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BAAL SHEM TOV STORY
Following the Weekly Torah Reading
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THE MAGICAL POWER OF
TEFILLIN
"Bind [these words] as a sign on your hand, and let
them be an emblem in the center of your head."
(Eikev 6:8)
AND it happened that once, the Baal Shem
Tov was studying Torah in the Bais Medrash (study
hall) with his close disciples. Suddenly, he became
so sick that he was unable to speak.
The disciples became very alarmed. "Rebbe, Rebbe,"
they asked, "What's wrong? Can we get you
something?"
The Baal Shem Tov motioned to his Tefillin bag.
Quickly, the students took out his Tefiilin and wrapped
one around his arm and put the other on his head.
By this time, the Baal Shem Tov was so weak that he
just lay down on a bench. He closed his eyes and
didn't move. The disciples sat by his side unsure of
what to do. After a long time passed, the Baal Shem
Tov sat up and began speaking to the
disciples. "Thank G·d, I'm feeling better."
The disciples asked in a concerned voice, "Rebbe,
what happened?"
The Baal Shem Tov explained, "In my youth, I
committed a sin. An accusation was made against
me before the Heavenly Court and the Court decided
that I deserve to die. At first, I wasn't aware of what
was happening to me. All I knew was that I started to
feel very, very weak. Just then, my teacher, Achiya
HaShaloni (a spiritual Being and teacher of King
David), came and told me the situation. Then he told
me, 'Reb Israel, quickly put on your Tefillin.'"
"After you put my Tefillin on," continued the
Baal Shem Tov to the disciples, "the Accuser (the
Satan) came in the form of a Russian peasant
carrying an iron shovel in his hand. He wanted to
chop off my head. But because of the power of the
Tefillin, the Satan could not get close to me. He
started yelling, "Take off that leather (the Tefillin are
made of leather)!" But I didn't pay any attention to him
and he continued yelling until, thank G·d, the
accusation was nullified."
The Baal Shem Tov continued, "During that time, my
brother-in-law, Rabbi Gershon came to testify for me.
However, the gates to the Heavenly court were closed
and he couldn't get through. But that didn't stop Reb
Gershon. He took a heavy wooden pole and started
banging on the Gates until they were finally opened.
Then, he ran in and started yelling before the Court in
an angry voice, 'Will you sentence Rabbi Israel to
death, G·d forbid, for a trivial thing that happened in
his youth?' The court wasn't able to overcome the
defense of Reb Gershon and revoked their original
sentence."
The Baal Shem Tov continued, "It says in the Tikune
Zohar (book of Kabbalah), the commandment of
Matronita (the Schechina, the female aspect of G·d)
places a man under her wings and protects him from
the hand of the Accuser. So it is with the
commandment of wearing Tefillin."
And so it was.
Freely adapted by Tzvi Meir HaCohane (Howard M.
Cohn, Patent Attorney) from a story found in SHIVCHEI
HABESHT and translated in IN PRAISE OF THE BAAL
SHEM TOV by Ben Amos and Mintz.
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TORAH BAAL SHEM TOV
Selection from Sefer Baal Shem Tov on the Torah
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"All the commandments which I command you this
day shall you observe to do."(Eikev 8:1)
There is one great principle - that a person must
attach himself to the inner dimension of the Torah and
the commandments. That is, to bind one's thoughts
and soul to the root of the Torah and the mitzvos that
one fulfills. If not, one cuts and separates
the "shoots."1
I received this from my Master, and I also found it in
the book Chesed l'Avraham, nahar 14.
Ben Poras Yosef, p. 21a
1A Talmudic term implying that one
posits a division between G·d and creation. In this
case, the Baal Shem Tov applies it to a separation
between the soul of the Torah and its outer
manifestation. The Talmud states that the Elisha ben
Abuya "uprooted the shoots" when he became an
apostate.
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 79
The purpose of prayer is to unite the yud, which is
Chochmah, with the hey, which is Malchus - prayer -
by means of the voice, which is Havaye,1
and one's thoughts, which is his Binah
("Understanding"). This is the mystery of [the Divine
Names] Ekiyeh, Havaye, Adnus. And thus it is
called "prayer" (tefilah), for it joins the creature to its
Creator.2
Likutim Yikarim, p. 4b
1The Tetragrammaton
2The root of word "prayer" - tefilah -
share the same root letters as the word naftuli (as in
Genesis 30:8), one meaning of which is "a
close adhesion." (See Rashi on this verse)
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 15
Rabbi Yaakov Tzemach wrote that the revelation of the
soul of the Arizal was absolutely necessary for that
generation, so that the Arizal should reveal the
wisdom of Kabbalah, and provide that low generation
with a shield and a shelter to serve our Father in
Heaven.
