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BAAL SHEM TOV STORY
Following the Weekly Torah Reading
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A DRY SUCCAH
"During these seven days you must live in Succahs
(thatched huts). This is so that future generations
will know that I (G d) had the Israelites live in
Succahs when I brought them out of Egypt."
Leviticus 23:42-43
One year, in the holy community of Kitov, it poured
with rained on the first night of Succoth. Rabbi
Chaim, a great Torah scholar and opponent to the
fledgling Chassidic movement ("the Sect"), was
slightly aggravated that he would not be unable to
enjoy the first night in the Succah (thatched hut
covered with schach [typically branches or bamboo]
so that the stars are visible). While waiting in his
house for the rain to abate, R. Chaim saw one of his
acquaintances casually walking down the street as if
he had already finished his Yom Tov meal in the
Succah. When Rabbi Chaim inquired as to where he
was going, the man told him that he was returning
from having dinner in the Succah of Rabbi Gershon
Kitover (the brother-in-law and close follower of the
Baal Shem Tov). "And Rabbi Chaim," he
continued, "there was a miracle there because not a
single drop of rain was falling through the
schach."
Rabbi Chaim asked his son to go to Rabbi Gershon's
Succah and see if it really wasn't raining there.
When his son came to the Rabbi Gershon's Succah,
he looked in and sure enough, everyone was sitting,
talking and eating. There was not a single drop of
rain coming through the schach into the Succah.
Rabbi Gershon invited Rabbi Chaim's son to join them
but he refused, explaining that he had to return to
have Yom Tov dinner with his father.
When the son returned, he told his father, R. Chaim,
that it was true. "Father, Rabbi Gershon was sitting
in his Succah, and I saw with my own eyes that
there was not even a single drop of rain coming into
the Succah."
Rabbi Chaim rolled his eyes. Of course he believed
his son's report but he wasn't that impressed. The
rain finally relented and Rabbi Chaim and his son went
into their own wet Succah for Kiddush and the Yom
Tov meal. Naturally, they discussed the miracle of
Rabbi Gershon's dry Succah and other miracles that
the so-called tzaddikim (Holy men) of The Sect were
able to do. Rabbi Chaim said, "In my opinion, creating
such miracles, as obviously done by our friend Rabbi
Gershon, is against the spirit of the Torah."
Early the next morning, Rabbi Chaim and Rabbi
Gershon met on their way to the mikveh (ritual bath),
in preparation for fulfilling the mitzvah of the lulav
and esrog.
"Rabbi," said Rabbi Gershon to Rabbi Chaim, "I
understand that you were sitting in your Succah last
night and speaking loshon hara (slander) about me."
Rabbi Chaim answered with astonishment, "How did
you find out about what I said in my Succah? I was
sitting there completely alone with my son. And I'm
sure he didn't tell you what I said. The only logical
answer is that a Heavenly angel told you. But that
seems impossible because an angel does not have
the authority to speak loshon hara."
Rabbi Gershon answered, "Our Sages teach us
that 'Whoever fulfills one mitzvah acquires one angel
to speak up in his defense, and whoever does one
transgression acquires one prosecuting angel to
speak against him.' So it was that prosecuting angel
who you created last night by your loshon hara about
me who came and told me what you said."
And so it was.
Freely adapted by Tzvi Meir HaCohane (Howard M.
Cohn, Patent Attorney) from a story found in
TREASURY OF CHASSIDIC TALES ON THE FESTIVALS
by Rabbi S.Y. Zevin
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THE PILLAR OF PRAYER
The Baal Shem Tov's Teachings on Prayer
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Section 35
A person should strengthen himself before praying so
that he will, at least, not have foreign thoughts, or
[ideally, pray] with devekus. He does this by first
reciting psalms or studying Torah, and then rising to
pray amidst those words. Then he will have presence
of mind.1 Yet, there are some people
for whom saying psalms or studying Torah decreases
their ability to concentrate. Thus, it says: "One
gives a lot and another a little, as long as his heart is
directed to heaven" (Menachos 110a) — as
long as he has the consciousness to pray, in which
case, they are equal. This answers the question of
the Turei Zahav.2
Toldos Yaakov Yosef, p. 92a
1Literally, "Then he will have mohin —
mentalities," a kabbalistic term for states of
consciousness: mohin d'gadlus, "expanded
consciousness," or mohin d'katnus, "constricted
consciousness."
2On the Shulchan Aruch, Orach
Chaim 1:3.
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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Rabbi Nachman1 said that descendents
of the Baal
Shem Tov are particularly accustomed to crying out
to G-d at all times. This is because they are
descendents of King David, whose whole life was
devoted to this — that he should break his heart
constantly to G-d. This is the essence of the Book
of Psalms.
Likutey Moharan II:100
1Rabbi Nachman was himself a great-
grandson of the
Baal Shem Tov.
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 37
The Baal Shem Tov taught:
The purpose of light-hearted conversation before
Torah study is because human consciousness
vacillates between a constricted state of mind,
called "katnuth [immature] ha'mochin," and an
expanded state of mind, called "gadluth [mature]
ha'mochin." These different states of mind are
alluded to in the verse, "The chayoth/angels run to
and fro."1 In order to rise from a
constricted state
of "immaturity" to an expanded state of "maturity,"
one can make use of light-hearted jesting, thus
opening his mind to learning and coming closer to
G d.2
Hence, the Talmud3 tells of two saintly
men who
would jest with people in order to alleviate their
suffering, after which there was coming together of
hearts, and they were able to elevate
them.4
This is also alluded to in the verse, "[Abraham] took
his two youths with him, and his son, Isaac," for by
using jest5 with holy intentions, one is
able to elevate
the years6 of one's youth7
with him as well.
1Ezekiel 1:14. This means that
the angels are in
constant fluctuation between proximity to, and
distance from G d, and this is mirrored in the
fluctuation of human consciousness, as said here.
The need for this fluctuation is so that the created
being be able to maintain its sense of existence as
seemingly separate from G d, for if it were to come
to the absolute realization and experience that it in
reality, it is non-existent outside of G d, it would
indeed lose this seemingly "independent" existence
and be swallowed by the Divine Existence.
This spiritual phenomenon is mirrored in the waning
and waxing in the physical world, as is evident from
the moon's cycles, the waves of the ocean, and all
the inherent cycles that we find at all levels in the
natural world.
2Rebbe Nachman speaks profusely about
how joy
opens the mind and frees it of the bonds and
constrictions of the normal states of consciousness,
proclaiming, "It is a great mitzvah to always be
happy!" (LM I 89; 222; 282; II 10; 24).
Indeed,
modern research has verified that a happy state of
mind has very positive effects on the brain and hence
on the entire body. But the point made here is to
use this positive and expansive state of body/mind to
come closer to G d. On a deeper level, this very
state of being is itself a proximity to G d, as is for
that matter any type of pleasure, since it is G d's
intention to provide us with pleasure, and all
pleasures are in fact a constriction of Himself, so to
speak, the Source of all pleasures.
3Tractate Ta'anith 22a
4Toldoth Yaakov Yoseph, Behar
#13
5As known, Isaac's name comes from
the root of
laughing, and indeed, his mother Sarah gave him this
name with that intention — "Whoever hears [that I
gave birth at such an advanced age] will laugh"
(Genesis 12:6).
6The Hebrew word for two can also
mean years.
7"Youth" here refers to one's immature
consciousness.
Translation and Commentary by Rabbi Yehoshua
Starrett
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