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BAAL SHEM TOV STORY
Following the Weekly Torah Reading
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SOUL OF BAAL SHEM TOV
The soul of the Baal Shem Tov, as
disclosed by Rabbi Adam Baal Shem, was the Gilgul -
transmigration -of the holy soul of a simple Jew who
lived in Safed in the year 5333. This guileless man
knew only how to pray but was a humble and modest
man.
One night, as he had just completed
praying the Tikun Chatzos -"midnight elegies" -and
mourning for the destroyed Holy Temple, he heard a
knock on the door. The reply to his "Who's there?",
was none other than, "It is Eliyohu Hanovi." He quickly
opened the door and Eliyohu entered his room. The
room was suddenly filled with light and joy.
"I have come to divulge to you the mighty
secret of the coming of Moshiach. But first you must
reveal to me what worthy act you did on the day of your
Bar Mitzvah, an act which moved the Heavenly Court to
rule that you are worthy of hearing the revelation of the
most esoteric secrets."
The man answered simply, "What I did, I
did only for the glory of G·d and I may not
reveal it to
others.
If this means that you too will not divulge to me the
secret of the redemption, then I forego that
knowledge. It is a basic tenet of mine that a man's
deeds should be solely for the glory of G·d."
Eliyohu disappeared and returned to
Heaven where great excitement had been caused by
the man's loyalty to G·d, a loyalty which had
made him
refuse a chance to learn the most important secrets of
Heaven. It was decided that Eliyohu should
nevertheless return and teach him Torah and reveal
its secrets.
This simple man was unique in his
generation, but as he had wished, no one knew of his
greatness. His deeds were solely for the glory of
G·d.
When the time came for him to
pass away,
his pure soul was brought before the Heavenly Court.
It was ruled that his reward would be to descend
again to earth and be reborn. This time he would be
revealed to the world, and through him, a new way of
life. He would purify the world with his spirit. Thus
would he glorify the Holy Name, fill the earth with
wisdom and thereby hasten the ultimate redemption.
It was this selfsame spirit of the
simple
Jew of Safed that was reborn in Reb Yisroel Baal
Shem Tov.
And so it was.
Adapted by Tzvi Meir Cohane (Howard M. Cohn, Patent
Attorney) from a story in HATAMIM as translated in
STORIES OF THE BAAL SHEM TOV by Yisroel
Klapholtz
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CHAI (18TH) ELUL
The birth of the Baal Shem Tov in 5458 (1698). The
day his holy teacher Achiya HaShiloni and master
appeared to him in 5484 (1724). The day the Baal
Shem Tov became revealed to the world in 5494
(1734).
The birth of the Alter Rebbe (Rabbi Schneur Zalman)
5505 (1745).
HAYOM YOM compiled by Rabbi Menachem Mendel
Schneerson o.b.m.
THE BAAL SHEM TOV AND THE BIRTH OF
SCHNEUR ZALMAN
And then there was the time, an a small shtetl in
Poland, during the times of bloody pogroms and fierce
anti-Semitism, there lived what appeared to be a
simple Jew by the name of Reb Boruch, and his wife,
Rivka. Actually, Reb Boruch was a Tzaddik nistar (a
hidden Saint) and one of the members of a group of
Tzaddik nistars that included the Baal Shem Tov.
Reb Boruch and his wife Rivkah had been married for
some years but had not been blessed with a child. At
the prompting of his wife, Reb Boruch traveled many
miles in the freezing, snowy winter to reach Medzibush
and ask his Rebbe, the Baal Shem Tov, for a
blessing. Without pause, the Baal Shem Tov blessed
Reb Boruch and his wife that they merit to be blessed
with a child, and added the words that the
child "should reveal heavenly light hidden in this
world."
Soon thereafter Rivka became pregnant and on "Chai
Ellul" - the eighteenth day of the month of Ellul, twelve
days before Rosh Hashanah -the same birthday as
that of the Holy Baal Shem Tov, Rivka gave birth to a
baby boy whom they named Schneur Zalman.
On that day, the Baal Shem Tov's close followers
noted the particularly jubilant mood of their Rebbe. He
led the daily prayers with deep kavanah (intention),
and afterwards a festive meal was held at which the
Baal Shem Tov sang lively niggunim (chassidic
melodies) and even danced with unusual joy.
