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BAAL SHEM TOV STORY
Following the Weekly Torah Reading
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THE
PROFESSOR
"When your brother becomes impoverished, and
cannot support himself in the community, you must
come to his aid." (Leviticus 12:3)
And then there was the time that the Baal Shem Tov
once sent a group of his closest Chassidim on a
mission to a distant town. On their arrival, they went to
pay their respects to the Rabbi of the town, who was
also a Chassid of the Baal Shem Tov.
As they sat with the Rabbi, he began to
expound on a topic close to the heart of the Baal
Shem Tov, the value of a Jewish neshamah. The
words of the Rabbi seemed familiar to the Chassidim
but they could not recall when they had heard them
before.
Before returning to Mezibush, the
Chassidim again visited the Rabbi. The Rabbi asked
why they seemed somewhat puzzled by his teaching
on the topic of the Neshama the previous week.
"Your teaching is somewhat familiar to us, but we
cannot place where or when we heard it before." They
replied.
The Rabbi smiled. "The truth is you did hear it before."
He then related the following story.
One Thursday evening, the Baal
Shem Tov invited several of his closest Chassidim to
accompany him on a journey. As was often the case,
once they were on the road, he instructed Alexei, his
driver, to drop the reins and allow the horses go
where they wished. Alexei did so, and after several
nips from his bottle of vodka, was soon fast asleep.
As the horses traveled through the night, the Baal
Shem Tov fell into a deep state of mediation.
At dawn they stopped to pray Shacharis (the morning
prayers). They then continued on their journey to an
unknown destination. As the holy Shabbos
approached, they arrived at a town where there was
almost no Jewish inhabitants.
The horses came to a stop in front of an old, run down
shack. An elderly Jewish man ran out and began to
wave his hands in excitement: "Quick, leave! - Leave
immediately! Don't you know where you are? "This
village is only here because of a famous school. Only
the students, their teachers, and people that work at
the school are allowed to live here. It is forbidden for a
Jew to even enter the town! Please leave quickly
before someone attacks you, as they've done to
others before you. Your very lives may be in danger if
you stay a minute longer!"
The Baal Shem Tov calmly said: "Reb Yid, please
don't worry. We are not afraid. May we spend the holy
Shabbos with you? I promise that nothing will happen
to you or us over the holy Shabbos."
The old man suddenly became calm. He realized
there was something special about this rabbi, and he
consented and invited them into his modest home.
The Baal Shem Tov, together with his Chassidim and
their host made exactly a minyan. The Baal Shem Tov
davened Minchah with such enthusiasm and feeling
that the Chassidim knew that it was to be a very
special Shabbos.
Suddenly, a mob of screaming boy-students of the
town's school broke through the front door. The host
was petrified. He ran to the corner of the room,
crouched down and covered his eye so not to see the
brawl that was about to happen.
But all was quite! The hooligan boys, who moments
ago were screaming and shaking their fists, were
frozen! - Unable to move. All that could be heard was
the sweet words of the Baal Shem Tov's prayers. As
the Baal Shem Tov concluded praying the Amidah, the
mob of lads turned, and quietly tiptoed out of the
house. The host could not believe it, and let out a sigh
of relief.
But a few moments later, there was a knock on the
door, and in strode one of the well know professors of
the town school. The host began to panic again, as
this professor was known as a notorious anti-semite.
As with the mob of students, the professor's attention
was captured by the prayers of the Baal Shem Tov.
When the Baal Shem Tov had completed his prayers,
the professor approached the elderly Jew and asked
him when the guest would be praying again. The old
man replied that the Rabbi would probably pray the
evening prayers after nightfall. The professor asked if
he could stay, and sat quietly waiting.
As darkness fell, the Baal Shem Tov led the evening
prayers. Afterwards, all sang Shalom Aleichem,
recited Kiddush, and began their Shabbos meal.
