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BAAL SHEM TOV STORY
Following the Weekly Torah Reading
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BAAL SHEM TOV THE
MATCHMAKER
". . . .Go and take a wife for my son. . . ." Genesis 24:4
And then there was the time that Reb
Shmuel, a wealthy man and ardent chossid of the
Baal Shem Tov came to visit his Rebbe, as he did
several times every year. Usually, his wife Chana
encouraged these visits. But this time her parting
words were, "It is the same story each time you go.
You promise me that you will ask the Rebbe to give us
a blessing for children. But you always return with
some excuse like he didn't pay you any attention or
told you he'd see you later or you forgot to mention it to
him. Isn't it enough that you give a fortune of charity to
the needy at his court and to the Rebbe himself for
any cause he suggests? Let the Rebbe do something
for you just once. If you don't come back this time with
news that he gave us a blessing to have children, I
will divorce you."
So the entire time Reb Shmuel was in Mezibush
visiting the Rebbe he had a heavy heart. How could he
ask the Baal Shem Tov for a blessing as his wife
required? Nevertheless, just before he left, he
apologetically asked the Rebbe for a blessing for
children.
The Baal Shem Tov looked at him for a long time.
Then he responded, "I will give you a blessing to have
a son. But I want you to know that you can only have a
child on the condition that you agree to lose all of your
wealth. Also, after the child begins school, you will
leave him with me to be raised in my house."
"What good does my money do me if there is no one
to inherit it afterwards?" he sighed. "Yes. I would
rather have a son than riches."
"But your wife must also agree to your choice. Go
home and tell her my offer."
Reb Shmuel rushed home with the good news.
When he told her the condition about losing wealth
she replied, "Shmuel, I agree with what you told the
Rebbe. I would rather have a son than our money. As
to the child being raised in the house of the Baal
Shem Tov, what more could one ask for their child?"
Reb Shmuel returned to the Baal Shem Tov and told
him he and his wife agreed to the conditions.
The Baal Shem Tov had additional instructions for
Shmuel. "When you return home, you will learn that a
huge fire has wiped you out financially both in
business and at home. Your wife will shortly become
pregnant and you will both be forced to wander with
the other homeless beggars from town to town in
search of food and a roof over your heads. When your
wife is in her last months of pregnancy, you can both
come to me. I will provide a room in my house until
she gives birth."
When Reb Shmuel returned home, he was not
surprised to learn that his house and business had
burned down. He wasn't the slightest bit upset,
because it was all foretold by the Baal Shem Tov.
Soon, his wife Chana discovered that she was
pregnant. By this time, they were already wandering
from village to village and begging from door to door.
When Chana was late in her pregnancy and found it
difficult to continue traveling, she remembered that the
Baal Shem Tov said they could move into his
house. "It's time we go to the Baal Shem Tov. He
promised to provide us with food and lodgings until I
gave birth."
When they arrived in Mezibush, the Baal
Shem Tov greeted them and took them to a room he
had already set aside. Then he told them, "Reb
Shmuel you can remain here with your wife until she
has given birth and the bris has been performed.
Then you must return to your travels and begging.
Your wife can remain here for the next three years until
the child is weaned and ready to begin school. Then I
will send her to you. The child will remain here with
me and I will raise him as my own son."
The couple was overjoyed to think that their son would
be raised by such a holy godfather and that he would
surely grow up to be a tzadik himself.
Several weeks passed and a son was born. He was
named Elimelech at the bris. Within the week, Shmuel
told Chana and little Elimelech good-bye and set forth
on his travels.
Three years passed swiftly and it was Chana's turn to
leave. She thanked the Baal Shem Tov for all his
kindness and went to join her husband.
Little Elimelech grew up in the Baal Shem Tov's
household. From the time he began school at three
years old, he showed amazing aptitude. His quick and
perceptive mind
understood and retained everything he was taught
and before long he was known as an iluy-genius. The
years sped by and Elimelech turned eighteen.
