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BAAL SHEM TOV STORY
Following the Weekly Torah Reading
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COCK-A-DOODLE-DO!
And then there was the time that in a small village
near the holy community of Medzibush (the home of
the Baal Shem Tom), there lived a simple boy. He
had only received a basic Jewish education and could
barely read the "aleph bais" (the Hebrew alphabet).
He had left cheder (Hebrew school for young Jewish
boys) at a young age to help
his father care for the small farm they leased from
the local Poritz (Noblemen). The boy would care for
the few animals they had - one old cow and a few
chickens.
The boy had one strange skill: He would sing to his
chickens as he went about his chores in the chicken-
coop, and the chickens would always lay an
abundance of eggs - more than any other chickens
on the surrounding farms. Everyone who passed by
could hear his "cock-a-doodle-do."
When the boy reached the age of twelve, his father
said: "My son, you are old enough to go with me to
Medzibush for the high holidays, and to pray at the
shule (synagogue) of the Holy Rabbi Yisrael (the Baal
Shem Tov)."
Several days before Yom Kippur, the man and his son
embarked on their journey with a group traveling from
their village to Medzibush. They arrived just in time
to settle in at the local inn, immerse in the mikveh
and rush to the Baal Shem Tov's shule for Kol
Nidrei.
The shule was packed. People stood in silent
thought, the men in their white kittels (traditional
robes for the High Holidays) and Talleisim (prayer
shawls), and the women in their finest clothes. The
boy was deeply affected by the solemnity of the
scene. All stood in preparation for the holy Day of
Judgment when the fate of each man is decided.
Each person sought forgiveness for past
transgressions and to be inscribed in the Book of Life
for a New Year of health, happiness, healthy children
and sustenance.
Father and son stood shoulder to shoulder in the
crowded shule. The boy stood staring into his
machzor (holiday prayer book), but could hardly read
a word. He stood watching the chazzan lead the
prayers as tears streamed down his cheeks. All
around him people stood with their eyes closed in
prayer.
As the sky darkened on that night of Kol Nidrei, the
Baal Shem Tov realized that there was a judgment in
Heaven against the People of Israel. That night, and
the whole next day of Yom Kippur, the Baal Shem
Tov stood in deep prayer and meditation. The boy
felt that something was wrong. The Chassidim
gathered about in grave concern as their Rebbe
stood motionless at his shtender (prayer stand).
Word had spread that something was amiss, and
people began to weep with a feeling of
dread.
The boy turned to his father and asked, "Why is
everyone so upset and worried?" But his father only
answered with a "Shah!" (Be quiet!). "We are all
praying that G d should have mercy!" The boy
couldn't take it! Suddenly, without thinking, he took
a deep breath and burst out as loudly as he
could, "Cock-a-doodle-do! G d have mercy on
us!"
The entire congregation was horrified! The men
yelled angrily, "Keep quiet you fool!" and the women
mumbled among themselves. Somebody asked the
boy to leave the shule, but he refused. "I am a
Jew! Where should I go on Yom Kippur?"
At that moment, the Baal Shem Tov stirred. He
stepped back three steps indicating the completion
of his silent prayer, and began to sing a joyful
melody. Finally, the Shofar blew and the holy day of
Yom Kippur ended. The Baal Shem Tov's face was
radiant. As he walked from the shule wishing
everyone well, he paused in front of the young boy,
and nodded with a broad, warm smile.
That night, as he sat at the festive meal with his
close followers, the Baal Shem Tov spoke of a grave
threat that hung over the community from the
moment the holy day began. "I tried my best to
intercede, but the Heavenly Court would not hear my
arguments. But just as the sentence was about to
be sealed, a strange sound rang out throughout the
Heavens: 'Cock-a-doodle-do! G d have mercy on
us!' The Heavenly Court was so pleased with this
prayer that came from the depths of a simple Jewish
soul that, thank G d, the decree against our
community was annulled."
