אֶחָד מֵאַנְשֵׁי שְׁלוֹמֵנוּ סִפֵּר לִי, שֶׁהָיָה מְדַבֵּר
The Plain Meaning of the Words
Rebbe Nachman firmly told a follower to stop praying with Kabbalistic kavanos and simply mean the words. For one not fit for it, praying with kavanos is like 'do not learn to do': learn them to understand, not to use. The heart of prayer is clinging to Hashem; we pray in the Holy Tongue as the Men of the Great Assembly arranged, meaning the plain words. For the great tzaddikim, the plain meaning itself holds all the kavanos.
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הַמָּקוֹר · Original text
אֶחָד מֵאַנְשֵׁי שְׁלוֹמֵנוּ סִפֵּר לִי, שֶׁהָיָה מְדַבֵּר עִם רַבֵּנוּ זַ"ל בַּעֲבוֹדַת הַשֵּׁם כְּדַרְכּוֹ, וְהֵבִין רַבֵּנוּ זַ"ל שֶׁהוּא עוֹסֵק קְצָת לְכַוֵּן כַּוָּנוֹת בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ, וְהִקְפִּיד עָלָיו רַבֵּנוּ זַ"ל מְאֹד וְאָמַר לוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יַעֲסֹק עוֹד בָּזֶה, וְלֹא יִתְפַּלֵּל עִם כַּוָּנוֹת, רַק יְכַוֵּן פֵּרוּשׁ הַמִּלּוֹת כִּפְשׁוּטוֹ. (אַף־עַל־פִּי שֶׁזֶּה הָאִישׁ לָמַד כִּתְבֵי הָאֲרִ"י זַ"ל עַל־פִּי פְּקֻדָּתוֹ, אַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן לֹא רָצָה שֶׁיִּתְפַּלֵּל עִם כַּוָּנוֹת כְּלָל).
וְאָמַר לוֹ רַבֵּנוּ זַ"ל, שֶׁמִּי שֶׁאֵינוֹ רָאוּי לָזֶה, כְּשֶׁמִּתְפַּלֵּל עִם כַּוָּנוֹת הוּא כְּמוֹ כִּשּׁוּף, כִּי בְּכִשּׁוּף נֶאֱמַר: לֹא תִלְמַד לַעֲשׂוֹת (דברים י״ח:ט׳), וְדָרְשׁוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (שבת עה, ר"ה כד, סנהדרין סח): לֹא תִלְמַד לַעֲשׂוֹת, אֲבָל אַתָּה לָמֵד לְהָבִין וּלְהוֹרוֹת. כָּךְ הוּא בְּעִנְיַן הַכַּוָּנוֹת לְהַבְדִּיל, שֶׁאֵין צְרִיכִין לִלְמֹד אוֹתָם כִּי־אִם לְהָבִין וּלְהוֹרוֹת, אֲבָל לֹא לַעֲשׂוֹת עִמָּהֶם, דְּהַיְנוּ לְכַוְּנָם בַּתְּפִלָּה, מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ רָאוּי לָזֶה.
וְאָמַר כִּי עִקָּר הַתְּפִלָּה הִיא דְּבֵקוּת לְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, וְהָיָה טוֹב יוֹתֵר לְהִתְפַּלֵּל בִּלְשׁוֹן לַעַז שֶׁמְּדַבְּרִים בּוֹ, כִּי כְּשֶׁמִּתְפַּלְּלִים בַּלָּשׁוֹן שֶׁמְּדַבְּרִים בּוֹ, אֲזַי הַלֵּב סָמוּךְ וְדָבוּק מְאֹד בְּדִבּוּרֵי הַתְּפִלָּה, וְיָכוֹל לְדַבֵּק עַצְמוֹ בְּיוֹתֵר לְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ. אַךְ כְּבָר תִּקְּנוּ לָנוּ אַנְשֵׁי כְנֶסֶת הַגְּדוֹלָה סֵדֶר הַתְּפִלָּה (מֵחֲמַת שֶׁלָּאו כָּל אָדָם יָכוֹל לְסַדֵּר סֵדֶר הַתְּפִלָּה לְעַצְמוֹ, כַּמּוּבָא), עַל־כֵּן אָנוּ חַיָּבִים לְהִתְפַּלֵּל בִּלְשׁוֹן־הַקֹּדֶשׁ כְּמוֹ שֶׁסִּדְּרוּ לָנוּ. אֲבָל הָעִקָּר הוּא רַק לְכַוֵּן פֵּרוּשׁ הַמִּלּוֹת כִּפְשׁוּטוֹ, שֶׁזֶּהוּ עִקָּר הַתְּפִלָּה, שֶׁמִּתְפַּלְּלִין לִפְנֵי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ עַל כָּל דָּבָר וְדָבָר, וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה מִתְקָרְבִין וּמִתְדַּבְּקִין בּוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ.