So too, it is truly heaven-sent that the great soul of our
Rabbi, the holy Baal Shem Tov, descended from the
highest world to become revealed in our time - this
generation before the Moshiach - in order to
illuminate the world and its inhabitants with the light of
the holy Torah.
True, in previous generations, there were
many individual who served G·d with all their heart
and soul, toiling at Torah day and night; nevertheless,
they accomplished this in one of two ways. Either they
were blessed by G·d with prosperity, which allowed
them to set aside time for Torah study and prayer. Or,
they turned their backs on the cares of this world and
accepted poverty with love, rejecting everything to toil
at Torah. Everyone else, however - the poor who
could only make a living with great effort, whether at
home, in the fields, in the markets or streets - could
taste nothing of the light of G·d in Torah study and
prayer. Indeed, they were very far from it.
Furthermore, even among those people
who could set time aside for Torah study, there were
few who were wise enough to find protection in the
Torah from the great enemy that lurks in the heart of
man from birth. For the little Torah study and prayer
they do is negated by their evil desires and bad
character traits, such as gossip, falsehood, jealousy,
hatred, insincerity, bad temper, cruelness, and
especially ego, which is the root of evil, that ruins all
good deeds and positive traits.
Yet G·d took compassion on us in this
lowly generation, when everyone is pressed to make
a living, when no one has money and everything is
expensive, when there are fewer and fewer diligent
students of Torah each day, and no one searches [for
G·d]. He sent us an angel from heaven to enliven us -
our holy rabbi, the light of Israel, the Baal Shem Tov.
He enlightened our eyes so that even in the most
laborious times we can still remember G·d and His
Torah. Then, we will always be careful to separate the
evil from the good in everything we do, in our paths
and our words.
However, if he were to look at himself truthfully, he
would realize that he completely lacks humility.
Rather, his attitude comes from the evil inclination that
has accompanied him since birth and blinds him to
the truth, making him think that he is humble, though
he becomes only prouder. For were he truly to be
humble, he would not become angry and belittle [the
reproof], but consider it appropriate that he listen to
this chastiser, for perhaps he might learn something
from the words that he rejects - perhaps they are sent
from heaven.
Now, though, we must thank G·d for
sending us, in His great love and compassion, an
angel and redeemer to enlighten our eyes in the way
of hasidism. For every Jew can follow this path,
strengthening himself to fear G·d even amidst
suffering, hardship and poverty. And the little bit of
goodness that he derives from Torah study and the
performance of mitzvos will be a great light for him, to
prevent him from following after his eyes and heart.
For instance, when he is preoccupied by his daily
activities and in business, he will not lie, as it says in
our holy Torah, "You shall not steal; neither shall you
deal falsely, nor lie to one another." (Leviticus
19:11) Likewise, he will be just in his
measurements: "A just ephah and a just hin"
(Leviticus 19:36) because this is G·d's will in
His Torah. Likewise, he will be careful not to speak
malicious gossip or other foul language so as not to
[spiritually] damage his mouth. Nor will he look at
women or their beautiful clothing, so as not to
damage his eyes. And all because this is G·d's will.
It comes out that he is always serving G·d - the same
as if he were actually studying Torah - when he is
involved in business or walking through the market.
This is even truer if he knows the secret of how to
make Unifications. Then he can make Unifications
even with mundane things, as the Baal Shem Tov
taught us, so that he is actually considered to by
studying the secrets of Torah and the writings of the
Arizal even when involved in business, in the market
or in conversation with people. Thus, he serves G·d
constantly, and does not take his thoughts G·d's
holiness. This is the meaning of binding oneself to
G·d. It is the essence of Hasidism.
Abridged from Seder HaDoros HaChadash
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 105
The Baal Shem Tov taught:
There are two types of wicked Jews: one acts only in
privacy, while the other acts in
public.1
The difference between them can be seen from the
verse, "I saw an evil tyrant, then he vanished, and
behold - he was no more! So I searched for him, but
he was not to be found." (Psalms 37:35-36)
But why should one search for a wicked person who
has vanished? The answer is because someone
even more evil than he will take his place, which is
why the previous one will be
sought.2
1From the context in which this piece
appears in the source (Toldoth Yaakov Yoseph, Bo
#2), "wicked" in this instance does not mean
sinning, but Jews who betray their people and try to
harm them. The one who acts in public is not
ashamed of his behavior, and is thus likely to be more
dangerous than the one who is still uncomfortable
about acting in public.
2The lesson of this teaching may be that
one should never complain about one's situation,
because it could always be worse. Indeed, Rebbe
Nachman of Breslov said that if one complains, then
G·d says that He will show that person what bad really
is. On the other hand, if one praises G·d for one's
situation, whatever it might be, G·d says that He will
show him what good really is (Siach Sarfei Kodesh
II [Breslov] p. 11, #32).
Translation and Commentary by Rabbi
Yehoshua
Starrett
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