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BAAL SHEM TOV STORY
Following the Weekly Torah Reading
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THE BAAL SHEM TOV
AND
THE BIRTH OF RABBI SCHNEUR ZALMAN
"V'Haya Ki Tavo el Ha'aretz. . ." -" When you come into
the land. . "
(Deuteronomy, 26:1)
When the soul descends from its heavenly source
into 'the land' - into this physical world to fulfill its
purpose. (Chassidic teaching)
SHABBAT CHAI (18) ELUL
The birth of the Baal Shem Tov in 5458 (1698).
The
day his heavenly teacher and master, Achiya
HaShiloni,
appeared to the Baal Shem Tov in 5484 (1724).
The day the
Baal
Shem Tov became revealed to the world in 5494
(1734).
The birth of the Alter Rebbe (Rabbi Schneur
Zalman) 5505 (1745).
HAYOM YOM compiled by Rabbi Menachem
Mendel Schneerson o.b.m.
And then there was the time, In a small shtetl in
Poland, during the times of bloody
pogroms and fierce anti-Semitism, there lived what
appeared to be a simple Jew by the name of Reb
Boruch, and his wife, Rivkah. Actually, Reb Boruch
was a Tzaddik nistar (a hidden holy man) and one of
the members of a group of Tzaddik nistars that
included the Baal Shem Tov.
Reb Boruch and his wife Rebbetzn Rivkah
had been
married for
some years but had not been blessed with a child. At
the prompting of his wife, Reb Boruch traveled to his
Rebbe, the Baal Shem Tov, for a blessing. He
traveled many miles in the freezing, snowy winter to
reach Mezibush whee the Baal Shem Tov
lived.
There his holy Rebbe gave a blessing
to Reb Boruch and Rebbetzyn Rivka that they merit to
be
blessed with a child, and added the words that the
child "should reveal heavenly light hidden in this
world."
Soon thereafter Rebbetzyn Rivka became pregnant
and on "Chai
Ellul" - the eighteenth day of the month of Ellul, twelve
days before Rosh Hashanah -the same birthday as
that of the Holy Baal Shem Tov, gave birth to a baby
boy whom they named Schneur Zalman.
On that same day, the Baal Shem Tov's
chassidim
took
note of the particularly jubilant mood of their Rebbe.
He led the daily prayers with deep kavanah (intention),
and afterwards a festive meal was held at which the
Rebbe sang lively niggunim (chassidic melodies)
and even danced with unusual joy.
During the festive meal, the Baal Shem Tov
spoke: "Today a Neshamah Chadasha (a new soul
that had not previously occupied a physical body) has
come into the world. This soul will illuminate the
world by spreading Torah and Chassidus (mystical
explanations of the Torah) to sustain the spiritual well
being of the Jewish people and will bring closer
the coming of the Moshiach (Messiah)."
After Yom Kippur, as is the tradition of
chassidim, Reb
Boruch visited his Rebbe and requested a blessing
for his newly born son. The Baal Shem Tov requested
that Reb Boruch and Rebbetzyn Rivka keep the news
of the birth of their new
son secret, and also gave specific instructions for his
care and education.
In the
following
weeks, the Chassidim noted that the Baal Shem Tov
mentioned the name Schneur Zalman three times
during his Torah discourses.
The following year, Reb Boruch returned to visit
his Rebbe for the Yom Tov holidays. The Baal Shem
Tov was very interested in the progress of young
Schneur Zalman, and asked Reb Boruch specific
questions about the child. Again the Baal Shem Tov
gave a warning for Reb Boruch and Rebbetzyn Rivka
not to talk to others about their
son, particularly regarding his astounding
intelligence -
as is the nature of parents.
And again in the following year, Reb Boruch travelled
to be with the Rebbe for Yom Tov. During yichidus
(private meeting of a Chassid with his Rebbe) and the
Baal Shem Tov again
asked many questions about the welfare of the child.
Before departing for home, Reb Boruch told the
Rebbe that G·d willing, on his next visit, when his son
would turn three years old, he would bring Schneur
Zalman with him.
As planned, the following Chai Elul, Reb Boruch
brought young
Schneur Zalman along with mother, Rebbetzyn Rivkah
and his aunt Rebbetzyn Devorah Leah to the Baal
Shem Tov to celebrate little
Schneur Zalman's Upscherinish (the first cutting of a
boys hair at three years old). The Baal Shem Tov
appeared very pleased at the joyous event. He cut
some of the boy's locks, and then placing his holy
hand son the boy's head, and blessed little Schneur
Zalman with the words of the Birchas Kohanim
(priestly blessing).
During their visit, young Schneur Zalman asked his
mother who was the "old" man that had been the first
to cut his hair. She told him that the old man was his
Zaidie
(grandfather) - The term used until this day by
chassidim when speaking of the Baal Shem
Tov.
Following the joyous event, the Baal Shem Tov asked
the child's mother and aunt to return home and not to
reveal the events of the day.
Later on that day of Chai Elul, there was a special
gathering of the chassidim in celebration of the Baal
Shem Tov's birthday. The Baal Shem Tov spoke
about the Torah telling us that at three years of age
Avraham Avinu (The Patriarch, Abraham our Father)
recognized that there was one G·d.