וְהִנֵּה מִי שֶׁמְּדַבֵּר בִּלְשׁוֹן־הַקֹּדֶשׁ תָּמִיד, כְּגוֹן יְרוּשַׁלְמִי, אֵין צָרִיךְ לַחֲשֹׁב בְּדַעְתּוֹ פֵּרוּשׁ הַמִּלּוֹת, רַק שֶׁיַּטֶּה אָזְנוֹ מַה שֶּׁהוּא אוֹמֵר, וְזֶה עִקָּר כַּוָּנָתוֹ בַּתְּפִלָּה.
וְאֵצֶל הַצַּדִּיקִים הָאֲמִתִּיִּים הַגְּדוֹלִים בְּמַעֲלָה, אֶצְלָם כָּל הַכַּוָּנוֹת שֶׁל הָאֲרִיזַ"ל וְכוּ' הֵם פֵּרוּשׁ הַמִּלּוֹת, שֶׁבְּפֵרוּשׁ הַמִּלּוֹת שֶׁלָּהֶם כְּלוּלִים כָּל הַכַּוָּנוֹת:
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 twenty: praying with the plain meaning of the words.
A follower was using Kabbalistic kavanos in his prayer. Rebbe Nachman told him firmly to stop, and simply to mean the words he was saying.
For one not fit for it, praying with kavanos is like the warning: do not learn in order to do. Learn them to understand, not to use.
The heart of prayer is closeness to Hashem: standing before Him and asking for each thing, in words you mean.
And for the true tzaddikim, all the kavanos of the Arizal are held inside the plain meaning of the words.
Our own reflection: before reaching for secrets, say one line of prayer slowly and mean every word.
Explainer
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah one hundred and twenty. What should we have in mind when we pray? Rebbe Nachman's answer is simple: the plain meaning of the words.
One of the Rebbe's followers was trying to pray with kavanos, the Kabbalistic meditations of the Arizal. The Rebbe was very strict with him: stop this, and just mean the plain sense of the words. This was a man the Rebbe himself had told to study the Arizal's writings.
For someone not fit for it, the Rebbe said, praying with kavanos is like sorcery, about which the Torah says: do not learn to do. The Sages explain: learn in order to understand and teach, but not to do. So too, l'havdil, the kavanos: learn them to understand, but do not use them in prayer if you are not on that level.
The heart of prayer is clinging to Hashem. It would even be better to pray in the language one speaks, where the heart is close to the words. But the Men of the Great Assembly arranged our prayers in the Holy Tongue. Still, the main thing is to mean the plain words: to stand before Hashem and ask Him for each thing.
One who speaks the Holy Tongue every day only needs to listen to what he says. And for the great true tzaddikim, all the kavanos of the Arizal are simply the meaning of the words: their plain meaning holds all the kavanos inside it.
Some reflections of our own, not a quotation. Depth in prayer starts with sincerity. Know what the words say, mean them, and speak them to Hashem.
Full shiur
— Part 1: The Plain Meaning of the Words —
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah one hundred and twenty. A short shiur in one part: praying with the plain meaning of the words.
Gold is Rebbe Nachman's own words, from Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah one hundred and twenty. 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.
One of our followers told me that he was speaking with our Rebbe, of blessed memory, about serving Hashem, as he used to. The Rebbe understood that he was trying a little to have kavanos in mind in his prayer. The Rebbe was very strict with him and told him not to do this any more, and not to pray with kavanos, only to mean the plain sense of the words. Even though this man had studied the writings of the Arizal at the Rebbe's own instruction, still he did not want him to pray with kavanos at all.
And our Rebbe told him: for someone who is not fit for it, praying with kavanos is like sorcery. About sorcery it says: do not learn to do. And our Sages explained: do not learn in order to do, but you may learn in order to understand and to teach. So it is, l'havdil, with no comparison intended, with the kavanos: one should learn them only to understand and to teach, but not to act with them, that is, to have them in mind in prayer, if one is not fit for it.
And he said: the heart of prayer is clinging to Hashem. It would have been better to pray in the everyday language that one speaks, because when one prays in the language one speaks, the heart is close and very attached to the words of the prayer, and one can cling more to Hashem.
He continues: But the Men of the Great Assembly already set the order of prayer for us, because not everyone can arrange an order of prayer for himself. So we must pray in the Holy Tongue as they arranged it for us. But the main thing is only to mean the plain sense of the words. That is the heart of prayer: we pray before Hashem for each and every thing, and through this we come close and cling to Him.
Now, someone who always speaks the Holy Tongue, like a man of Yerushalayim, does not need to think about the meaning of the words. He only needs to listen to what he is saying, and that is his main intention in prayer.
And for the great true tzaddikim, of high level, all the kavanos of the Arizal are the meaning of the words: in their meaning of the words, all the kavanos are included.