During the festive meal, the Baal Shem Tov
said: "Today a Neshamah Chadasha (a new soul that
had not previously occupied a physical body) has
come into the world. This soul will illuminate the
world by spreading Torah and Chassidus (mystical
explanations of the Torah) to sustain the spiritual well
being of the Jewish people and will bring closer
coming of the Moshiach (Messiah)."
After Yom Kippur, as is the tradition of Chassidim,
Reb Boruch visited his Rebbe and requested a
blessing for his newly born son. The Baal Shem Tov
asked Reb Boruch to keep the news of the birth of
their new son secret, and also gave specific
instructions for the care and education of their child.
In the following weeks, the Chassidim noted that the
Baal Shem Tov mentioned the name Schneur Zalman
three times during his Torah discourses.
The following year, Reb Boruch again returned to visit
his Rebbe for the Yom Tov holidays. The Baal Shem
Tov was very interested in the development of young
Schneur Zalman, and asked Reb Boruch specific
questions about the child. Again the Baal Shem Tov
warned Reb Boruch not to talk to others about their
son, particularly regarding his apparent intelligence -
as is the nature of parents.
The following year, Reb Boruch again came to the
Rebbe for Yom Tov and the Baal Shem Tov again
asked many questions about the welfare of the child.
Before departing for home, Reb Boruch told the
Rebbe that G·d willing, on his next visit, when the child
would turn three years old, he would bring his
Schneur Zalman with him.
On the following Chai Elul, Reb Boruch brought young
Schneur Zalman along with mother and his aunt
Devorah Leah to the Baal Shem Tov to celebrate little
Schneur Zalman's Upscherinish (the first cutting of a
boys hair at three years old). The Baal Shem Tov
appeared very pleased at the joyous event. He cut
some of the boy's locks, and then placing his holy
hand son the boy's head, and blessed little Schneur
Zalman with the words of the Birchas Kohanim
(Priestly blessing).
During their visit, young Schneur Zalman asked his
mother who was the "old" man that had been the first
to cut his hair. His mother told him he was his Zaide
(Jewish for grandfather and the term used until this
day by Chassidim when speaking of the Baal Shem
Tov). Following the joyous event, the Baal Shem Tov
asked the child's mother and aunt to return home and
not to reveal the events of the day.
Later that day of Chai Elul, there was a special
gathering of the chassidim in celebration of the Baal
Shem Tov's birthday. The Baal Shem Tov mentioned
that the Torah tells us that at three years of age,
Avraham Avinu (The Patriarch Abraham, our father)
recognized that there was one G·d. The Baal Shem
Tov continued, "There is a great Neshamah (soul) in
Poland that today reached the age of three years old
and has recognized the Creator. He too will undergo
Mesirus Nefesh (great self sacrifice) to reveal a new
teaching of the holy Torah that will touch the souls of
all Jews.
At that time there, was a great Torah scholar named
Rabbi Yissochar Dov of Kalbink. The Baal Shem Tov
arranged for him to be young Schneur Zalman's
teacher, but asked Reb Yissochar Dov not to tell
Schneur Zalman that the Baal Shem Tov had sent
him.
Under the watchful eye of the Baal Shem Tov, the
young Schneur Zalman flourished in his studies. He
later became one of the 'Chevraya Kadisha' - The
Holy Brotherhood of disciples of the Baal Shem Tov,
who would spread the teachings of Chassidus
through Eastern Europe, and who would later become
known as 'The Alter Rebbe-the first Rebbe of the
Chabad-Lubavitch.
And so it was.
Freely adapted by Tzvi Meir HaCohane
(Howard M. Cohn, Patent Attorney) from a story found
in Sefer HaToldos.
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Presented here is the famous letter the Rabbi Yisrael
Baal Shem Tov ["Yisrael, Master of the Good Name (of
G·d)," 1698 -1760]1, the founder of the
Chassidic
movement wrote to his brother-in-law in the Holy
Land, Rabbi Gershon of Kitov. In it, he describes his
encounter with the Mashiach (the Messiah), in which
the latter gave him instructions as how to hasten his
coming. He gave it to his follower R. Yaakov Yosef of
Polonoye to deliver to Rabbi Gershon of Kitov, but
because of circumstances which came from the
blessed L·rd, [R. Yaakov Yosef] did not journey to the
Land of Israel, and it remained in his hands so as to
benefit our people, the Children of Israel.
