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BAAL SHEM TOV STORY
Following the Weekly Torah Reading
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THE LAST
MOMENTS
"When Israel realized he would soon die, he called his
son." (Bereishis 47:49)
And then there was the time that on the day of his
death (the first day of Shavuos), the Baal Shem Tov
was in his bed surrounded by his closest Chassidim.
Only Reb Hershelah Tzvi, the Baal Shem Tov's son,
was absent. The Chassidim warily asked, "Rebbe,
don't you want to give your son a few last
instructions?"
The Baal Shem Tom answered with a sigh, "How can
I? He is still sleeping."
So a few Chassidim rushed out to wake Reb
Hershelah. "Reb Hershelah, quick, wake up, your
father is getting ready to leave the world."
"No," answered Reb Hershelah with a shock, "that's
impossible. I don't believe my father is
dying."
"Reb Hershelah," they said with a solemn voice, "the
Rebbe said that he will die today."
Reb Hershelah quickly got dressed and rushed to his
father's room. When he arrived at his father's side,
Reb Hershelah started weeping, "Father, Father,
please don't leave us."
The Baal Shem Tov reached out and held his son's
hand. "My dear son, I'm going to depart from this
world. One thing I want you to know is that you
have a very holy soul. When your mother and I
conceived you, the very Heavens shook. At that
time, I had the power to bring any soul I chose, even
that of Adam Harishon (the first man). I selected
your soul because it was very holy and possessed all
that you will need."
"Please father, tell me something before you depart,"
requested Reb Hershelah.
So the Baal Shem Tov started to speak to his son,
but his voice was barely audible.
"Father, I can't understand what you are trying to
tell me," said the distraught Reb
Hershelah.
The Baal Shem Tov gathered his strength and spoke
louder, "My dearest son, there is nothing that I can
do now. Just listen and remember this
Name."
And then the Baal Shem Tov motioned to his son to
come closer. Reb Hershelah bent down very near to
his father and the Baal Shem Tov whispered the
Name to him. Then he said, "Whenever you
concentrate on this Name, I will come and study with
you."
Reb Hershelah spoke, "But what if I forget the
Name?"
"Come close to me again," said the Baal Shem
Tov, "and I'll tell you a way of remembering the
Name."
After the Baal Shem Tov whispered the way to
remember to Reb Hershelah, he closed his eyes and
his soul ascended.
And to this day, no one knows the Name or how to
remember the Name.
And so it was.
Freely adapted by Tzvi Meir HaCohane
(Howard M. Cohn, Patent Attorney) from a story
found 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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"And Jacob called to his sons and said, 'Gather
yourselves together, that I may tell you what will
happen to you in the end of days.'" (Genesis
49:1)
Jacob said, "What will happen" — because the
redemption will seem to just happen.1
Everyone will be busy with their work, not thinking
about it at all, and suddenly, the Messiah will
come.
Yalkut Moshe, Vayechi
The Baal Shem Tov said that in the process of the
Messiah's coming, no one will have to die, G d
forbid.
Midrash Pinchas, p. 28
1The word mikreh in Hebrew means "an
occurrence," and has the implication of a chance
happening.
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 48
Likewise, if a person falls from his level [of
attachment] in the middle of the prayers, he should
say the words with even a little bit of concentration —
as much as possible. Afterward, he should try to
regain his [previous] level, even if it requires many
attempts.
At first, one should cling to the form of the
word,1 and then, give the word its
soul.2 One should start
by applying all of his physical energy,3
and then the
power of his soul will shine in him, as the Zohar
states: "When wood does not burn, hit it and it will
light."4 Finally, he will be able to serve
G d with his
thoughts alone, without any physical
motions.
Tzava'as HaRivash, p.7a
1Literally, the "body" of the word.
2A person's ability to concentrate
comes from a
revelation of the soul. The Baal Shem Tov
taught, "Concentration (or "intention") is the soul,
and this is mystical attachment." When a person
puts all of his concentration into the words of
prayers, he divests his soul of its physicality. The
soul can then enter into the letters, which now give
birth to new revelations of G dliness. See Kesser
Shem Tov, part 2, p. 4d.
3Meaning, a person should put all of his
physical
energy into the prayers, such as by praying in a loud
voice, with swaying movements of the body, or with
ecstatic gestures.
4Zohar 3:168a. Pre-Chasidic
ethical texts interpreted
this statement as referring to self-affliction; i.e.,
breaking the body in order to release the soul.
However, the path of asceticism was rejected by the
Baal Shem Tov, who stressed the efficacy of loudly-
recited prayers and ecstatic physical movements to
arouse the concentration and emotions.
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 39
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 66
"I searched for my soul's beloved, but I did not find
him."1
G d, the King of Kings, conceals Himself within many
different "garments," and behind many different
walls. These include the thoughts that distract us
from
Torah study and prayer. As the Zohar says, the
Light is surrounded by the darkness, as in the above
parable of the King.2
However, for knowledgeable people who know that
there is no place absent of G d's presence,
such "concealments" are not concealments for
them.
This is alluded to in the verse, "Our leaders — our
Aluph — are bearable."3 This means that
when we are aware that G d — the Aluph/Leader of
the world — is in all places and all situations, then all
suffering is bearable.4
1Song of Songs 3:2
2On the other hand, it is only because
we live in the darkness and only because G d
conceals
Himself, that we even search for the Light and seek
to find G d. This idea is included in the kabbalistic
teaching that G d's constricting the Light — the
tzimtzum — was the greatest act of love on G d's
part. For without it, man would never have been
able
to find G d.
3Psalms 144:14
4Rebbe Nachman of Breslov is quoted as
saying, "When we lose our health, Who is taking it, if
not G d? When we lose a child, Who takes him, if not
G d?" (Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom, Breslov Research
Institute, p. 335-336).
Translation and Commentary by Rabbi Yehoshua
Starrett
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