Our explanation. There are levels here. For most of us, the task is to mean the plain words. One who speaks the Holy Tongue every day only has to listen to himself. And for the great tzaddikim, the plain words already hold all the kavanos inside them. At every level, the plain meaning is the way in.
Some reflections of our own, not a quotation. Learn what the words of the siddur mean. Then say them as a real request, not a recital. Simple prayer is real prayer.
This has been Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah one hundred and twenty.
Sources for this Torah
Texts used
Hebrew: Likutei Moharan Tinyana (Part II), Torah 120, edition 'Likutei Moharan Tinyana – rabenubook.com', public domain, via Sefaria — https://www.sefaria.org/Likutei_Moharan%2C_Part_II.120
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 Plain Meaning of the Words
Scene 3 · LM II:120 §1 · paragraph §1.1
אֶחָד מֵאַנְשֵׁי שְׁלוֹמֵנוּ סִפֵּר לִי, שֶׁהָיָה מְדַבֵּר עִם רַבֵּנוּ זַ"ל בַּעֲבוֹדַת הַשֵּׁם כְּדַרְכּוֹ, וְהֵבִין רַבֵּנוּ זַ"ל שֶׁהוּא עוֹסֵק קְצָת לְכַוֵּן כַּוָּנוֹת בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ, וְהִקְפִּיד עָלָיו רַבֵּנוּ זַ"ל מְאֹד וְאָמַר לוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יַעֲסֹק עוֹד בָּזֶה, וְלֹא יִתְפַּלֵּל עִם כַּוָּנוֹת, רַק יְכַוֵּן פֵּרוּשׁ הַמִּלּוֹת כִּפְשׁוּטוֹ. אַף־עַל־פִּי שֶׁזֶּה הָאִישׁ לָמַד כִּתְבֵי הָאֲרִ"י זַ"ל עַל־פִּי פְּקֻדָּתוֹ, אַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן לֹא רָצָה שֶׁיִּתְפַּלֵּל עִם כַּוָּנוֹת כְּלָל.
EN (our paraphrase): One of our followers told me that he was speaking with our Rebbe, of blessed memory, about serving Hashem, as he used to. The Rebbe understood that he was trying a little to have kavanos in mind in his prayer. The Rebbe was very strict with him and told him not to do this any more, and not to pray with kavanos, only to mean the plain sense of the words. Even though this man had studied the writings of the Arizal at the Rebbe's own instruction, still he did not want him to pray with kavanos at all.
Scene 4 · LM II:120 §1, on Devarim 18:9 and Shabbos 75a · paragraph §1.2
וְאָמַר לוֹ רַבֵּנוּ זַ"ל, שֶׁמִּי שֶׁאֵינוֹ רָאוּי לָזֶה, כְּשֶׁמִּתְפַּלֵּל עִם כַּוָּנוֹת הוּא כְּמוֹ כִּשּׁוּף, כִּי בְּכִשּׁוּף נֶאֱמַר: לֹא תִלְמַד לַעֲשׂוֹת, וְדָרְשׁוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה: לֹא תִלְמַד לַעֲשׂוֹת, אֲבָל אַתָּה לָמֵד לְהָבִין וּלְהוֹרוֹת. כָּךְ הוּא בְּעִנְיַן הַכַּוָּנוֹת לְהַבְדִּיל, שֶׁאֵין צְרִיכִין לִלְמֹד אוֹתָם כִּי־אִם לְהָבִין וּלְהוֹרוֹת, אֲבָל לֹא לַעֲשׂוֹת עִמָּהֶם, דְּהַיְנוּ לְכַוְּנָם בַּתְּפִלָּה, מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ רָאוּי לָזֶה.
EN (our paraphrase): And our Rebbe told him: for someone who is not fit for it, praying with kavanos is like sorcery. About sorcery it says: do not learn to do. And our Sages explained: do not learn in order to do, but you may learn in order to understand and to teach. So it is, l'havdil, with no comparison intended, with the kavanos: one should learn them only to understand and to teach, but not to act with them, that is, to have them in mind in prayer, if one is not fit for it.
Scene 5 · LM II:120 §1 · paragraph §1.3
וְאָמַר כִּי עִקָּר הַתְּפִלָּה הִיא דְּבֵקוּת לְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, וְהָיָה טוֹב יוֹתֵר לְהִתְפַּלֵּל בִּלְשׁוֹן לַעַז שֶׁמְּדַבְּרִים בּוֹ, כִּי כְּשֶׁמִּתְפַּלְּלִים בַּלָּשׁוֹן שֶׁמְּדַבְּרִים בּוֹ, אֲזַי הַלֵּב סָמוּךְ וְדָבוּק מְאֹד בְּדִבּוּרֵי הַתְּפִלָּה, וְיָכוֹל לְדַבֵּק עַצְמוֹ בְּיוֹתֵר לְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ.