THE LETTER
To the honor of my beloved brother-in-law, my friend
who is as dear to me as my [own] soul and heart, who
is the distinguished rabbinic scholar, the saint
(Hasid) famous in [the study of] Torah and in piety, the
honor of our master, Rabbi Abraham Gershon, may
his lamp shine, and peace be unto all that is unto him
and unto his modest wife Bluma and all their children,
may they all receive the blessing of life, Amen selah!
I received your holy letter, which you sent along with
the emissary who went from Jerusalem, at the fair in
Loka in 1750 [5510]. It is written with extreme brevity,
and in it is said that you had already written at length
to each and every one through the man who traveled
to Egypt. However, those letters which were written at
iength did not reach me, and it caused me great
anguish that I did not see your holy handwriting which
you wrote in detail. Certainly this is because of the
havoc of the countries, because of our many sins, the
plague having spread in all the countries. For the
plague came close to our areas, in the holy
community of Mohilov, and the countries of Walachia
and Turkey.
Also, [in your letter] it is said that those new
interpretations and secrets which I wrote to you,
through the scribe, the rabbi and preacher of the holy
community of Polonnoye, did not reach you. This too
caused me great anguish for certainly you would have
derived great satisfaction [from them]. However, I
have now forgotten a number of them. But I will write
to you, in great brevity, some details of what I
remember.
For on Rosh HaShanah of the [Hebrew] year, 5507, I
performed the oath of the ascent of the soul, as you
know. I saw wondrous things in a vision, [what I had
not seen heretofore, from the day that I reached
maturity]. It is impossible to state, even to speak
mouth to mouth (Num. 12:8), of what I saw and
learned when I ascended there.
When I returned to the lower Garden of Eden, I saw
the souls of many living and dead, both those known
to me and those unknown to me, without limit and
number, running and returning (Ezek. 1:14) to ascend
from world to world throughout the "column" which is
known to those initiated into the Kabbalah, in great
and extensive by, such that the mouth is too weary to
tell of it and the physical ear heavy that it cannot hear
(Isa. 59:1). Also [there were present] many wicked
people who had repented, and their sins were
forgiven, so it was a time of great acceptability, such
that in my eyes too it was exceedingly amazing that so
many were accepted [by G·d] in their
repentance-and you, too, know them. There was
amongst them, too, very great joy, and they too rose up
in the above-mentioned ascents. And they all as one
beseeched me and implored me until I was
embarrassed, saying, "To the exalted excellency of the
honor of thy Torah! The L·rd hath graced thee
with a special understanding to perceive and know
these matters." Because of the great joy which I
beheld amongst them, I decided to ascend with them.
And I saw in a vision that the Samael had arisen to
accuse, in the midst of this great and unprecedented
joy. He executed his deeds-decrees of forced
conversion against a number of souls, that they be
killed [and die] unnatural deaths. I was seized with
terror, and I actually offered my life to save them. I
beseeched my master and teacher to go with me, for it
is exceedingly dangerous to go [on such a mission]
and ascend to the upper worlds; for since I arrived at
my station I had not risen in such ascents. I went up,
level after level, until I entered the palace of the
Messiah, where the Messiah studies Torah with all
the Tannaim and the righteous people, and also with
the seven shepherds.2 I beheld very
great joy there,
but I do not know of mirth, what doth it accomplish?
(Eccles. 2:2).
I thought this joy was, heaven forbid, because of my
departure from this world. But they notified me
afterward that I had not yet departed, but that they
derived pleasure up above when I performed
contemplative unifications (yihudim) below by means
of their holy Torah. But the nature of this happiness I
do not know to this day.
I asked the Messiah, "When are you coming, sir?" He
answered me, "By this shalt thou know it (Exod. 7:17):
when your teaching has become renowned and
revealed throughout the world, and when thy springs
[have been] dispersed abroad (Prov. 5:16), [imparting
to others] what I have taught you and you
apprehended, [so that] they too will be able to perform
contemplative unifications and ascents [of the soul] as
you do. Then will all the shells (kelipot) perish and it
will be a time of acceptability and salvation." I was
bewildered at this [response]. I had great anguish
because of the length of time [he implied it would take
until he came, and I wondered] when it would be
possible for this to occur.