Throughout the meal, the Baal Shem Tov spoke
words of Torah. He explained the holiness of a
Jewish neshamah and how a soul descends to this
world to inhabit a Jew's body to fulfill its Divine
mission. "Often," he explained, "this mission consists
of doing only one simple material or spiritual favor for
a fellow Jew. Just for this one favor has this
neshamah descended from the Heavenly realms to
this lowly world." Throughout the meal, the professor
listened spellbound to the words of the Baal Shem
Tov.
The following morning the professor returned again,
and again sat in the corner throughout the Shacharis
service. He remained for the Shabbos Kiddush and
meal. Again, the Baal Shem Tov expounded on the
uniqueness of the Jewish people, and related
miraculous stories from the Talmud and ancient
times. The professor was mesmerized, and after the
meal quietly slipped out of the house.
Once again at Minchah and the subsequent Shalosh
Seudos meal, the professor returned, remaining until
after Ma'ariv and Havdalah. Throughout this time he
did not utter a single word, but gazed intently at the
Baal Shem Tov. After Havdalah the professor
departed, and the Baal Shem Tov instructed Alexei to
harness the horses.
As before, the horses led themselves back to
Mezibush. During the return journey, the Baal Shem
Tov was in a cheerful mood. When the Chassidim
asked the Baal Shem Tov the reason for the trip, he
replied: "One day you will know the reason."
"And now," concluded the Rabbi to the Chassidim of
the Baal Shem Tov, "just imagine my face without this
long beard." The Chassidim gasped in
disbelief. "Yes, I am that professor who spent that
magical Shabbos with the Baal Shem Tov."
The Rabbi went on to explain how as a youth, he had
distanced himself from his faith. Yet the miraculous
powers of the Baal Shem Tov had awakened his
soul. "Throughout that Shabbos I felt my soul
churning inside me. After Havdalah I resolved to
return to my people. I studied at a yeshivah and later
was appointed as Rabbi of this town."
It was then that Chassidim understood the reason for
their saintly Rebbe's journey to that town so many
years earlier - to bring a Jewish soul back to fulfill its
G·d given mission.
And so it was.
Freely adapted by Tzvi Meir Cohane (Howard M. Cohn,
Patent Attorney) from a story in Slumbering Souls.
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Sefer Baal Shem Tov
The Baal Shem Tov's Teachings on the Torah
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If you sell something to your neighbor, or buy from
your neighbor's hand, you shall not wrong one
another. (Leviticus 25:14)
Everyday business transactions are also service [of
G·d] and Torah,1 for there are
many laws that pertain to them. For instance, the
Mishnah says: "One who exchanges a cow for a
donkey.. . . "2 If a person who studies
this
piece of Torah for G·d's sake is very important
to G·d, how much more so if he actually
performs the act and exchanges a cow for a donkey,
conducting himself according to the Torah in this
case. This is surely considered an even greater form
of worship!
G·d created the entire world for
the sake of His honor, and everything, from the
smallest to the greatest, operates only according to
the Torah (except for the nations, who are guided by
the constellations). It is possible to serve G·d
and recognize His wonders in everything, and to
perceive the Supernal Intellect in all. Even a simple
person who conducts himself according to Torah,
with "a just weight, a just measure, a just
scale,"3 also fulfills a commandment.
The Sages said: "One who sits and does not sin is
rewarded as if he performed a
mitzvah."4 A person who acts this way is
constantly involved in Torah, even when he is busy
with his merchandise.
Ma'or Eynayim, Shabbat, p. 5.
1Not Torah study per se, but "Torah" in
the broadest sense of the word, as the embodiment of
G·d's will in the world.
2Bava Metziah 100a.
3Based upon Leviticus 19:36.
7Kiddushin 39b. Although the Talmud
concludes that this refers to a person was given the
opportunity to sin yet he refrained from doing so, the
Baal Shem Tov interprets it to mean that even a
person involved with everyday activities is fulfilling the
Torah, so long as he does not sin.
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 119.
May his prayer be turned into sin. . . May
his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow. . ..
May the creditor confiscate all that is his. . . (Psalms
109: 7,9,11).
