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TALES OF THE BAAL SHEM TOV
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During the early days of the Baal Shem Tov, it was
common for travelers to stay at inns. Many of those
small inns were leased by Jewish in-keepers from the
non-Jewish landowners.
Prior to revelation of the Baal Shem Tov as a spiritual
giant, he would disguise himself as an ignorant, albeit
pious, peasant and was simply known as Reb
Yisrael.
Rabbi Gershon Kitover, his brother-in-law, wanted to
help his sister, the Baal Shem Tov's wife Chana, with
their material needs, so he attempted to find local
employment for Reb Yisrael. But the Baal Shem Tov
proved unsuitable for any work and an
embarrassment to Rabbi Gershon who was well
known as a famous Talmud Chocham and Rav
(expert in Jewish law) in his city Kitov.
In desperation, Rabbi Gershon rented an inn in a
small village where Reb Yisrael could make a living
and support his wife.
When the couple took over the inn, the Baal Shem Tov
built a small study house in the nearby forest where
he studied all week with his Heavenly spiritual master
Achiya HaShaloni. It was during this time that the Baal
Shem Tov reached his spiritual perfection.
Rebbetsyn Chana tended to the inn. Whenever a
guest would arrive, she would send for the Baal Shem
Tov and he would return to serve their guests. No one
suspected that Reb Israel was anything other than a
simple Jewish innkeeper.
For the High Holidays, it was the Baal Shem Tov's
custom to close the inn and spend the entire month
with Rebbetzin Chana in the city of Kitov.
Once during the intermediate days of Succos (an eight
day holiday following Yom Kippur), Rabbi Gershon
noticed that his brother-in-law was not putting on
Tefillin during his prayers. The fact was obvious to
everyone in the Shule since the Baal Shem Tov
davened by the eastern wall at the front of the
synagogue. Feeling quite annoyed with Israel, he
asked, "Reb Israel, why didn't you put on your Tefillin
today?"
The Baal Shem Tov answered, "I saw an interpretation
in a particular holy sefer (book) that he who puts on
Tefillin during the intermediate days (between the first
two and last two days of the holiday) is sentenced to
death."
Rabbi Gershon turned from annoyed to angry that his
wife's brother was following the customs of the
Kabbalist from Germany instead of the prevailing
customs of the Jewry of Galicia. So he took him to the
Rav of the city to discuss the matter.
When they came to the house of the Rav, Rabbi
Gershon touched the mezuzah at the entranceway and
then kissed his fingers, as is the custom. The Baal
Shem Tov also touched the Mezuzah but didn't kiss
his fingers. When Rabbi Gershon saw this, he
became angrier, "Reb Yisrael, what is wrong with
you?"
When Rabbi Gershon and the Baal Shem Tov entered
the study of the Rav, the Baal Shem Tov removed the
spiritual disguise from his face. The Rav saw a great
spiritual light shining from the Baal Shem Tov's face
and immediately stood up. The Baal Shem Tov then
replaced his spiritual disguise and the Rav sat down.
This happened several times. The Rav was
bewildered and frightened because Reb Yisrael first
looked like a holy man and then returned to looking
like a simple man.
Meanwhile, Rabbi Gershon looked at the Rav's
strange antics and wondered what was going on.
Rabbi Gershon explained to the Rav about Reb
Yisrael's refusal to put on Tefillin and his failure to
kiss
the Mezuzah.
The Rabbi took the Baal Shem Tov aside and asked
him, "Who are you? Please tell me the truth."
The Baal Shem Tov disclosed to the Rav that in fact he
was a holy man but ordered him not to tell anyone
what he saw or heard. "You are the first to see my true
nature because the time has not yet arrived for me to
reveal my spiritual status to others."
When they returned to Rabbi Gershon, the Rav said, "I
have discussed the matters with him. He would not
knowingly disregard our customs. He acted in
innocence."
As soon as Rabbi Gershon and the Baal Shem Tov
left, the Rav examined his Mezuzah. Sure enough, he
found that it was defective.
