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BAAL SHEM TOV STORY
Following the Weekly Torah Reading
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THE SECRET OF THE
SHOFAR
"You shall sound a broken blast on the shofar."
(Leviticus 25:9)
"In the seventh month, on the first day of the
month,
there shall be a rest day for you, a remembrance
with
shofar blasts, a holy convocation."
(Leviticus 23:24)
And then there was the time that the Baal Shem Tov
summoned one of his close disciples, Reb Wolff
Kitzis.
"Reb Wolff, would you honor us with blowing the
shofar in shule (synagogue) this year on Rosh
Hashanah?" he asked.
"Of course Rebbe, even though I do not feel qualified
for such a holy task," Reb Wolff immediately
answered. "If you could instruct me on what I
should
I meditate on while I'm blowing the different blasts of
the shofar, I would be most grateful."
For the two weeks before the Yom Tov, The Baal
Shem Tov instructed Reb Wolff on the kavanos
(intentions) that he should meditate on. Reb Wolff
began practicing blowing the shofar, and studied
intently the kavanos that the Baal Shem Tov had
instructed him.
To be certain he would not forget, Reb Wolff wrote
down
the kavanos - the mystical significance of the Divine
Names associated with each of the blasts - on a
piece of paper so that he could glance at them while
blowing the shofar.
The Baal Shem noticed that Reb Wolff had written
the kavanos down, and spoke to him about it. "Reb
Wolff, do you really have to write out the kavanos?
It is not wise to write down such secrets, and
besides, I am sure you'll remember them when the
time comes."
But, Reb Wolff was nervous. So he finished writing
them on a small piece of paper that he carefully
placed in his pocket.
On the first day of Rosh Hashanah, as Reb Wolff
made his way to shule, a sudden gust of wind blew
the note from his pocket.
When the time came for the sounding of the shofar,
Reb Wolff carefully removed his shofar from its velvet
bag, and walked to the bimah (readers stand). As he
reached into his pocket he froze in horror! The piece
of paper with the kavanos was gone! Reb Wolff
frantically searched his pockets but the note was
nowhere to be found.
The whole congregation stood ready to hear the holy
sounds of the shofar. Reb Wolff was a nervous
wreck, but had no choice except to start blowing.
At
this highest moment in the Rosh Hashanah prayer
service, all stared in anticipation at Reb Wolff as he
placed the shofar to his lips. He tried as hard as he
could to remember, but could not recall one single
intention that he had studied so diligently. He was
distraught. "Not only did I stupidly lose the note with
the kavanos, but I can't even remember a single
one!" Reb Wolff was broken hearted, and he began
to weep. With a broken heart and tears streaming
down his cheeks, he blew the shofar as best he
could.
When the prayers had ended, the Baal Shem Tov
approached Reb Wolff and said: "In the King's palace,
there are many doors and each requires its own
special key. But there is another way that one can
open all of the doors and that is with an ax. The
mystical kavanos that you so intently studied are the
keys to each of the different gates to the Heavenly
palace, where each gate requires its own specific
kavana. But a broken and humbled heart can break
open all of the gates. My dear Reb Wolff, this is
what you accomplished with your blowing of the
shofar."
And so it was.
Freely adapted by Tzvi Meir HaCohane (Howard M.
Cohn, Patent Attorney) from a story found in
Treasury of Chassidic Tales by Rabbi S.Y. Zevin
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TORAH BAAL SHEM TOV
Selection from Sefer Baal Shem Tov on the Torah
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"A broken and a contrite heart, O G d, You will not
despise." (Psalms 51:19)
Each person knows the foreign thoughts that cook in
his heart the whole year during Torah study and
prayer. If only the heart were a vessel of copper,
[that requires] scrubbing and rinsing [to become
pure].1 For, unfortunately, an
earthenware vessel does not release [its impurities]
and must be broken.2
Kesser Shem Tov, part 2, p.
