לְעִנְיַן הַמַּחֲשָׁבוֹת זָרוֹת שֶׁבַּתְּפִלָּה.
Stray Thoughts in Prayer
Every thought is a complete structure, and a stray thought in prayer is a klipah with a head and limbs. Don't look at it: keep praying in order without looking back, and the thoughts leave on their own. Like a mighty warrior passing through ambushers, cutting them down as he walks, one who pushes on in prayer defeats the stray thoughts limb by limb.
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1-minute recap
Explainer
Full shiur
הַמָּקוֹר · Original text
לְעִנְיַן הַמַּחֲשָׁבוֹת זָרוֹת שֶׁבַּתְּפִלָּה.
וּכְבָר יָדוּעַ, שֶׁכָּל מַחֲשָׁבָה וּמַחֲשָׁבָה הִיא קוֹמָה שְׁלֵמָה, כַּמּוּבָא. וְאָמַר שֶׁכְּשֶׁהָאָדָם עוֹמֵד וּמִתְפַּלֵּל כְּסֵדֶר וְאֵינוֹ מַשְׁגִּיחַ עַל הַמַּחֲשָׁבוֹת זָרוֹת, וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה הוּא מְנַצֵּחַ אוֹתָם וּמַעֲבִירָם מִמֶּנּוּ (וְכַמְבֹאָר בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר, שֶׁאֵין צְרִיכִין לְהִסְתַּכֵּל עֲלֵיהֶם כְּלָל, רַק לֵילֵךְ כְּסֵדֶר בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ וְלִבְלִי לְהַבִּיט לְאַחֲרָיו כְּלָל, וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה מִמֵּילָא יִסְתַּלְּקוּ), אֲזַי בְּדֶרֶךְ הִלּוּכוֹ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ הוּא מַפִּיל אוֹתָם, לָזֶה חוֹתֵךְ יָד, וְלָזֶה חוֹתֵךְ רֶגֶל, וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה בִּשְׁאָר הָאֵיבָרִים.
פֵּרוּשׁ, כְּמוֹ לְמָשָׁל בְּעִנְיַן מִלְחָמָה, כְּשֶׁצָּרִיךְ לֵילֵךְ וְלַעֲבֹר בֵּין הַרְבֵּה רוֹצְחִים וְאוֹרְבִים, וּכְשֶׁהוּא גִּבּוֹר וְעֹבֵר בֵּינֵיהֶם, אֲזַי בְּדֶרֶךְ הִלּוּכוֹ הוּא מַפִּיל אוֹתָם, כִּי לָזֶה חוֹתֵךְ יָד בְּדֶרֶךְ הִלּוּכוֹ וּמַפִּילוֹ, וְלָזֶה חוֹתֵךְ רֶגֶל וְכוּ', וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה;
כֵּן הוּא מַמָּשׁ בְּעִנְיַן הַתְּפִלָּה, שֶׁכְּשֶׁמִּתְפַּלְּלִין כְּסֵדֶר וְאֵין מַשְׁגִּיחִין עַל הַמַּחֲשָׁבוֹת זָרוֹת וְדוֹחִין אוֹתָם וּמַפִּילָם, אֲזַי בְּדֶרֶךְ הִלּוּכוֹ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ הוּא חוֹתֵךְ לָזֶה יָד וְלָזֶה רֶגֶל וְכוּ' כַּנַּ"ל. כִּי כָל מַחֲשָׁבָה זָרָה הוּא קְלִפָּה, וְהִיא קוֹמָה שְׁלֵמָה, כַּמּוּבָא, וּכְשֶׁמִּתְגַּבֵּר לְהִתְפַּלֵּל כְּסֵדֶר וְלִבְלִי לְהִסְתַּכֵּל עֲלֵיהֶם, אֲזַי הוֹרֵג אוֹתָם אוֹ חוֹתֵךְ מֵהֶם אֵיבָרִים אֵיבָרִים 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 twenty two: stray thoughts in prayer.
Every stray thought in prayer is a whole structure, a force of the other side, with a head and limbs.
Don't look at them at all. Just keep praying in order, and don't look back. Then they leave by themselves.
Like a mighty warrior passing through ambushers, you strike them down as you go, without stopping.
When you push on and pray in order, you defeat them, limb by limb.
Our own reflection: when a stray thought comes, don't argue with it. Keep going to the next word.
Explainer
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah one hundred and twenty two. What should we do about stray thoughts that come in the middle of prayer? Rebbe Nachman's answer: keep walking.
It is known that every single thought is a complete structure, a whole form with a head and limbs. A stray thought in prayer is a force of the other side, and it too is a whole structure.