One day, the Baal Shem Tov called Elimelech into his
study for a serious talk. "You have now come of age. It
is time for you to think of marriage. I want you to go to
the small village on the other side of the river. Find the
sofer (scribe) that lives there and tell him that I sent
you and that I want you to marry his daughter. Then tell
him that I want him to come here to Mezibush
immediately so that we can draw up the engagement
contract."
Elimelech did not hesitate following his Rebbe's
instructions. He went straight to the village and was
directed a broken down, one room hut that was the
sofer's home. He knocked on the door and was
invited in by the sofer's wife. She explained that her
husband was at the synagogue and would soon
return.
Elimelech sat down to wait. He looked over the
meager surroundings. In one corner sat a young girl
of thirteen wearing a dress made of patches. She was
introduced to him as their only daughter Malka.
"Is this my intended bride? he wondered.
Elimelech knew that for the past year, his godfather,
the Baal Shem Tov, had received countless offers of
large dowries by prospective father-in-laws. But the
Baal Shem Tov had refused them all. Elimelech saw
that his intended wife obviously did not have riches.
But Elimelech would not question the Baal Shem
Tov's judgment in any way. He just sat patiently,
waiting for the sofer to return.
After an hour passed, the elderly sofer entered the
room. Elimelech stood up and explained that the Baal
Shem Tov had sent him to arrange a marriage with
his daughter. At first the sofer thought it was amusing
that the Baal Shem Tov would send someone to
marry his Malka. After all, she was only thirteen and
they didn't have any money for a wedding. None the
less, the sofer agreed to go to the Baal Shem Tov with
Elimelech.
The Baal Shem Tov greeted the sofer and Elimech
very warmly. They sat down and drew up the marriage
contract. Then the Baal Shem Tov gave the future
father-in-law enough money to outfit his daughter for
the coming wedding and the date was set.
With the Baal Shem Tov making the wedding,
everyone came. All of his Chassidim made sure not to
miss this joyous event celebrating the wedding of the
Baal Shem Tov's own God-son. Hundreds of people
sat around the festive tables. Everyone could not help
wondering about the strange choice the Baal Shem
Tov had made for his adopted son. The bride did not
have wealth or a good family name. Why then had the
Rebbe over looked the wonderful offers he had been
made for Elimelech?
Right before the saying of the seven blessings after
the wedding meal, the Baal Shem Tov struck the table
with his hand for attention. "I have a story to tell you,
my honored guests."
And he began, "Many, many years ago, there lived a
mighty king. He and his queen had only one son that
they loved dearly. The boy was blessed with a brilliant
mind. The more he studied, the more he wanted to
know. He took an interest in every area of knowledge
and before long had learned all that his teachers
could offer. He sought out all the scholars in the
kingdom and before long there was nothing more they
could teach him.
The prince explained to his father the king, "I have
explored all the wisdom that can he learned in this
country." "I would like to travel to other countries and
learn knowledge taught there. Will you please give
me a carriage, a servant, and enough money for me to
take an extended journey?"
The king and queen soon saw it was useless arguing
with their son and they finally gave in to his request.
They outfitted him with a carriage, horses, a servant
and a chest full of money. Then they tearfully let him
go out into the world.
Starting with bordering country the young prince
visited the universities and houses of learning,
absorbing anything that was new to him. And so he
went from one country to the next and then the next.
Meanwhile his supply of funds was dwindling. When
his money was gone he was forced to sell his
servant, then his horses and finally, his royal carriage.
He was undaunted, however, for it was a small sum
to pay for knowledge. Finally, he found himself
penniless, walking along a snow covered road. He
was cold and hungry and was hoping for a sign of
civilization, for someone who might have pity on him
and take him in for the night.
The prince walked on for three days, deeper into a
thick forest, not meeting a soul all the while. When he
was at the end of his endurance, he raised his eyes
heavenward and exclaimed, "I firmly believe in the
Creator of heaven and earth. It is He Who watches
over me and guides my steps. Only He can save me
now from death. Please, dear G·d, listen to my prayer
and let me live."