The Baal
Shem
Tov continued: "There is a great Neshamah (soul) in
Poland that today reached the age of three years old
and has recognized the Creator. He too will undergo
Mesirus Nefesh (great self sacrifice) to reveal a new
teaching of the holy Torah that will touch the souls of
all Jews."
At that time there lived a great Torah scholar named
Rabbi Yissochar Dov of Kalbink. The Baal Shem Tov
arranged for him to be young Schneur Zalman's
teacher. He asked Reb Yissochar Dov not to tell
Schneur Zalman anything about him
Under the watchful eye of the Baal Shem Tov, the
young Schneur Zalman flourished in his studies. He
later became one of the 'Chevraya Kadisha' - the
Holy Brotherhood of disciples of the Rebbe Reb Dov
Ber, known as the Mezritcher Maggid, who would
spread the teachings of Chassidus
through eastern Europe. Later he become
known as 'The Alter Rebbe" -the first Rebbe of the
Chabad-Lubavitch.
And so it was.
Freely adapted by Tzvi Meir HaCohane
(Howard M. Cohn, Patent Attorney) from a story found
in Sefer HaToldos.
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TORAH BAAL SHEM TOV
Selection from Sefer Baal Shem Tov on the Torah
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"The L·rd whom you have glorified today to be your
G·d . . . .and the L·rd has glorified you today to be His
special nation" (Devorim 26:17-18)
It is written: "Israel, in whom I will be glorified." (Isaiah
49:3), and "the glory of Israel" (Lamentations 2:1).
That is, G·d cannot laud Himself, for who can
comprehend His essence? Therefore, He exalts
Himself in His children, like a father prides himself in
his son. With this love, G·d emanated the Children of
Israel, in order to be exalted through them. It comes
out that [spiritual] delight is revealed in this exaltation.
Kisvei Kodesh, p. 24c
Because you did not serve the L·rd your G·d in joy and
with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things.
(Ibid. 28:47)
When the leaders of the generation are happy, they
arouse joy in the entire world.
Dibras Shlomo, Shemini
Crying is exceptionally bad, for a person must serve
G·d with joy. But if he cries due to joy, that is very good.
Tzivos HaRivash, p. 6a
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 83
Ask for a sign (os) from the L·rd your G·d (Isaiah 7:11)
You should beseech the Holy One to give you a letter
(sign). That is, the letters [that you speak in Torah
study and prayer] should be from those that are
attached to the L·rd your G·d; i.e., you should merit
attaching them to their source.
Me' or Einayim, Ki Sisa
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 20
The Baal Shem Tov said that his soul did not want to
descend into this world because of the poisonous
serpents in each generation. (In the time of the Baal
Shem Tov, this most likely
refers to members of the Haskala, the
nascent "Jewish Enlightenment" movement.) For he
[feared that he]
would not be able to stand against them, G·d forbid,
and that they would upset him to the point that he
could not function. Therefore, [Heaven] gave him sixty
warriors - the souls of Tzaddikim - to protect him.
One of them was [Rabbi Meir Margoliot] the author of
Meir Nesivos, and others like him.
Nesiv Mitzvosecha, Nesiv HaTorah 1:13
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 109
The Baal Shem Tov taught: 1
Someone who tries to run away from pain and
distress will find that they follow him wherever he
goes. This is like a birthing woman who tries to
escape from her labor
pains by going somewhere else. Wherever she goes,
the pains go
along with her. The solution is to pray to G·d. Only that
will get rid of the pain and distress.
This is the meaning of the verse, "I called G·d in
distress; G·d answered me with
relief.2
This is also the meaning of the verse, "Egypt was
pursuing them," upon which the Israelites realized
their situation and, "The Israelites called out to
G·d."3
Indeed, right afterwards the verse says, "As you have
seen the Egyptians today, you will never see them
again."
"When all these things happen to you - the blessing
and the curse - then you will take it to heart. . . . and
return to G·d."
4
1Toldoth Yaakov Yoseph, Beshalach
#4.
2 Psalms 118:5.
sup>3
Exodus 14:10.
4 Ibid. v. 13. The Sefer Baal Shem Tov
on
that verse quotes a teaching of the Baal Shem Tov
that renders the verse to be saying, "Because you saw
the Egyptians today, you will never see them again."
That teaching is obviously based on the one here.
But the question is, how can we say that the
escape from distress - from Egypt - was in response
to the Israelites' prayer, when the intermediary verses
there relay their complaining to Moses?
The answer is, that on a deeper level, this teaching is
based upon another one, that as soon as one
realizes that one's distress comes from G·d, all
suffering disappears, although not necessarily the
painful situation itself.
Thus, the Israelites were
still confronted with what seemed like a dead-end,
about which they only humanly complained, despite
their having accepted their fate as coming from G·d.
But because they had acknowledged their "Egypt" -
their distress (the Hebrew letters for Egypt and
distress are identical) - as
coming from G·d, there was no longer any need for
them to be confronted with it, and they therefore never
had to see it again.
Translation and Commentary by Rabbi
Yehoshua
Starrett
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