Why is the wicked man punished by his
wife and children being widowed and orphaned? The
Baal Shem Tov explained this with a statement from
the Talmud: "What is more important? Torah study or
deed?. . . . Study is greater because it leads to
deed."1 But this implies that action is
greater. Rather, Torah study has two aspects, as our
Rabbis have said: "Whoever studies the teachings of
the Olah sacrifice, is considered to have offered
it."2 Therefore, he achieves them both,
which is not the case with action alone.
Now, the nefesh-soul enclothes the ruach,
and the ruach enclothes the neshama. Therefore, the
nefesh is the "wife" in relationship to the ruach, and
the ruach is the "wife" in relationship to the
neshama,3 as our Sages have said: "He
swallows up a Tzaddik greater than
him."4 Thus, David was also speaking
about5 Do'eg and Achitofel, who did
learn Torah, which is considered the "feminine
waters"6 in relationship to prayer, as the
Maharsha writes, that the whole Torah is a
preparation for attaining "fear of G·d," which is
prayer.7
Then, in prayer, they bestow upon the
person "masculine waters," corresponding to
the "feminine waters." When a person studies Torah
selflessly, the masculine waters reflect back the
feminine waters,8 but when he studies
for personal motives, that becomes reflected back to
him in his prayers. Then, his "prayers are turned to
sin," for they confound his prayers with extraneous
thoughts. His "wife," who is his nefesh, becomes a
widow, for she does not clothe the ruach, providing it
with "feminine waters." And his "children" which are
his good deeds, become orphans. For the Torah is
called "deed," as we mentioned above, and because
he studied for ulterior motives, his good deeds
wander off and do not ascend. Thus, they are
orphans.
"May the creditor confiscate all that is
his. . . " This is the evil inclination who "loans" him
mitzvos to feel haughty, or to study Torah, which is
called "deed," for the sake of honor. And so will they
give him "masculine waters" from above - great evils
and troubles. Then his creditor, the evil inclination,
comes to collect his loan, as it is written: "May the
creditor confiscate all that is his."9
Toldos Yaakov Yosef, p. 208d
1Kidushin 40b.
2Menachos 110a.
3This follows the kabbalistic division of
the world into "lights" and "vessels," which correspond
to the archetypes of "masculine" and "feminine."
Lights are always enclosed in vessels (as the soul is
enclothed in the body). Thus, that which is outer is
feminine to that which it contains.
4Megilah 6b: "Rav Huna said, What does
it means: 'Why do You look on when they deal
treacherously, and hold Your peace when the wicked
swallows up one who is more righteous than he?"
(Habakkuk 1:13)? One who is more righteous than he,
he can swallow up, but the perfectly righteous (Tzadik
gamur) he cannot swallow up." The Baal Shem Tov
uses this as another example of the paradigm of
lights and vessels. In this case, the corrupt "vessel" of
the evil man "swallows up" (i.e. covers) the Tzadik. In
this sense, the wicked are feminine in relationship to
the Tzadik. This was the case of King David and his
two enemies: Do'eg Ha'Adomi (a servant of King
Saul - I Samuel 22), and Achitofel HaGiloni (who
sided with David's son, Avshalom, during the latter's
rebellion - 2 Samuel 15). Thus, the Baal Shem Tov
states that they learned Torah (despite their
wickedness), which makes them feminine in
relationship to David, who was the embodiment of
prayer (that descends from Above).
5In the verse from Psalms, above.
6"Feminine waters" or "masculine
waters" refer to spiritual influences that either ascend
from below, or descend from above, respectively.
7This cannot be found in the
commentary of the Maharsha. Still, see Rashi on
Yoma 72b, s.v. "Va'tirah sh'peiresh."
8With pure prayers.
9The Baal Shem Tov may mean
here, "all the is the creditor's," since it was he who
gave the person these mitzvos in the first place.
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 3.