22a
Is not Rosh Hashanah a holiday? It says in the
Mishnah: "The holiday of Rosh
Hashanah."3 It is a day of joy, and so
we make the blessing "Shechiyanu."4
As for the Arizal's statement that a person should cry
on Rosh Hashanah, that is for the exile of the
Shechinah, and in order to be judged favorably by
G d. For it is written: "Go your way, eat the fat, and
drink the sweet, and send portions to him who has
nothing prepared; for this day is holy unto our L rd.
Be not grieved, for the joy of the L rd is your
strength." (Nehemiah 8:10)5 We
cry out of joy, because "He has enlivened us and
sustained us." Therefore, since it is a day of joy, it
is appropriate to remember Jerusalem, as it is
written: "If I do not set Jerusalem above my greatest
joy" (Psalms 137:6) For we accepted this
upon ourselves by oath and by curse, as it is
written: "If I forget you Jerusalem, let my right hand
forget" (ibid. 137:5).
Kesser Shem Tov, part 2, p. 22b
1Leviticus 6:21
2Pesachim 30b. Metal vessels
can be easily koshered of non-kosher foodstuffs they
may have absorbed; ceramic vessels, however,
cannot be koshered, and must be broken.
3Rosh Hashanah 29b
4"Blessed are You, L rd our G d, Who
has enlivened us, sustained us, and brought us to
this time." This blessing is recited on all Jewish
holidays.
5Ezra the Scribe said this to the people
of Israel on the first Rosh Hashanah after the return
of the exiles from Babylonia.
Translation and Commentary by Rabbi Dr. Eliezer
Shore
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THE PILLAR OF PRAYER
The Baal Shem Tov's Teachings on Prayer
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Section 32
Whatever you see, remember the Holy one. If it is
something you love, remember the love of G d; if it is
something you fear, remember the fear of
G d.1 Even when you go to the
bathroom, you should think to yourself: "I am now
separating the bad from the good, so that the good
should remain for the service of G d." This is the
meaning of Yichudim (Unifications).
Tzava'as HaRivash, p. 3b
1Once, when the Baal Shem Tov was
walking alone in the forest, he encountered a lion.
He started to meditate on the letters of the
word "lion" — aryeh, and how they also compose the
word "fear" — yirah. He came to such an intense fear
of G d, that the lion was suddenly ripped in half.
(Kovetz Eliyahu, p. 6)
Translation and Commentary by Rabbi Dr. Eliezer
Shore
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THE LIGHT OF THE EYES
On the Greatness of the Baal Shem Tov
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Section 23
When the Baal Shem Tov visited the home of Rabbi
Meir of Premishlan and his son Rabbi Aharon Aryeh,
there was an infant lying in a crib. The Baal Shem
Tov asked the infant, "Who am I?" and he
answered, "Master is the G dly Rabbi Isaac Luria."
The Baal Shem Tov replied, "So you shall live, and
the verse shall be fulfilled in you: 'My spirit that is
upon you, and My words which I have put in your
mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from
the mouth of your seed, nor from of the mouth of
your seed's seed, says the L rd, from now and
forever.'" (Isaiah 59:21)
Ma'aseh Yechiel, Bereishis 4
Translation and Commentary by Rabbi Dr. Eliezer
Shore
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KESER SHEM TOV
Anthology of the Teachings of the Baal Shem Tov
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Section 33
"A person should always be accustomed to
say, 'Everything that G d does is for the
best',"1 as did Rabbi Akiba, whereas
Nachum Ish Gamzu would always say, "This too is for
the good."2
The Baal Shem Tov taught:
Nachum said, "This too is for the good," because he
was able to actually transform the strict judgments
at their source by finding some purposeful kindness in
those specific judgments. Once he did, everything
was
immediately transformed to an act of Divine
kindness. The average person, though, who is
unable
to find the Divine kindness hidden in the source of
judgment, should nevertheless always be
accustomed
to say, "Everything that G d does is for
the best," even though he does not understand how
this is true.
1Tractate Berakhoth 60b
2Tractate Taanith 21a
Translation and Commentary by Rabbi Yehoshua
Starrett
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