Suddenly, he saw a light flickering in the
distance. "Who can possibly be living in the midst of
this desolate forest?" he wondered. "Most probably
some robbers. But even they may have some pity
upon a freezing, starving harmless young man." The
prince mustered up his last ounce of strength and
made it to the house. He knocked weakly on the door.
It was immediately opened by an old man who bade
the prince come in. The prince told him his sad tale
and begged for a warm drink. The old man bustled
about preparing a warm meal which the prince
attacked with much gusto. When he had eaten his fill,
he was given a place to sleep.
The prince lay down and sighed in utter contentment
and was about to fall asleep in utter exhaustion.
Having provided for his guest, the old man opened up
a large volume of Talmud and began to study in a
singsong chant, soon becoming oblivious to his
surroundings. The prince, who had been about to fall
asleep, felt his fatigue melt away. After all the years he
had spent in study, all the countries he had visited
and all the languages he had learned, he had never
come across anything like what the old man was
studying. His mind quickened with interest and he
jumped out of bed.
"What is that you are studying?" he asked his host
eagerly.
"I am learning the Torah which was given to my
people at Mount Sinai," the old man explained briefly.
"Please, teach me. I want to learn Torah too," the
prince begged.
"I cannot teach you Torah," the old Jew
explained. "You are not Jewish."
"Then let me convert. I would like to become a Jew
right now," said the prince.
"But that is impossible. You must wait at least until
tomorrow," the Jew smiled at his
eagerness. "Tomorrow I will call together a quorum of
men. Then you can be circumcised and purify yourself
in the mikveh. Afterwards you can begin to study
Torah."
The prince went back to bed, disappointed. He found
that he was too excited to fall asleep and he stayed
awake that entire night in anticipation of his
conversion.
"How could the old man, living in a deep forest,
manage to round up a minyan?" the Baal Shem Tov
asked his listeners. "I will tell you who the nine other
men were. They were none other than our seven
Shepherds - the Avraham, Yitchak, Yakov, Yosef,
Moshe, Aharon and King David. They were joined by
two of Yakov's sons."
After the circumcision was performed, the prince went
into a mikveh and he was pronounced a Jew. All the
guests sat down to a festive meal after which they
disappeared into the forest.
The young prince did not wait until he was healed. He
launched into the study of aleph bais, which he
mastered with ease, and then into Chumash,
Mishnah and before long was deep into Talmud. The
prince did not approach his Jewish studies as he had
pursued science and philosophy in the secular world.
The old Jew inculcated him with a fear of G·d and
piety; the more he learned, the more pious and
righteous he became. By the year's end, the prince
had become an accomplished Torah scholar, well
versed in all the aspects of Jewish knowledge.
When the old man felt secure that he would remain
thus, he called the young man to him.
"The time has come," he said, "for you to return home
to your parents, the king and queen. I have obtained
your horses and carriage and your servant as well.
Take them and go home to assume the throne. You
need not give up your Jewish way of life. You must
remain hidden a righteous man whose greatness is
not a recognized by others."
It was hard for the prince to leave this utopian way of
life, delving into the study he loved, but he heeded his
mentor and returned home. His father had lost hope
of ever being reunited with his only beloved son.
When he saw him standing before his very eyes, he
could not contain his joy.
The young prince had one request to make of his
father. "Having traveled extensively all around the
world," he explained, "I have changed my mode of
living. I need my own residence. Could I have my own
palace built to my requirements?" There was nothing
that the elderly king would not do for his son and this
request was a mere trifle. The king ordered a team of
workers to follow the prince's own blueprint and the
latter soon had a royal residence of his own where he
could do what he wanted without being observed by
curious eyes.
The prince now arranged for ten Torah scholars and
their families to come and inhabit permanent quarters
within the palace. He also maintained a staff of his
own mohel and shochet. And no one outside the
palace walls was aware that the young prince was
actually a practicing Jew.
