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TALES OF THE BAAL SHEM TOV
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Cont'd. from Shabbos Bechukosai Behar
In the last edition, the Satan came to the earth near
the place where the boy Srulick was living.
The Satan approached all manner of nature, from
plants and trees to insects and animals, to help him
in his task. But none were ready to frighten or attack
Srulick, after all, "he loves each and everyone of
us."
But there was an old man, a charcoal
burner that lived alone in the forest outside of the
village. Everyone was afraid of the charcoal burner
because rumors had spread that he was a sorcerer.
In fact, people said, at night, evil spirits would creep
into him and change him into an animal-like, shaped
creature (a werewolf). And when the townspeople
heard howling coming from the forest, and they
thought it was him.
They were right.
The Satan didn't have to do any coaxing to get the
charcoal burner to do his bidding. By this time, the
charcoal burner was used to being controlled by
the evil spirits. So the Satan (the innermost source of
darkness) was free to inhabit the werewolf's heart.
The very next day, when Srulick was walking
the
children to Cheder, the werewolf ran out of the forest
and towards them. It was a foul smelling beast and
its fangs were bared. The children screamed in fear
and ran in every direction. Just then, the werewolf
disappeared back into the forest. Srulick tried to
gather the children but they were so frightened that
they had all run home.
When the parents heard the report of the werewolf and
saw their children so upset, they decided they would
not send them to Cheder again.
Afterwards,the Baal Shem Tov remembered the words
his father had spoken just before he departed from
this world. "My sweetest beloved son, remember
always
don't fear anything but G-d. And love every Jew
dearly."
So the very next day, Srulick went
to each house and told the
parents, "The wolf ran back into the forest because the
children frightened it. Please send your children to
Cheder with me. I assure you that nothing will happen
to them."
The parents were comforted by his words and agreed
to send their children to Cheder the next day. As
always, the children were singing, however with
apprehension, as they walked through the fields to
Cheder. Srulick instructed them, "No matter what
happens, walk directly behind me and don't run.
As soon as came near to the forest, they
could hear
snorting. Srulick quickly walked towards the forest as
the werewolf came running out towards him. The
werewolf appeared to grow larger and larger but
Srulick was not afraid. The werewolf started snorting
and pawing the ground. Srulick, without hesitation,
walked right up to the beast and killed it with a club.
Then he cut open its chest and pulled out its heart.
The heart was pulsating and squirming around in his
hand. Srulick could feel the pain in this heart in
himself. So he took pity on the heart and placed it on
the earth. Without warning, the earth opened and
swallowed the heart.
When Srulick looked around, he found the children
huddled together in a little group. He led them to
Cheder.
Later that day, the villagers found the charcoal burner
dead in the forest near where Srulick had killed the
werewolf. His eyes were closed and he had a
peaceful, child-like look on his face.
From then on, the children of Horodenka didn't sing
as they followed Srulick to Cheder. They became like
their fathers and their fathers' fathers, walking with
their worries always with them.
So after, Yisrael, now about fourteen years old, left the
holy community of Horodenka, and wandered back to
Okup, the village where he was born. It was then that
he discovered a yearning in his heart that was only
satisfied by the study of the Holy Torah.
Young Yisrael (then known as Yisroelic) was a
shamash and lived in the same synagogue. But, he
was very careful not to show his passion for the Torah
to anyone. By day, he slept on the benches, and
everyone thought he was just an ignorant Jewish boy.
But after the last man closed the holy book he was
studying and left the synagogue, Yisroelic stood and
studied the Holy Torah all night by candlelight.
Soon after, an event occurred that changed
his life towards his future as a Baal Shem (One that
utilizes the powers of Kabbalah to heal the sick, ward
of Demonic spirits and predict the future).
To be continued next week. . . . .
Freely adapted by Tzvi Meir Cohn (Howard Cohn
Patent Attrorney) from Legends and Stories of
the Baal Shem Tov by Rabbi Menachem Gutman
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Sefer Baal Shem Tov
The Baal Shem Tov's Teachings on the Torah
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Behold, you are this day as the stars of heaven, many.
(Deuteronomy 1:10)
Were they like the stars on that day? Why, they only
numbered six-hundred thousand! Rather, what is the
meaning of "Behold, you are this day"? Behold, you
are likened to the day, that is, you will always exist, like
the sun and the moon and the stars.
Rashi
It is written: "The path of the righteous is as the gleam
of sunlight, that shines ever brighter until the height of
the day" (Proverbs 4:18). That is, the sun in itself
shines in its place equally, both at the onset
and in the middle of the day. The only thing that
obstructs it from our prespective is
the earth, which stands between us and the sun.
Therefore, its light does not shine so brightly at dawn -
only a little bit - until it spreads across the earth.