However while I was there I learned three remedies
(segulot) and three Holy Names, which are easy to
learn and to explain [to others]. So I was assuaged,
and I thought that perhaps, in this manner, my
associates (anshei gili) might also be able to attain
my level and category, that is, they will be able to
practice ascents of the soul, and learn and apprehend
supernal mysteries as I do. But all my life I have not
been granted permission, and I am under oath [not to
do so].
But this I can tell you, and may the L·rd be thy
help: before the L·rd is thy way (Judg. 18:6),
and do not depart [from it], especially in the Holy
Land. [With] every single utterance, and all that comes
out of your mouth, during the time of your prayer and
your study intend to unify a Name. For in every single
letter there are worlds and souls and divinity. And
[these] ascend and bind up with each other and unite
with each other. Afterwards, the letters bind up and
unite with each other and a word is formed, and they
unite in a true unity with divinity. Include your soul with
them in every single step of the above. [Then] all the
worlds unite as one and rise up, you mediate on the
joy of bride and joy and pleasure without limit, as you
meditate on the joy of bride and groom, in smallness
and corporeality, and certainly in a high level such as
this. Certainly the L·rd will "be thy help," and
wherever you turn you will prosper and succeed. Give
to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser! (Prov. 9:9).
Also, pray for me with this intention [in mind], that I be
privileged to cleave unto the inheritance of the Lord (1
Sam. 26:19) whilst yet alive; and also [pray for] the
remnant [of Israel] that is outside the Land of Israel.
And I also prayed there: "Wherefore hath the
L·rd done thus; what
meaneth the heat of this great anger? (Deut. 29:23),
that so many Jewish souls were given over to Samael
to be killed -- and of them a number who were
baptized and then killed!" They gave me permission
to ask Samael himself. And [so] I asked
Samael: "Wherefore hast thou seen concerning this
matter, and what is your thinking about this, that they
should become apostates and then be killed?" He
answered me, "My intention is for the sake of heaven,"
[for if they remained alive after their apostasy, then
when other decrees and libels occurred, they would
not sanctify the Name of Heaven but all would convert
in order to save their lives. Therefore his action was
such that those who converted were killed afterward.
Thus, no Jew would convert, but would sanctify the
Name of Heaven.]
And so it happened afterward, because of our many
sins, that in the holy communjty of Zaslav there was a
blood libel against several souls; two of them
converted and were later killed, and the rest
sanctified the Name of Heaven with great sanctity
and died unnatural deaths. Then there were blood
libels in the holy communities of Sibatuvka and
Dunawitz, and there no one converted after they had
seen what happened in Zaslav. Rather, all of them
laid down their lives for the sanctification of the Name.
They sanctified the Name of Heaven and withstood
the trial. In the merit of this [martyrdom] may our
Messiah come and avenge us: may he make
expiation for his land and for his people.
And on Rosh Hashanah of 1749 [5510], I performed
an ascent of the soul, as you know, and I saw a great
accusation [against Israel], until Samael was almost
given permission to destroy entire countries and
communities, and I offered up my life and prayed, "Let
us fall now into the hand of the Lord, and let us not fall
into the hand of man." And they granted me
permission that instead of [the anti-Semitic
persecutions], there shall be great weaknesses,
something the likes of which had not occurred in all
the lands of Poland and other countries close to us.
And that is what happened, that the weakness spread
exceedingly, such that it cannot be related, and the
plague too spreadJ in other countries. I indulged in
intense discussion with my group (havurah) [and we
decided] to recite the Ketoret early in the morning in
order to nullify the judgments mentioned above. Then
they revealed me in a vision of the night, "But did not
you yourself choose [the plague, by saying,] 'Let us fall
now into the hand of the Lord,'" as mentioned
above. "Why then do you wish to nullify the decree of
plague]? Surely an accuser [does not become a
defender]! From then on I did not recite Ketoret, and I
did not pray about this. But on Hoshanah Rabbah, I
went to the synagogue with all the world [i.e., the entire
community], [and I tried to intercede on behalf of
Israel] by means of several oaths, because of [my]
great fear [for the safety of the people], and I recited
Ketoret once so that we were successful with the help
of the L·rd.