The way to beat them is not to look at them at all. Pray in order, and don't turn around to look behind you. Then they leave on their own. As a person goes forward in his prayer, he knocks them down: cutting off the hand of one, the foot of another.
Picture a war. A soldier must pass through a crowd of killers and ambushers. If he is a mighty warrior, he does not stop to fight each one; he strikes them down as he walks through, a hand here, a foot there.
Prayer is exactly the same. When you pray in order, paying no attention to the stray thoughts, pushing them aside, you cut them down as you go. If you strengthen yourself to keep praying and not look at them, you defeat them entirely, or cut them down limb by limb.
Some reflections of our own, not a quotation. Fighting a stray thought head on gives it attention. Moving forward to the next word takes its power away.
Full shiur
— Part 1: Stray Thoughts in Prayer —
Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah one hundred and twenty two. A short shiur in one part: how to defeat stray thoughts in prayer.
Gold is Rebbe Nachman's own words, from Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah one hundred and twenty two. 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.
On the matter of stray thoughts in prayer.
It is already known that every single thought is a complete structure, as is brought. And he said: when a person stands and prays in order and pays no attention to the stray thoughts, by this he defeats them and removes them from himself.
As is explained elsewhere: one need not look at them at all, only go on in order in one's prayer and not look behind at all, and through this they go away by themselves. Then, as he goes along in his prayer, he knocks them down: to this one he cuts off a hand, to that one a foot, and so with the other limbs.
That is, for example, in a war, when one must go and pass among many killers and ambushers. When he is a mighty warrior and passes among them, then as he goes along he knocks them down: to this one he cuts off a hand as he goes and knocks him down, and to that one he cuts off a foot, and so on.
So it is exactly with prayer. When one prays in order and pays no attention to the stray thoughts, and pushes them away and knocks them down, then as he goes along in his prayer he cuts off a hand from this one and a foot from that one, as said above.
He explains why: For every stray thought is a klipah, a husk of the other side, and it is a complete structure, as is brought. And when he strengthens himself to pray in order and not to look at them, then he kills them, or cuts off their limbs, limb by limb, as said above.
Our explanation. A stray thought is not just a passing image; it is a whole structure of the other side. Turning to wrestle with it gives it strength. Walking on in the prayer, word after word, is what cuts it down.
Some reflections of our own, not a quotation. A stray thought is not a reason to stop praying. Don't look back at it. The next word of prayer is the sword.
This has been Likutey Moharan Tinyana, Torah one hundred and twenty two.
Sources for this Torah
Texts used
Hebrew: Likutei Moharan Tinyana (Part II), Torah 122, edition 'Likutei Moharan Tinyana – rabenubook.com', public domain, via Sefaria — https://www.sefaria.org/Likutei_Moharan%2C_Part_II.122
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 — Stray Thoughts in Prayer
Scene 3 · LM II:122 §1 · paragraph §1.1
לְעִנְיַן הַמַּחֲשָׁבוֹת זָרוֹת שֶׁבַּתְּפִלָּה.
EN (our paraphrase): On the matter of stray thoughts in prayer.
Scene 4 · LM II:122 §1 · paragraph §1.2
וּכְבָר יָדוּעַ, שֶׁכָּל מַחֲשָׁבָה וּמַחֲשָׁבָה הִיא קוֹמָה שְׁלֵמָה, כַּמּוּבָא. וְאָמַר שֶׁכְּשֶׁהָאָדָם עוֹמֵד וּמִתְפַּלֵּל כְּסֵדֶר וְאֵינוֹ מַשְׁגִּיחַ עַל הַמַּחֲשָׁבוֹת זָרוֹת, וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה הוּא מְנַצֵּחַ אוֹתָם וּמַעֲבִירָם מִמֶּנּוּ
EN (our paraphrase): It is already known that every single thought is a complete structure, as is brought. And he said: when a person stands and prays in order and pays no attention to the stray thoughts, by this he defeats them and removes them from himself.
Scene 5 · LM II:122 §1 · paragraph §1.2
וְכַמְבֹאָר בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר, שֶׁאֵין צְרִיכִין לְהִסְתַּכֵּל עֲלֵיהֶם כְּלָל, רַק לֵילֵךְ כְּסֵדֶר בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ וְלִבְלִי לְהַבִּיט לְאַחֲרָיו כְּלָל, וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה מִמֵּילָא יִסְתַּלְּקוּ, אֲזַי בְּדֶרֶךְ הִלּוּכוֹ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ הוּא מַפִּיל אוֹתָם, לָזֶה חוֹתֵךְ יָד, וְלָזֶה חוֹתֵךְ רֶגֶל, וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה בִּשְׁאָר הָאֵיבָרִים.