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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TORAH BAAL SHEM TOV
Selection from Sefer Baal Shem Tov on the Torah
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The Importance of Pacing
Oneself
Do not overdo the recitation of Psalms before prayer,
so as not to tire yourself out to the extent that you
would not be able to fulfill the essential daily prayer
obligation - the Prayer Psalms of Pesukei
dZimra, the recitation of the Sh'ma, and the
Amidah with proper Devekut(devotional
concentration), on
account of your energy having been spent before
prayer with [pious] preparations. Rather, begin the
actual prayer with Devekut, and if [at the end
of the 'formal' prayer] G d grants you additional
strength, then recite [additional] Psalms or the Song
of Songs,1 with Devekut. So
too on Yom Kippur before the final Neilah
Prayer, pace yourself by reciting the Machzor
without such great concentration2 so
that afterwards you can pray3 with
great devotional concentration [Devekut].
1Perhaps this refers to the prayer-time
at the entry of the Shabbat.
2It is interesting to note in this
connection that in the Lurianic contemplative
practices for Yom Kippur the period of the Minchah
prayer is one of recapitulation, getting ready for the
final surge of theurgic 'progress' to take place during
the Neilah prayer. See Pri Etz Hayim Shaar
Yom haKippurim, end of chapter 1.
3The most important Neilah
Prayer
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 34
"And yours, my G d, is kindness; for You repay each
man
according to his deeds." (Psalms 62:13)
The problem with this verse is well known. But it
seems that it can be explained according to
something the Baal Shem Tov once said. Once,
there was a great accusation on Yom Kippur (against
the Jewish people). The Satan said that he was not
accusing wicked people at all; rather, the problem
was with the G d-fearing Jews, who pray each day in
synagogue. For on their way to prayer, they may
see a wagon full of wood, and they stop to bargain
over the price. For the small discount the seller
gives them, they come late to services, and miss
Borchu and Kedusha.
None of the defending angels could rebut this, but
the Baal Shem Tov came to their defense. True, he
said, that a mitzvah can be lost before it is done
over some trifling amount. However, once they
fulfilled the mitzvah, they would not sell it for the
greatest fortune, even the rashest person.
With this argument, he sweetened the harsh
judgments. This is the meaning of: "And yours, my
G d, is
kindness; for You repay each man according to his
deeds." That is, according to his love of the mitzvah
after he does it, not before.
Degel Machane Reuven 59
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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On the eve of Yom Kippur, they wanted to prohibit
the [poor] people from sitting with their begging
bowls [in synagogue], because the noise disturbed
the prayers. But the Baal Shem Tov told them not to
do so. He related that once, the impure shells joined
forces [to overcome the side of holiness], but
because of the rattling of the coins on the eve of
Yom Kippur, they were completely dispersed.
Midrash Pinchas HaChadash 55
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 35
"Once, the king of beasts, the lion, became enraged
with his subjects. The beasts gathered together to
decide
how to appease him. The fox said that he would
lead them to the lion, since he knew three hundred
parables with which to appease the lion. They all
followed the fox. But little by little, as the got closer
to the lion, the fox said that he had
forgotten a portion of his parables. And by the time
they reached the lion, he had forgotten everything.
Therefore, the fox said, each one should approach
the
king and appease him to the best of his
abilities."
The fox's intention from the beginning, though, was
only that they all follow him and surrender to the
king, which is why he initially claimed what he
did.
Similarly, the Baal Shem Tov urged people not to rely
on the prayers of the prayer leader on the Days of
Awe, but that each individual should pray for
himself.1
1This Midrash and the idea presented
here are found in the Ma'or Va'Shemesh (Shemini;
Va'Yelekh), although not explicitly in the Baal
Shem Tov's name. He presents it as relating to the
tzaddik, who urges people to follow him to G d, but
then tells them that the main thing is their own effort.
Translation and Commentary by Rabbi Yehoshua
Starrett
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