I wanted to elaborate and speak at length, but
because of my tears when I recall your departure from
me, I am not able to speak. But I do beseech you to
review all my words of admonition which I told you
several times. Let them always be in your thoughts, to
meditate on them and ponder them scrupulously.
Surely you will find in every word all kinds of
sweetness, for what I told you is no vain thing (Deut.
32:47). For the Lord knows that I do not despair of
journeying to the Land of Israel, if that be the will of the
Lord, to be with you together; but the time is not ripe
for it. Also, do note be aggrieved that I have not sent
you money, for it is because of the treachery of fate
(zeman) that befell me, because of the plague and the
famine and the many young children of our family who
are dependent upon me to support them and provide
for them, in addition to other poor Jews. Our money is
all spent . . . there is naught left but our bodies! (Gen.
47:18). But the L·rd willing, when then the
L·rd shall enlarge, etc., then certainly, etc.
Also, my grandson, the worthy young man, the
honorable
Ephraim, is a great prodigy in the essence of study.
Surely if the time is opportune for it, how fitting would it
be [for you] to come here by yourself so that we may
see each other face to face and to be happy in our
happiness, as you promised me.
I also very much beseech you concerning the
renowned rabbi, the saint (hasid), our master Yosef
Katz, a servant of the Lord, that you draw him close
with both hands [i.e., befriend him] and [offer him] all
kinds of benefit, for his deeds are acceptable before
the blessed L·rd, and "all his deeds are for
the sake of heaven." [I also request of you] to write on
his behalf to the wealthy people to provide adequate
support and arrange for proper maintenance for him
(lit. a seat with a back against which to lean), for
certainly he will be [a source of] satisfaction to you if
he will be in your company.
Such are the words of your brother-in-law who looks
forward to seeing you face to face and prays for length
of days for you and your wife and your children, and
seeks your welfare all day and also nights for length of
good days, Amen, selah.
Yisrael Besht of the holy community of Medzibush
1Rabbi Yisrael Baal Shem Tov ["Israel,
Master of the
Good Name (of G-d)," 1698-1760]. A unique and
seminal figure in Jewish history, revealed the
Chassidic movement and his own identity as an
exceptionally holy person, on his 36th birthday, 18 Elul
1734. He passed away on the festival of Shavuot in
1760. He wrote no books, although many claim to
contain his teachings. (Also referred to as "the
BeShT", from an acronym of Baal Shem Tov.)
The Mashiach sets five conditions for his coming;
each of these is a step in a cumulative process:
2Seven Shepherds: As listed in Talmud
Sukka 52b:
Adam, Seth, Methuselah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses and
David. In the Zohar (3:103b): Abraham, Isaac, Jacob,
Moses, Aaron, Joseph, and David.
Signs of Moshiach
1. "Your teachings will become public and
revealed in
the world": As is known, for most mystics and spiritual-
focused people becoming a public figure is a very
painful experience. Nonetheless, it is a challenge that
must be faced if one's insights and teachings are to
affect the world.
2. "Your wellsprings will burst forth to the farthest
extremes" (Proverbs 5:16): His whole self,
his "wellspring," must be revealed. If Mashiach is to
come, everyone must be able to experience
something of what it is like to be the Baal Shem
Tov.
3. "That which I have taught you and what you have
comprehended [yourself]": Expressible ideas and
even those ideas that are inherently inexpressible
must be revealed.
4. "They also shall be able to perform unifications and
elevations as you": The Baal Shem Tov's power of
unification must become public domain. In its
simplest sense, this means that everyone must
subscribe to the Baal Shem Tov's doctrine of the
equality-of-soul of all Jewish people, the basis of his
infinite love of all Jews (see Tanya ch. 32).
5. "All the kelipot will cease to exist and there shall be
a time of good will and salvation": Evil can be
eradicated and the transcendent light of G-d
can
shine. The eradication of evil on this level can be
understood as seeing it as ultimately good. This,
however, cannot be successfully accomplished
without first attaining the previous four levels.
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