And so it was.
Freely adapted by Tzvi Meir HaCohane
(Howard M. Cohn. Patent Attorney) from a story in
SHIVCHEI HABESHT and translated in IN PRAISE OF
THE BAAL SHEM TOV by Mintz and Ben Amos.
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Sefer Baal Shem Tov
The Baal Shem Tov's Teachings on the Torah
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And they believed in G-d, and in Moses His
servant.
(Exodus 14:31)
I heard from my master, the Baal Shem Tov,
that "belief" means the mystical attachment of the soul
to the Holy One, blessed be He.
Toldos Yaakov Yosef, Ki Tavo
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 2.11
The Baal Shem Tov
taught:
The life-force that leaves you when
you speak is revived by Torah study and prayer.
When you speak, your life-force leaves you. Only by
means of Torah study and prayer, do you receive new
vitality. As it says: "The living creatures ran and
returned" (Ezekiel 1:14). However, depression does
not cling to holiness, and depletes your life-force,
G-d forbid.
Dudaim ba-Sadeh,
b'ha'aloschah
Translation
and
Commentary by Rabbi Dr.
Eliezer Shore
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DIVINE LIGHT
The Mystical Light of the Baal Shem Tov
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Section 44.
When you go to perform a mitzvah
or pray in synagogue, do so quickly.
Righteousness shall go before him, and he will set
his steps on the path. (Psalms 85:14)
This verse offers an admonishment. Maybe you go to
perform a mitzvah like praying, but stop to talk with
others on the way. Although you eventually fulfill the
mitzvah, you sinned by not doing it more quickly. After
you die, your punishment is "measure for measure"
(as is known from many books). Your soul must pass
over a river on a very narrow bridge. This will be
extremely painful to your soul, which feels fear and
dread. Yet, the soul must run quickly, because a
speedy crossing is essential to get across. However,
in the middle of the crossing, G-d sends an
angel to
block the soul. This is the same angel that was
created by the mitzvah you went to perform but
stopped on the way.1 That angel had
also suffered; for
your thoughts before leaving your home about doing
the mitzvah created the angel's soul, and the act of
doing the mitzvah had created its body. However,
because you delayed in creating the angel's body
when you stopped to talk, the angel now stops him in
the middle of the bridge, so that the soul cannot cross
and thereby causes it to become afraid.
This is the meaning of "Righteousness
shall go before him." The simple meaning is that all of
your mitzvahs will precede you after death. With this in
mind, make sure that when you go to perform a
mitzvah or pray in synagogue, that you do so quickly,
and not lethargically, so that "he will set his footsteps
on the path." That is, your soul will not be hindered
when crossing the bridge over the river.
Tzava'as HaRivash, p.14a 116
1Every mitzvah we do creates
an
angel.
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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206A: LEVELS OF MANIFESTATION
"There is none like out G-d . . . Who is like our
G-d . . . let us praise our G-d . . .
blessed is our G-d . . .You are our
G-d."1
The Baal Shem Tov taught:
"There is none like our G-d" is in the World of
Action, which is like an open book, where one can
make no mistake.2 "Who is like our
G-d" is in the World of Formation, where one
can, G-d forbid, make a mistake, as did
Elisha son of Avuyah, when he beheld the angel
Matat3. Hence, we declare that we shall
not make that mistake but, "Who is like our
G-d." "Let us praise our G-d" is in the
World of Creation, where one can make no mistakes,
because of its proximity to the World of Emanation.
And in the World of Emanation we speak to
G-d directly, "Blessed are You, our
G-d."
1Concluding part of the daily prayer.
2As we are taught, that even idolaters
acknowledge that G-d is Supreme.
3The force that the angels and other
spiritual powers bear down upon our world is
formidable, and seemingly in defiance of
G-d's will and power, but this is only an
illusion.
Translation and Commentary by Rabbi
Yehoshua
Starrett
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