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BAAL SHEM TOV STORY
Following the Weekly Torah Reading
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THE
EXCHANGE
And then there was the time that the Simchat Torah
festivities were taking place in Medzibush. Simchat
Torah at the Baal Shem Tov's shule was an
unforgettable experience. On this one day of the
year, the Chassidim got so carried away with fervent
dancing and drinking, that they were transported to
other worlds. Even one such experience in the Baal
Shem Tov's shule was cherished for a
lifetime.
On one particular year, the joy was more pronounced
than ever
before. The Chassidim danced in a circle carrying
the Torahs hour after hour. They actually felt the
presence of the Shechina in their midst.
After several hours, Reb Yaakov had to stop dancing
because his shoe tore apart. He was miserable. It
was just not the same looking on as being within the
circle of Chassidim. Besides being his only pair of
shoes, he was well aware that he would not be able
to afford a new pair of shoes.
The Baal Shem Tov's daughter Adel noticed Reb
Yaakov sitting at the side of the room, saw his torn
shoes, and understood the situation. She went over
to Reb Yaakov and said, "If you promise me a son by
next year, I will bring you a new pair of
shoes."
While such a promise would not normally be easily
given, the Chassidim close to the Baal Shem Tov
possessed powers similar to those of their Rebbe.
After thinking for a few minutes, Reb Yaakov
promised The Baal Shem Tov's married daughter Adel
that she would bear a son by the next year. She
immediately brought him a pair of shoes. He put the
shoes on and lost no time in joining his
friends.
By the following year, Reb Boruch, the Baal Shem
Tov's grandson, was born to Adel and her husband
Yechiel Ashkenazi.
And so it was.
Freely adapted by Tzvi Meir Cohane (Howard M.
Cohn, Patent Attorney) from a story in SIPUREI
BESHT as translated in STORIES OF THE BAAL SHEM
TOV by Y.Y. Klapholtz
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TORAH BAAL SHEM TOV
Selection from Sefer Baal Shem Tov on the Torah
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"And to Levi he said.."(Devarim 33:8)
That is, "to Levi" — to one who is attached to
G d,1 "He said" — the Holy One Himself
says Torah,
and he does not need to overly exert himself [when
studying].
Likutim Yikarim, p. 32a
1The name Levi is from the
word "loveh," which
means "to accompany" or "to be joined with," as in
the following verse. "And she conceived again, and
bore a
son; and said: 'Now this time my husband will be
joined to me, because I have born him three sons.'
Therefore his name was called Levi." (Bereishis
29:34).
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 36
Do not recite too many psalms [in the morning]
before prayer, as not to weaken yourself from fulling
your daily obligation — the Verses of Song,
the Shema, and the Amidah — with great spiritual
attachment. First recite the main parts with
devekus, and if G d gives you more strength, you
can afterward say Psalms or the Song of Songs in
devekus. On Yom Kippur, too, say the prayers
before Ne'ilah in a state of constricted
consciousness, so that you can afterward pray with
devekus.
Tzava'as HaRivash, p. 4b
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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Another positive trait of our Rabbi, the Baal Shem
Tov, was that the light of the Messiah began to
shine with him — a tradition we have received from
Tzaddikim, the foundations of the world. The Baal
Shem Tov himself asked the Messiah, "When will
Master come?" and the latter replied, "When your
teachings are known throughout the
world."1 Thus,
G d arranged for many great Jewish sages to become
his students.
Divrei Shalom, Introduction
1"It is known that the Messiah told the
Baal Shem
Tov that his coming depends upon the spreading of
the Baal Shem Tov's disciples throughout the world.
Therefore, whenever a book based upon the
teachings of the Baal Shem Tov is introduced to the
world, it hastens the redemption." (Divrei Shalom,
p.
12a)
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 38
The Baal Shem Tov taught:
Any fear of something in the external world that rises
in a person's heart is actually G d's right arm
outstretched to rouse him to an existential fear [of
G d].1 Thus, when a person becomes
aware that this fearful experience is really G d's
kindness meant to rouse him, this fear is transformed
into love, because one then accepts it with love, and
one is thus released from that fear.
For the fear [of G d] permeates all creatures and all
worlds,2 and the underlying source of all
fears is the deep, inner, existential fear of G d.
Thus, even the fear of something external in the
material world that rises in a person's heart is meant
to rouse him to the fear of G d. This is G d's
kindness, His right arm outstretched and begging man
to become aroused to fear Him, as referred to in the
verse, "What does G d ask of you besides fearing
G d."3
If a person would be aware of G d's kindness and
love towards him, in His sending him this fear of
something external so that he become roused to an
inner fear of G d, then his fear is transformed into
love, since he accepts the fear with complete love,
and he is released from the fear. However, if one's
sole intention is to become released from the fear,
then this will not happen.4
This is the meaning of the teaching, "Vis-à-vis
Moses, fear is a minor thing,"5 that is,
from fear of a sage it is easy to reach fear of
G d.6
1In the text, and Chassidic texts in
general, these fears are respectively called Yir'ah
Chitzonith and Yir'ah Pnimith, literally, an external or
superficial fear and an internal fear, alluding to the
teaching relayed here that the two are indeed just
two levels of the same thing. In fact, the experience
of fear itself is one and the same, and the difference
is only how we perceive it. Do we become afraid of
the superficial appearance that merely enclothes the
Divine presence, or do we behold the Divine presence
Itself, and stand in awe in front of It? (see
Toldoth Yaakov Yoseph #5; Degel Machaneh
Ephraim, VaYishlach, Ki Yareh).
2Fear for one's life — and all fear is a
response to a situation perceived as a danger to
one's life in some way — is actually something very
existential to all living creatures, as is readily
evidenced in the lower forms of life, and this fear is
related to the survival instinct. However, on a
deeper level, this existential fear can be traced back
to the fact that ultimately, all creatures draw their
lives from G d at every single moment. Hence, since
G d can withdraw this life force at any given
moment, it is only natural that at a very deep and
unconscious level, all creatures have an existential
fear of survival, knowing that G d can indeed
withdraw the spirit of life within them, and hence,
this fear is actually a fear of G d (see Degel
Machaneh Ephraim, Korach, q.v. Va'ani, Balak, q.v.
V'yesh).
3Devarim 10:12
4As with everything, an ulterior motive
does not achieve its goal. Here too, one must
completely surrender to the fear and accept it as
G d's love, and only then is it transformed, but if one
is trying to be released from the fear, one has not
surrendered to it.
5Tractate Berakhoth 32b
6That is, while surrendering to the fear
of a fearful situation in real life is not always easy,
surrendering to the fear and awe that one has of a
great sage and holy man is much easier, and it is
that much easier to see G d through him.
Translation and Commentary by Rabbi Yehoshua
Starrett
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