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BAAL SHEM TOV STORY
Following the Weekly Torah Reading
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JOB'S PENNY
Take from yourselves a portion for G·d,
everyone whose heart motivates him shall bring it."
Exodus 35:5
And then there was the time that a line of people
wound its way from the door of the Holy Baal Shem
Tov. Many stood in line too seek advice and blessing
from the holy tzaddik.
One of those who waited was Reb Zissel - a simple
man with very little in this world. He humbly asked The
Baal Shem Tov for a blessing so that he wouldn't have
to live in poverty and depend on the charity of others.
The Baal Shem Tov listened intently to Reb Zissel's
pleading. After a long silence, the Baal Shem Tov
said: "I wish to help you, but it is not within my power
to do so. Heaven prevents me from granting such a
blessing".
But Reb Zissel was not so easily dissuaded. "Please
Rebbe," cried Reb Zissel, "I have traveled so far and
waited so long - isn't there even the smallest
blessing you could grant me?"
The Baal Shem Tov sat quietly for a moment, but
could only respond that there was nothing he could do.
Then suddenly, the Baal Shem Tov stood and walked
over to his bookshelf and removed a sefer (holy
book). It was the Talmud Baba Basra. He opened it
at random -looked closely at the open page and read
the following words: "He who takes a pruta (penny)
from Job will be blessed."
The Baal Shem Tov turned to Reb Zissel, who stood
in respectful silence by the tzaddik's desk. "Reb
Zissel, these words have deep meaning: Each Jew
has an instinctive desire to help his fellow Jew. That
desire is borne from the source of his soul, which is
an absolute part of G·d. Just as G·d
created this physical world out of His selfless
kindness, so to each Jewish soul desires to bestow
that kindness on others. This statement in the Talmud
teaches us that a worthy man, who dispenses charity
and kindness to others, has the power to bestow his
blessing of success upon the tzedaka (charity) that he
gives, as well as to the recipient who will benefit from
the gift. Now, let me think, if I know of such a man?"
At that moment the Baal Shem Tov thought of
Reb Shabsai Meir, a well known Baal Tzedaka
(philanthropist), who lived in the city of Brod. Not only
did Reb Shabsai give generous amounts of charity to
the needy, but he did so with the sincerest feelings
of "ahavas yisrael" - of true love for his fellow Jew.
And even more so, Reb Shabsai prayed fervently that
The Almighty continue to bless him with wealth only
so that could continue to give generously, and that the
recipients of his giving would themselves be blessed
with wealth and success. The heavenly court saw
Reb Shabsai's kindness and heard his sincere
prayers, and indeed granted all his wishes. As time
passed, Reb Shabsai was blessed with increasing
wealth, and those who benefited from his kindness
also became successful.
The Baal Shem Tov then said to Reb Zissel, "there is
one person who can help you. Travel to the city of
Brod, and seek out Reb Shabsai Meir. He has the
power to help you. Ask him for a donation. The
money that leaves his hand is blessed, and it
bestows blessing upon all who receive it.
Reb Zissel thanked the Baal Shem Tov and
journeyed to Brod. He spent Shabbos with Reb
Shabsai and when Shabbos was over, Reb Zissel
begged Reb Shabsai for a donation, which Reb
Shabsai gave willingly and with a broad smile. Soon
after, Reb Zissel departed Brod carrying Reb
Shabsai's donation.
Soon, Reb Zissel circumstances began to
improve, and he never again had to depend on the
charity of others again.
And so it was.
Freely adapted by Tzvi Meir HaCohane (Howard M.
Cohn, Patent Attorney) from a Story translated in A
TREASURY OF CHASSIDIC TALES ON THE TORAH
by R. S. Y. Zevin
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Sefer Baal Shem Tov
The Baal Shem Tov's Teachings on the Torah
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And Betzalel made the ark. . . (Exodus 37:1)
For the shadow of the Holy One was there, between
the Cherubim.1
Midrash Tanchuma, VaYakhel 7
The Baal Shem Tov once taught his students the
following lesson. Pointing to a cask of beer that was in
the room, he said, "This cask is made from clay and
formed by human hands. Its material substance is
simple, for the main thing is its form, as it is said, 'The
last in deed is the first in thought.'2
Thus, the vessel is actually formed from the
craftsman's thoughts, so that the life-force of the
craftsman is embodied in the life-force of the vessel,
and his intellect radiates into it. It is therefore possible
to discern in the vessel the entire personality and
conduct of its maker, just as a branch bears the life-
force of the root.