At this time, the old king learned that a neighboring
monarch was preparing to wage war against him.
Having lived all his life in peace, the old king was
afraid of battle and untutored in the strategies of war.
He called his wise son to him, seeking his advice.
"You have nothing to fear, dear father," the prince
hastened to reassure the king. "I will lead our people
in battle. I trust that some of my accumulated wisdom
will be of use to us."
The young prince fought bravely and cleverly, easily
winning an important victory for his people. When the
vanquished king was brought before the prince, he
had one request to make of the victor. 'I am at your
mercy now. My land and everything that I own is yours.
Do me the great kindness of taking my daughter for a
wife so that you can both rule our two countries
together."
He thought about the suggestion and then said, "I
would like to speak to the princess first." He was
taken to the princess and asked to talk to her alone.
"I am a Jew," the prince confessed to her. "I live in my
own palace and keep all the practices and customs of
the Jews. If you wish to marry me, you must agree to
accept my way of life and become a Jewess yourself."
The princess looked at the handsome young prince
and thought of the kingdom he was offering her. Her
choice was obvious. When he heard her answer, the
prince instructed the young girl to go to a Jewish
settlement where she could be properly converted
and learn the laws that pertained to her new role as
wife and future Jewish mother.
The marriage was held upon her return. The royal
couple went to live in the prince's palace where they
could practice their Judaism in privacy. They lived out
their days in modesty and piety, rearing children that
became Torah scholars. And they were always
mindful of their Jewish brethren, helping whenever the
opportunity offered.
When the two converts arrived at the heavenly court, it
was assumed that they would be delegated to Gan
Eden, having practiced all the mitzvos religiously for
all of their converted lives as exemplary Jews. But just
as they were being led to their place, a prosecuting
angel rushed up. "Wait!" he shouted. "These two
people are not eligible for Gan Eden. They were born
and lived many years of their life as non-Jews. It is not
fitting that they be admitted to the dwelling place of the
most righteous tzadikim."
The heavenly court was forced to admit that the angel
had a point. There was only one thing to do; that was
to send the two souls down to earth once again to
make amends for their shortcoming. In their new life
on earth they would be born as Jews.
"And now you understand, most honored guests," the
Baal Shem Tov concluded, "why our bride and groom
make such a fitting match. They are none other than
the king and queen of our story. Even their names -
Elimelech and Malka - point to that. And so, chosson
and callah, we wish you many happy years together in
this life as in the world-to-come. Mazel Tov!"
And so it was.
Freely adapted by Tzvi Meir HaCohane (Howard M.
Cohn, Patent Attorney) from a story found in Sipurim
Nifloim as translated in Stories of the Baal Shem Tov
by Y.Y. Klapholtz
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Sefer Baal Shem Tov
The Baal Shem Tov's Teachings on the Torah
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And Abraham was old, well advanced in years; and
G·d had blessed Abraham with everything.
(Genesis 24:1)
Based upon what I heard from my grandfather on the
verse: "It came to pass, when Solomon was old, that
his wives turned away his heart after other god. . . " (I
Kings 11:4), we see here that [when Abraham was
old] "G·d had blessed Abraham with
everything." "Everything" - bakol - has the numerical
value of ben - "son."1 The wise will
understand
this.2
Degel Machane Ephraim, Chayeh
Sarah
1The words áë" and áï both
have the numerical value of 52.
2The verse says "For the ways of the L-
rd are right; the just walk in them, but transgressors
stumble in them" (Hosea 14:10). The Torah is
comprised of two aspects - spirit and matter,
revelation and concealment, the Tree of Life and the
Tree of Knowledge. Thus, the Talmud states: "If a
person is unworthy, the Torah becomes a potion of
death for him; if he is worthy, it is a potion of life"
(Yoma 72b). These two aspects also correspond to
the spiritual paradigms of Giver and Receiver, or
Lights and Vessels, and Kabbalistically, are
represented by the Masculine and Feminine
dimensions of creation. Only when they are united can
harmony reign in the universe. Even then, however,
the influence must be from above to below - from
giver to receiver, spirit to matter. When the aspect of
receiver dominates, then the vessel can be too strong,
and the light can be concealed. This model applies to
every word of the Torah, and is the meaning of the
verse: "his wives turned away his heart." Abraham,
however, merited "everything" - i.e. a son. He learned
Torah from the side of light and revelation.