EN (our paraphrase): And he said: the heart of prayer is clinging to Hashem. It would have been better to pray in the everyday language that one speaks, because when one prays in the language one speaks, the heart is close and very attached to the words of the prayer, and one can cling more to Hashem.
Scene 6 · LM II:120 §1 · paragraph §1.3
אַךְ כְּבָר תִּקְּנוּ לָנוּ אַנְשֵׁי כְנֶסֶת הַגְּדוֹלָה סֵדֶר הַתְּפִלָּה, עַל־כֵּן אָנוּ חַיָּבִים לְהִתְפַּלֵּל בִּלְשׁוֹן־הַקֹּדֶשׁ כְּמוֹ שֶׁסִּדְּרוּ לָנוּ. אֲבָל הָעִקָּר הוּא רַק לְכַוֵּן פֵּרוּשׁ הַמִּלּוֹת כִּפְשׁוּטוֹ, שֶׁזֶּהוּ עִקָּר הַתְּפִלָּה, שֶׁמִּתְפַּלְּלִין לִפְנֵי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ עַל כָּל דָּבָר וְדָבָר, וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה מִתְקָרְבִין וּמִתְדַּבְּקִין בּוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ.
EN (our paraphrase): But the Men of the Great Assembly already set the order of prayer for us, because not everyone can arrange an order of prayer for himself. So we must pray in the Holy Tongue as they arranged it for us. But the main thing is only to mean the plain sense of the words. That is the heart of prayer: we pray before Hashem for each and every thing, and through this we come close and cling to Him.
Scene 7 · LM II:120 §1 · paragraph §1.4
וְהִנֵּה מִי שֶׁמְּדַבֵּר בִּלְשׁוֹן־הַקֹּדֶשׁ תָּמִיד, כְּגוֹן יְרוּשַׁלְמִי, אֵין צָרִיךְ לַחֲשֹׁב בְּדַעְתּוֹ פֵּרוּשׁ הַמִּלּוֹת, רַק שֶׁיַּטֶּה אָזְנוֹ מַה שֶּׁהוּא אוֹמֵר, וְזֶה עִקָּר כַּוָּנָתוֹ בַּתְּפִלָּה.
EN (our paraphrase): Now, someone who always speaks the Holy Tongue, like a man of Yerushalayim, does not need to think about the meaning of the words. He only needs to listen to what he is saying, and that is his main intention in prayer.
Scene 8 · LM II:120 §1 · paragraph §1.5
וְאֵצֶל הַצַּדִּיקִים הָאֲמִתִּיִּים הַגְּדוֹלִים בְּמַעֲלָה, אֶצְלָם כָּל הַכַּוָּנוֹת שֶׁל הָאֲרִיזַ"ל וְכוּ' הֵם פֵּרוּשׁ הַמִּלּוֹת, שֶׁבְּפֵרוּשׁ הַמִּלּוֹת שֶׁלָּהֶם כְּלוּלִים כָּל הַכַּוָּנוֹת:
EN (our paraphrase): And for the great true tzaddikim, of high level, all the kavanos of the Arizal are the meaning of the words: in their meaning of the words, all the kavanos are included.
Hebrew phrases in the Explainer
Scene 2 · §1.1: רַק יְכַוֵּן פֵּרוּשׁ הַמִּלּוֹת כִּפְשׁוּטוֹ.
Scene 3 · §1.2: לֹא תִלְמַד לַעֲשׂוֹת, וְדָרְשׁוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה: לֹא תִלְמַד לַעֲשׂוֹת, אֲבָל אַתָּה לָמֵד לְהָבִין וּלְהוֹרוֹת.
Scene 4 · §1.3: אֲבָל הָעִקָּר הוּא רַק לְכַוֵּן פֵּרוּשׁ הַמִּלּוֹת כִּפְשׁוּטוֹ,
Scene 5 · §1.5: כָּל הַכַּוָּנוֹת שֶׁל הָאֲרִיזַ"ל וְכוּ' הֵם פֵּרוּשׁ הַמִּלּוֹת,
Hebrew phrases in the 1-minute recap
Scene 2 · §1.1: רַק יְכַוֵּן פֵּרוּשׁ הַמִּלּוֹת כִּפְשׁוּטוֹ.
Scene 3 · §1.2: אֲבָל אַתָּה לָמֵד לְהָבִין וּלְהוֹרוֹת.
Scene 4 · §1.3: כִּי עִקָּר הַתְּפִלָּה הִיא דְּבֵקוּת לְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ,
Scene 5 · §1.5: כָּל הַכַּוָּנוֹת שֶׁל הָאֲרִיזַ"ל וְכוּ' הֵם פֵּרוּשׁ הַמִּלּוֹת,