The Zohar says, "If a person is
worthy, Heaven gives him the nefesh-soul. If he is
more worthy, Heaven gives him the ruach-soul. If he is
even more worthy, Heaven gives him the neshama-
soul. If he is still more worthy, Heaven gives him the
neshama to the neshama-soul."1 Rabbi
Mordechai of Chernobyl2 said that the
Baal Shem Tov attained the neshama to the neshama-
soul.
It is known that the nefesh-soul comes from the
spiritual world of Asiyah (Action), the ruach -soul from
the spiritual world of Yetzirah (Formation), the
neshama -soul from the spiritual world of Beriyah
(Creation), and the neshama to the neshama -soul
from the spiritual world of Atzilus (emanation).The
soul of Baal Shem Tov was from the spiritual world of
Atzilus.3
Tzror HaChaim in the name of the Trisker
Rav4
11Zohar 2:94b
21770-1837 son of Rabbi Menachem
Nachum Twerski of Chernobyl, a student of the Baal
Shem Tov.
3This is the highest of the four spiritual
worlds. See Zohar Chai by the Komarno Rebbe: "Our
Master the Baal Shem Tov merited the nefesh-soul
from the world of Atzilus, and our Master the Arizal
merited the ruach-soul [from the world of Atzilus]."
4Rav Avromole, one of the eight sons of
Reb Mordecai of Chernobyl.
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 152
"G·d tips [the scales of justice] towards
kindness.
How? One opinion says by pushing down [the side of
merit], and another opinion says by lifting [the side of
sin]. And this is the procedure, but sin itself is not
erased."1
The Baal Shem Tov taught2:
The three channels of Chesed/Gevurah/Tiferet expand
from the highest heights till the lowest depths, the
realm of the kelipot. Hence, bliss, which is
Chesed/Kindness in the realm of holiness above,
becomes prostituted into gross carnal pleasure in the
realm of the kelipot. This is the meaning of the
teaching that what is oneg, bliss, on a higher level, is
nega, a pestilence, on a lower level.3
Similarly, the channel of Tiferet/Grandeur becomes
distorted into arrogance in the realm of the kelipot,
and the channel of Gevurah/Harshness becomes
distorted into anger and idolatry in the realm of the
kelipot.
This can be compared to a flame bound to a coal,
each one in the other, all the way up to the highest
levels.4 Only on lower levels is without
Daat, as alluded in the mystery of, "The Daat of
women is lax,"5 since the wicked
are "feminine," in that their Daat is lax. On higher
levels, though, it is with Daat, in that one applies one's
Daat to derive more pleasure from serving
G·d, rather than from the realm of filth. The
concept of teshuvah/repentance is also Daat, as
alluded in the teaching, "One who says, 'I will sin and
then repent,' [will not be allowed to
repent]."6
With this we can understand the above
teaching: "G·d [tips the scales] by lifting [the
side of] sin, but sin itself is not erased," because
something gross and material cannot rise above to
the source of pleasure.7 And, "this is the
procedure," the procedure of G·d's abundant
kindness, which is pleasure, which is Chesed, and
the pleasures become enclothed in each other. . .
And the other opinion says by pushing down [the side
of merit].8
1Tractate Rosh HaShannah 17a.
2Toldot Yaakov Yoseph, Zot HaBrakhah
#1.
3Sefer Yetzirah 2:4.
4A flame and its material fuel are
inextricably tied together. They are in fact different
manifestations of the same thing. By the same token,
the very same act can be experienced as the most
sublime spiritual bliss or as the grossest sensual
pleasure. It all depends upon where one is on the
spiritual ladder, and what level of "knowledge" and
consciousness, what Daat, one brings to the act, as
the Baal Shem Tov says immediately.
5Tractate Shabbath 33b.
6Tractate Yoma 85b.
7As said, by bringing G·d into
one's experience, the grossest material pleasure can
be transformed and elevated into the most sublime
spiritual bliss, but lacking this, it remains a "sin."
8That is, by "compressing" the spiritual
experience into the sensual pleasure.
Translation and Commentary by Rabbi
Yehoshua
Starrett
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