"It turns out, then, that I can see in this
cask that it was made by a craftsman who had no
legs. Now, if the existence of the cask depends upon
the presence of his wisdom, were we to remove his
wisdom from it, it would lack any unifying factor."
After the class, one of the
students lifted the cask and set it on one of the
benches. As soon as he did so, the entire cask
crumbled into dust, as though it never
existed.3
Kisvei Kodesh, p. 26a.
1G·d's "shadow"
refers to the Divine Presence that was manifest over
the Ark of the Covenant. The name Betzalel means, "In
the shadow of G·d." Thus, Betzalel knew how
to build the Ark, so that it would be a fitting place for
the revelation of G·d.
2From the Lecha Dodi prayer recited at
the onset of Shabbat. This means that the original
intention (of G·d or of an artisan) is reflected
in the final product.
3Apparently, the
Baal Shem Tov removed the life-force from the cask,
as he said. See Ohr HaMeir, by R. Zev Wolf of
Zhitomer, parashas Ha'Azinu, who writes: Once, the
Baal Shem Tov heard a wicked man playing on the
violin, and could hear in the music all the sins that the
man had ever committed. And had he heard the man
singing, he could have discerned even more, such as
the outcome of all of his sins, because a person puts
all of his energy into his singing (therefore revealing
more of his soul).
The meaning of the verse from Exodus, quoted above,
is that because Betzalel put all of himself into the work
of building the Ark, it became an appropriate place for
the dwelling of the Divine Presence, itself called
the "Shadow of G·d."
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 108.
When a person has a foreign thought during prayer or
Torah study, he should break that thought and attach
himself to G·d. Through this, he repairs the
holy spark that is in that thought. This is like a person
who was counting money, and whose son was in
captivity. He comes to his father and says, "Look, you
have money. Redeem me from captivity."
Likutey Yikarim, p. 15c
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 45.
The Holy Rabbi of Kobrin
said, "We must believe all the stories, miracles and
wonders attributed to the Baal Shem Tov. We should
believe that even if they didn't happen, they could have
happened."
Imros Tahoros, p. 34
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 141
"I thought about my paths, and I returned my steps to
Your statutes."1
The Baal Shem Tov taught 2:
There is no person who is completely righteous and
never sins, for it is impossible that one be completely
free of ulterior motives in one's righteous behavior.
Indeed, if one were able to act completely free of
ulterior motives, the forces of evil would interfere to
prevent the completion of that act. However, when the
forces of evil see that this good deed contains
elements of evil, these forces leave the person alone,
and then one is able to complete the act without
ulterior motives.
This is alluded to in the Midrash, "The Jewish people
are thieves,"3for they must fool the
forces of evil whenever they do a good
deed.4
This, then, is the meaning of the verse, "I thought
about my paths, and I returned my steps to Your
statutes," for in all one's paths of mitzvah and
holiness, one must initially think for one's own
benefit - my paths - and only then is one able to
return one's steps to G·d's statutes. [The
Hebrew word for] steps means habit - the habit of
acting with ulterior motives - which is transformed into
acting altruistically.
And this is also alluded to a few verses later, "I arise
at midnight"5 - for my own purposes, for
it is impossible to arise at midnight without any
personal benefit. But once personal benefit is
involved, one is able to overcome the natural urge to
sleep with the natural urge to seek one's
benefit.
1Psalms 119:59.
2Toldoth Yaakov Yoseph, Chukath
#12.
3Yalkut Shimoni Psalm #718.
4The "trick" involved here is accepting
the existence of such motives within the depths of
one's soul, rather than fighting them. While fighting
them only empowers them with the energy of one's
own struggle, accepting their existence and
surrendering to them, though without acting them out,
allows them to dissipate and disappear, after which
one's true holy intentions can rise to
consciousness.
5Psalms ibid.:62.
Translation and Commentary by Rabbi
Yehoshua
Starrett
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