The same holds true of the
Tzaddik. In himself, he is always shining: the
blockage is only on the part of the receivers. This too
is due to the obstruction of the earth - that is, this
world. For people are sunk in this world, and are
unable to receive the light of the Tzaddik. This is as
the Talmud says on the verse: "I lifted my eyes, and
beheld a folded scroll" (Zechariah 5:1): "When you
unfold it . . . .When you peel it . . . " It comes out that
the
entire world is 1/3,200 the size of the Torah, which is
exceedingly great and "broader than the ocean." It is
difficult to understand how such a small thing as the
world can block such a great thing as the Torah, which
is thousands of times the size, for the entire world is
minute in comparison.
However, this is like the oft-quoted
analogy, that a small coin held up to your eyes will
block out a great mountain, even though the latter is
thousands of times larger. Since the coin is in front of
your eyes, it obstructs your vision, until you cannot see
something much larger. Likewise, when a person
comes into this world, and becomes lost in its
frivolities, so that it seems to him that there is nothing
better, then this tiny little world keeps him from seeing
the great and exalted light of the Torah, which is
thousands of times the size. This is like the example
of
the sun, that the earth prevents us from seeing its
great light, though the sun is many times larger.
And this is the meaning of: "The
path of the righteous is as the gleam of sunlight." It is
exactly like the gleam of sunlight! For just as the sun
shines constantly, with only the earth (though it is
much smaller) creating a barrier; so too, Tzaddikim
constantly shine. It is only the earth - that is, [the
attractions of] this world - that prevents us from
seeing their great light. Even though this world is so
very small and insignificant in comparison, it still
obstructs and prevents us from seeing the gleam of
sunlight, like the example of the coin.
All this is because the world
stands before a person's eyes and obstructs them,
until he cannot see the light of the Torah and the
Tzaddikim, which is thousands of times greater.
However, if the person removes that small obstruction
from
his eyes: that is, he turns his eyes away from this
world and does not look at it, but only lifts his head
and raises his eyes to gaze above this occluding
world, then he will merit to see the great and exalted
light of the Torah and the Tzaddikim. Because really,
their light is infinitely greater than this entire world and
its attractions. It is only that this world blocks his eyes
and does not let him turn them away at all, to gaze
above on the light of the Torah and the Tzaddikim.
This is exactly like the example of the small coin that
stands before the eyes and obstructs them from
seeing the great mountain. However, it is very easy to
remove the coin from before one's eyes. Then, one
will immediately see the great mountain. So it is with
the world and the Torah. For with a small swipe, one
can remove the world from before one's eyes. Then,
one merits seeing the great light of the Torah and the
Tzaddikim, which shines in all the worlds with a very
great light.
Likewise, I heard in the name of the Baal
Shem Tov, who said, "Woe, woe! The whole world is
filled with awesome and wondrous lights and secrets,
yet a small hand stands before the eyes and prevents
us from seeing the great light."
Likutey Moharan I:133
Translation and commentary by Rabbi Dr.
Eliezer
Shore.
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HEART OF PRAYER
The Baal Shem Tov's Teachings on Prayer
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Section 3.9
Before prayer, bring yourself to a
state of awe by meditating on the greatness of
G-d.
When you want to pray, first bring yourself to a state of
awe1, for this is the gate to enter before
the Blessed
One.2Say in your heart: "To Whom do I
want to attach
myself? To He Who Created all the worlds with His
words, and Who enlivens and sustains them!" You
should meditate on His greatness and exaltedness;
then you can enter the supernal worlds.
Tzava'as HaRivash, 66
1Reverance of G-d
2See Shabbat 31b
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 9.
The Baal Shem Tov was
incapable of speaking with ordinary people because
of his devekus1 - until his Heavenly
mentor, Achiyah HaShaloni,2 taught him
to recite certain psalms which enabled him to speak
plainly without losing his concentration.Shivchei Baal
Shem Tov
1An intense attachment to Heaven
2In prior incarnations, Achiyah
HaShaloni witnessed the exodus from Egypt, was a
prophet during the time of King David, and taught
Elijah the Prophet.
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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KST. 13
"The spirit of G-d hovered above the
surface of the water"1
"The spirit of G-d," refers to the human soul,
2 which
must hover over "the surface of the water," which
refers to the Torah.3 Then, "G-d
said, 'There shall be
light,'4 which means that G-d will
then enlighten the person with the Light of the Torah.
1Genesis 1:2
2The Midrash says that this phrase
refers to the spirit
of the Adam and to the spirit of Moshiach (Yalkut
Shimoni, Genesis #4). Actually, Adam, the first man,
encompassed all mankind, and his name is seen as
the acronym of A(dam), D(avid), M(oshiach). The Baal
Shem Tov is adding here that this teaching, which is
based on the verse that speaks about the purpose of
Creation - "Let there be light" - is relevant to each and
every one of us. Each of us can bring more light into
our own lives, and automatically into the world, and be
part of the "Moshiach," by connecting to G-d
through
His Torah.
3Baba Kama 17a
4Genesis 1:3
Translation and commentary by Rabbi
Yehoshua Starrett.
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