנְיָנִים, כַּנִּרְאֶה בְּחוּשׁ, וְאֵין צָרִיךְ לְבָאֵר זֹאת לְמִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ מֹחַ בְּקָדְקֳדוֹ וּמִסְתַּכֵּל קְצָת בָּהֶם בֶּאֱמֶת, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר שְׁלֹמֹה הַמֶּלֶךְ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם: גַּם כָל יָמָיו כַּעַס וּמַכְאוֹבוֹת וְכוּ', וּכְתִיב: אָדָם לְעָמָל יוּלָד קְצַר יָמִים וּשְׂבַע רֹגֶז.
EN (our paraphrase): if you look at him carefully, he too is always full of anger and much pain, in many ways and matters. This can be seen plainly, and it needs no explaining to anyone with a head on his shoulders who looks at them honestly. As Shlomo HaMelech said: also all his days are pain and anger. And it is written: man is born to toil, short of days and full of trouble.
Scene 7 · LM II:119 §1 · paragraph §1.3
וְזֶה כּוֹלֵל כָּל בְּנֵי־אָדָם שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם מִקָּטֹן וְעַד גָּדוֹל, כִּי כֻלָּם נוֹלְדוּ לְעָמָל וּמְלֵאִים רֹגֶז וְיִסּוּרִין, וְאֵין שׁוּם עֵצָה וְתַחְבּוּלָה לְהִנָּצֵל מֵעָמָל וְיָגוֹן הַזֶּה כִּי־אִם לִבְרֹחַ לְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ וְלַעֲסֹק בַּתּוֹרָה.
EN (our paraphrase): This takes in every person in the world, from the smallest to the greatest. All of them are born to toil and are full of trouble and suffering. And there is no advice or scheme to be saved from this toil and grief, except to run to Hashem and to busy oneself with Torah.
Scene 8 · LM II:119 §1, on Bereishis Rabbah 13 · paragraph §1.4
וּכְמוֹ שֶׁמּוּבָא בַּמִּדְרָשׁ: אָדָם לְעָמָל יוּלָד – אַשְׁרֵי מִי שֶׁעֲמָלוֹ בַּתּוֹרָה, הַיְנוּ מֵאַחַר שֶׁכָּל אָדָם נוֹלָד לְעָמָל, וְאִי אֶפְשָׁר לְהִמָּלֵט מִזֶּה בְּשׁוּם אֹפֶן, אֲפִלּוּ אִם יִהְיֶה לוֹ כָּל חֲלָלֵי דְּעָלְמָא, בְּוַדַּאי יִהְיֶה לוֹ עָמָל וְיִסּוּרִין וּדְאָגוֹת הַרְבֵּה,
EN (our paraphrase): As the Midrash brings: man is born to toil; fortunate is the one whose toil is in Torah. That is: since every person is born to toil, and there is no way at all to escape it, even if he had all the treasures of the world he would surely have toil, suffering and many worries,
Scene 9 · LM II:119 §1, on Koheles 2:14 · paragraph §1.4
עַל־כֵּן הֶחָכָם עֵינָיו בְּרֹאשׁוֹ – שֶׁיַּהֲפֹךְ הֶעָמָל לְעָמָל שֶׁל תּוֹרָה, אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׁבִיל זֶה נוֹלָד שֶׁיַּעֲמֹל בַּתּוֹרָה, וְאָז אַשְׁרֵי לוֹ, כִּי נִצּוֹל מֵעֲמַל הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וְזוֹכֶה לְחַיֵּי עוֹלָם הַבָּא:
EN (our paraphrase): therefore the wise man has his eyes in his head: he turns his toil into the toil of Torah, which is what he was born for, to toil in Torah. Then he is fortunate, for he is saved from the toil of this world and merits the life of the World to Come.
Scene 11 · LM II:119 §2 · paragraph §2.1
עָנָה וְאָמַר רַבֵּנוּ זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה: הִנֵּה הַכֹּל אוֹמְרִים, שֶׁיֵּשׁ עוֹלָם הַזֶּה וְעוֹלָם הַבָּא. וְהִנֵּה עוֹלָם הַבָּא – אָנוּ מַאֲמִינִים שֶׁיֵּשׁ עוֹלָם הַבָּא, אֶפְשָׁר יֵשׁ גַּם עוֹלָם הַזֶּה גַּם־כֵּן בְּאֵיזֶה עוֹלָם, כִּי בְּכָאן נִרְאֶה שֶׁהוּא הַגֵּיהִנֹּם, כִּי כֻלָּם מְלֵאִים יִסּוּרִים גְּדוֹלִים תָּמִיד.
EN (our paraphrase): Our Rebbe, of blessed memory, spoke up and said: everyone says there is this world and the World to Come. Now, the World to Come, we believe that it exists. Perhaps there is also a 'this world' in some world somewhere, because here it looks like Gehinnom, for everyone is always full of great suffering.
Scene 12 · LM II:119 §2 · paragraph §2.2
וְאָמַר: שֶׁאֵין נִמְצָא שׁוּם עוֹלָם הַזֶּה כְּלָל:
EN (our paraphrase): And he said: there is no 'this world' at all.
Hebrew phrases in the Explainer
Scene 2 · §1.1: וַאֲפִלּוּ הָעֲשִׁירִים הַגְּדוֹלִים וַאֲפִלּוּ הַשָּׂרִים, אֵין לָהֶם שׁוּם עוֹלָם הַזֶּה כְּלָל,
Scene 3 · §1.2: אָדָם לְעָמָל יוּלָד קְצַר יָמִים וּשְׂבַע רֹגֶז.
Scene 4 · §1.3: לִבְרֹחַ לְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ וְלַעֲסֹק בַּתּוֹרָה.
Scene 5 · §1.4: אַשְׁרֵי מִי שֶׁעֲמָלוֹ בַּתּוֹרָה,
Scene 6 · §2.2: וְאָמַר: שֶׁאֵין נִמְצָא שׁוּם עוֹלָם הַזֶּה כְּלָל:
Hebrew phrases in the 1-minute recap
Scene 2 · §1.1: וַאֲפִלּוּ הָעֲשִׁירִים הַגְּדוֹלִים וַאֲפִלּוּ הַשָּׂרִים, אֵין לָהֶם שׁוּם עוֹלָם הַזֶּה כְּלָל,
Scene 3 · §1.2: גַּם כָל יָמָיו כַּעַס וּמַכְאוֹבוֹת
Scene 4 · §1.3: לִבְרֹחַ לְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ וְלַעֲסֹק בַּתּוֹרָה.
Scene 5 · §1.4: אַשְׁרֵי מִי שֶׁעֲמָלוֹ בַּתּוֹרָה,