This relates to the incident… in which [Rebbe Nachman’s] mother left him instructions that anyone he cannot tolerate he should not allow into his presence. Otherwise, he would require the assistance of those who are far, against those who are close by him… (this will be explained elsewhere).
When a person eats more than he needs, the [excess] food is harmful to him. This is because everything has a root from which it gets vitality. For example, herbs get their vitality from a person’s taking them for medicinal purposes. Likewise, foods get their vitality from a person’s eating them and receiving vitality from them. From this, foods get their vitality.
However, when a person eats more than he needs, the [excess] food has no one from whom to receive vitality since the person has no need of it. It is as if the person put [the excess food] into a basket; it certainly will not receive vitality from there!
Therefore, the [excess] food seeks vitality for itself, in order to give itself life, by drawing out the person’s vitality. Through this it harms him, and as a result even the other foods join with [the excess food] and harm him [all the more].
{“When you enter your neighbor’s vineyard, [you may eat grapes to your soul’s content, but you may not put any into your basket].”} This is the explanation of “… you may eat to your soul’s content”—no more; “but you may not put any into your basket”—i.e., do not eat more than you need, because it is like one who puts [the food] in the basket since he has no need for it, as explained above.
כִּי תָבֹא בְּכֶרֶם רֵעֶךָ וְכוּ' (דברים כ״ג:כ״ה).
“When you enter your neighbor’s vineyard….” (Deuteronomy 23:25)
עַל פִּי מַעֲשֶׂה וְכוּ', שֶׁהִנִּיחָה לוֹ אִמּוֹ צַוָּאָה, שֶׁמִּי שֶׁאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְסָבְלוֹ לֹא יַנִּיחֶנּוּ לִהְיוֹת אֶצְלוֹ, וְאִם לָאו יִצְטָרֵךְ לְעֵזֶר מֵהָרְחוֹקִים עַל הַקְּרוֹבִים אֶצְלוֹ וְכוּ' (וְיִתְבָּאֵר בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר).
This relates to the incident… in which [Rebbe Nachman’s] mother left him instructions that anyone he cannot tolerate he should not allow into his presence. Otherwise, he would require the assistance of those who are far, against those who are close by him… (this will be explained elsewhere).
כִּי כְּשֶׁאוֹכֵל יוֹתֵר מִצָּרְכּוֹ, זֶה הַמַּאֲכָל מַזִּיק לוֹ, כִּי כָּל דָּבָר יֵשׁ לוֹ שֹׁרֶשׁ שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ חִיּוּת מִמֶּנּוּ, כְּגוֹן הַסַּמִּים יֵשׁ לָהֶם חִיּוּת מִמַּה שֶּׁהָאָדָם לוֹקֵחַ אוֹתָם לִרְפוּאָה, וְכֵן הַמַּאֲכָלִים יֵשׁ לָהֶם חִיּוּת מִזֶּה שֶׁהָאָדָם אוֹכֵל אוֹתָם וּמְקַבֵּל חִיּוּת מֵהֶם, מִזֶּה יֵשׁ חִיּוּת לְהַמַּאֲכָלִים;
When a person eats more than he needs, the [excess] food is harmful to him. This is because everything has a root from which it gets vitality. For example, herbs get their vitality from a person’s taking them for medicinal purposes. Likewise, foods get their vitality from a person’s eating them and receiving vitality from them. From this, foods get their vitality.
אֲבָל כְּשֶׁאוֹכֵל יוֹתֵר מִצָּרְכּוֹ, אֵין לְזֶה הַמַּאֲכָל מִמִּי לְקַבֵּל חִיּוּת, מֵאַחַר שֶׁאֵין הָאָדָם צָרִיךְ אֵלָיו, וְהוּא דּוֹמֶה כְּאִלּוּ הִנִּיחוֹ הָאָדָם לְתוֹךְ כְּלִי, שֶׁבְּוַדַּאי אֵינוֹ מְקַבֵּל חִיּוּת מִשָּׁם,
However, when a person eats more than he needs, the [excess] food has no one from whom to receive vitality since the person has no need of it. It is as if the person put [the excess food] into a basket; it certainly will not receive vitality from there!
וְעַל כֵּן הַמַּאֲכָל מְבַקֵּשׁ לוֹ חִיּוּת לְהַחֲיוֹת עַצְמוֹ, וַאֲזַי הוּא מוֹצִיא הַחִיּוּת שֶׁל הָאָדָם, וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה הוּא מַזִּיק לְהָאָדָם, וּמֵחֲמַת זֶה נִצְטָרְפִין עִמּוֹ אֲפִלּוּ שְׁאָר הַמַּאֲכָלִים וּמַזִּיקִים לוֹ,
Therefore, the [excess] food seeks vitality for itself, in order to give itself life, by drawing out the person’s vitality. Through this it harms him, and as a result even the other foods join with [the excess food] and harm him [all the more].
וְזֶה: וְאָכַלְתָּ כְּנַפְשְׁךָ שָׂבְעֲךָ – לֹא יוֹתֵר. וְזֶה: וְאֶל כֶּלְיְךָ לֹא תִתֵּן, הַיְנוּ שֶׁלֹּא תֹּאכַל יוֹתֵר מִצָּרְכְּךָ, שֶׁזֶּה דּוֹמֶה כְּנוֹתֵן לְתוֹךְ הַכְּלִי, מֵאַחַר שֶׁאֵין צָרִיךְ לוֹ כַּנַּ"ל:
{“When you enter your neighbor’s vineyard, [you may eat grapes to your soul’s content, but you may not put any into your basket].”} This is the explanation of “… you may eat to your soul’s content”—no more; “but you may not put any into your basket”—i.e., do not eat more than you need, because it is like one who puts [the food] in the basket since he has no need for it, as explained above.