EN (our paraphrase): As is explained elsewhere: one need not look at them at all, only go on in order in one's prayer and not look behind at all, and through this they go away by themselves. Then, as he goes along in his prayer, he knocks them down: to this one he cuts off a hand, to that one a foot, and so with the other limbs.
Scene 6 · LM II:122 §1 · paragraph §1.3
פֵּרוּשׁ, כְּמוֹ לְמָשָׁל בְּעִנְיַן מִלְחָמָה, כְּשֶׁצָּרִיךְ לֵילֵךְ וְלַעֲבֹר בֵּין הַרְבֵּה רוֹצְחִים וְאוֹרְבִים, וּכְשֶׁהוּא גִּבּוֹר וְעֹבֵר בֵּינֵיהֶם, אֲזַי בְּדֶרֶךְ הִלּוּכוֹ הוּא מַפִּיל אוֹתָם, כִּי לָזֶה חוֹתֵךְ יָד בְּדֶרֶךְ הִלּוּכוֹ וּמַפִּילוֹ, וְלָזֶה חוֹתֵךְ רֶגֶל וְכוּ', וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה;
EN (our paraphrase): That is, for example, in a war, when one must go and pass among many killers and ambushers. When he is a mighty warrior and passes among them, then as he goes along he knocks them down: to this one he cuts off a hand as he goes and knocks him down, and to that one he cuts off a foot, and so on.
Scene 7 · LM II:122 §1 · paragraph §1.4
כֵּן הוּא מַמָּשׁ בְּעִנְיַן הַתְּפִלָּה, שֶׁכְּשֶׁמִּתְפַּלְּלִין כְּסֵדֶר וְאֵין מַשְׁגִּיחִין עַל הַמַּחֲשָׁבוֹת זָרוֹת וְדוֹחִין אוֹתָם וּמַפִּילָם, אֲזַי בְּדֶרֶךְ הִלּוּכוֹ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ הוּא חוֹתֵךְ לָזֶה יָד וְלָזֶה רֶגֶל וְכוּ' כַּנַּ"ל.
EN (our paraphrase): So it is exactly with prayer. When one prays in order and pays no attention to the stray thoughts, and pushes them away and knocks them down, then as he goes along in his prayer he cuts off a hand from this one and a foot from that one, as said above.
Scene 8 · LM II:122 §1 · paragraph §1.4
כִּי כָל מַחֲשָׁבָה זָרָה הוּא קְלִפָּה, וְהִיא קוֹמָה שְׁלֵמָה, כַּמּוּבָא, וּכְשֶׁמִּתְגַּבֵּר לְהִתְפַּלֵּל כְּסֵדֶר וְלִבְלִי לְהִסְתַּכֵּל עֲלֵיהֶם, אֲזַי הוֹרֵג אוֹתָם אוֹ חוֹתֵךְ מֵהֶם אֵיבָרִים אֵיבָרִים כַּנַּ"ל:
EN (our paraphrase): For every stray thought is a klipah, a husk of the other side, and it is a complete structure, as is brought. And when he strengthens himself to pray in order and not to look at them, then he kills them, or cuts off their limbs, limb by limb, as said above.
Hebrew phrases in the Explainer
Scene 2 · §1.2: שֶׁכָּל מַחֲשָׁבָה וּמַחֲשָׁבָה הִיא קוֹמָה שְׁלֵמָה,
Scene 3 · §1.2: רַק לֵילֵךְ כְּסֵדֶר בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ וְלִבְלִי לְהַבִּיט לְאַחֲרָיו כְּלָל,
Scene 4 · §1.3: בְּדֶרֶךְ הִלּוּכוֹ הוּא מַפִּיל אוֹתָם,
Scene 5 · §1.4: אֲזַי הוֹרֵג אוֹתָם אוֹ חוֹתֵךְ מֵהֶם אֵיבָרִים אֵיבָרִים
Hebrew phrases in the 1-minute recap
Scene 2 · §1.2: שֶׁכָּל מַחֲשָׁבָה וּמַחֲשָׁבָה הִיא קוֹמָה שְׁלֵמָה,
Scene 3 · §1.2: רַק לֵילֵךְ כְּסֵדֶר בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ וְלִבְלִי לְהַבִּיט לְאַחֲרָיו כְּלָל,
Scene 4 · §1.3: בְּדֶרֶךְ הִלּוּכוֹ הוּא מַפִּיל אוֹתָם,
Scene 5 · §1.4: אֲזַי הוֹרֵג אוֹתָם אוֹ חוֹתֵךְ מֵהֶם אֵיבָרִים אֵיבָרִים