Along these lines, the Degel Machane
Ephraim (parashas Masai) writes: "I heard from my
grandfather, in the name of the sefer Bris Menucha,
that if you see a Torah scholar who has incorrect
opinions and acts improperly, he certainly has drunk
from the 'bitter waters.'" Thus, the Rabbis taught in
Pirkei Avos (1:11): "Sages, be careful with your words,
lest you incur the penalty of exile, and be banished to
a place of evil waters, and the disciples who follow
you there will drink and die (spiritually) and
consequently, the Name of Heaven will be
desecrated."
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 91
The Baal Shem Tov taught:
This is the meaning of praying "for the
sake of the Name.1" That is, for the
sake of the words, for the words long and desire to be
bound to thought. And when a person speaks with
love and fear, the voice and the words delight in each
other. Thought watches over this, and delights in it
like a father delights in his child. For thought longs to
enter into voice, in order to come into words.
Likutim Amarim, p. 18b
1 Usually meaning, "for the sake of the
thing itself," such as, Torah study for the sake of
studying, prayer for the sake of praying; i.e. without
ulterior motives. However, the Chasidic movement
gave this term a new meaning: "Leshema" - "For the
sake of the Name" (literally "to the Name"), that is, for
the sake of G·d's Presence in creation. At
times, the
word is broken into two: le'shem hey. "For the
sake of the letter hey," representing Malchus and the
Shechinah. In the present case, a reference to prayer,
which also corresponds to the Shechinah.
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 29
The holy Rabbi of Kaidnov said
that the whole path of the Baal Shem Tov is to learn
how to draw upon oneself the type of worship that will
be practiced in the Messianic Era. For from the time
of The Baal Shem Tov onward, sparks of the
Messiah's soul are manifest in the leaders of each
generation. This is as the Talmud says: "Two
thousand years of the days of the
Messiah."1 "Alaphim" (Thousands) has
the meaning of "Teaching," as in "And I will teach you
wisdom - ve'a'alephcha chochmah" (Job 33:33). He
should teach himself the path of devotion that will be
practiced in the days of the Messiah. In general, the
entire path of Hasidism revolves upon these two
wheels: humility and joy.
Zecher Tzaddik, p.10a
1
Sanhedrin 97a: "The world will exist for six thousand
years: Two thousand desolate (i.e., without Torah),
two thousand of Torah, and two thousand of the days
of the Messiah (i.e., in readiness for the Messiah)."
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 117
The Baal Shem Tov taught:
A miracle means that something supernatural has
taken place for the first time. If this phenomenon then
continues to take place, it becomes part of nature.
This is the meaning of the verse, "Blow on the New
Moon the shofar." Grammatically, the verse should
have said, "Blow the shofar on the New Moon." The
allusion of the verse is that a person should always
be in a state of renewal like the New Moon, that is, that
one always seeks to do good deeds that one has
never done before, so that one's good deeds do not
become a fixed ritual. This is alluded to in the
conclusion of this verse, "For [when] it is a ritual for
Israel, it is a judgment for the G·d of Jacob"
with His
people for this.1
Toldoth Yaakov Yoseph, Tzav #3.
1When one's service of
G·d is
no more than rote ritual, one is not really serving
G·d,
but simply following one's acquired nature. Going
beyond one's nature, though, borders on a miracle,
as the Baal Shem Tov alludes with the opening
statement. But these are miracles that are demanded
of us to perform.
Translation and Commentary by Rabbi
Yehoshua
Starrett
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