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TALES OF THE BAAL SHEM TOV
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And then there was the time, on a freezing winter day,
that the Baal Shem Tov was traveling in his carriage
with Reb Boruch of Kaminka, Reb Tzvi the Sofer and
his driver Alexei. They planned to reach an inn before
night fall in time to daven Mincha (the afternoon
prayer) and spend the night.
While the cold weather did not bother the Baal Shem
Tov, the others were freezing. Reb Boruch asked
Alexei in a whisper, "How much longer until we get
there?"
"It's still many miles and it'll take a few more hours,"
answered Alexei.
"I don't know if I can make it," said Reb Boruch. "My
hands and feet are already almost frost bitten."
"I'm also freezing," answered Alexei. "But," he
continued, "We surely cannot stop until the Rabbi tells
us to."
The Baal Shem Tov overheard the conversation and
ordered Alexei, "Stop the carriage right over there by
that large oak tree."
As soon as the carriage stopped, the Baal Shem Tov
jumped off, walked over to the oak tree and touched it
with his finger. Suddenly the tree burst into flames.
The cold travelers quickly warmed themselves around
the burning tree. When they were sufficiently revived,
they continued their journey. As they left, Reb Boruch
looked back to see what would happen to the tree that
saved them from the bitter cold. The Baal Shem Tov
spoke to him sharply, "Reb Boruch, don't look back."
Immediately, Reb Boruch stopped looking. But he
never forgot the image of the burning tree.
And so it was.
Freely adapted by Tzvi Meir HaCohane (Howard M.
Cohn, Patent Attorney) from a story in Shivchei
HaBesht and 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 He said, I am the G-d of your father."
(Shemot 3:6)
This is what is written: "A fool (pesi) believes in
everything." (Proverbs 14:15) What is the meaning
of "a fool?" A child, because in Arabia, they call a child
a pasia.
Midrash Rabbah, Shemot 3
The Baal Shem Tov told his students: "Despite the
profound levels of understanding that I have attained
in the [supernal] roots of the Torah and the mitzvos,
and despite all the spiritual ecstasy that I have
experienced, I put everything aside to serve
G-d in
simple faith. I am a fool and believe - Ich bin a naar
un gleib!1 And even though it is
written: "A fool believes in everything," it is also
written: "G-d protects the fools." (Psalms
116:6)
Yesod Ha'Avodah, letter 24
1The Baal Shem Tov is making
a word-play on the statement of the Midrash, above.
The Hebrew word for child, na'ar, is similar to the
Yiddish word for fool.
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 2.8
The Baal Shem Tov
taught:
While speaking spends life-force,
each word brings new life.
Your life and vitality are your power of speech. As the
verse says: "And He blew in his nostrils the breath of
life, and the man became a living soul" (Genesis 2:7).
This is translated as, "and the man became a
speaking spirit." Thus, when you speak, your words
are your very life-force, which goes out from within
those words. It is only because your life-force is
attached to its source do those very words draw new
life from your root. Through this, you remain alive.
That is, although your life-force is spent with each
spoken word, each new word brings new life.
Arvei Nachal, Vayishlach
Translation
and
Commentary by Rabbi Dr.
Eliezer Shore
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Section 40.
The Baal Shem Tov taught:
There is another principle through which a person can
know if his prayers have been answered: That is, if
his heart is joyful after he prays. Just the reverse is the
case if [he feels] depressed after completing his
prayers. Based on this, I heard an explanation of the
Talmud's statement, "One day [Rabbi Buna] joined
Redemption to the Amidah and a smile did not leave
his face the whole day." The question as to what is
unusual about the way he prayed is
famous.1
Surely he joined Redemption to the Amidah every day.
He never knew, however, whether it had any effect
Above. On the day that he joined Redemption to
Amidah and did not stop smiling, he realized that he
had caused a Supernal Unification.
Thus his heart was overjoyed.
Toldos Yaakov Yosef,
Ekev
1 Berachos
9b. The simple meaning of this is that he recited the
blessing, "Redeemer of Israel" (go'al Yisroel) directly
before the Amidah prayer. However, since the
contiguity of these prayers is a normal part of the daily
morning liturgy, the Talmudic commentators have
sought alternative ways to understand this statement.
Tosephos, loc. cit., writes that Rabbi Buna joined
these two prayers together at dawn. He finished the
blessing "Redeemer of Israel," and started the
Amidah prayer at the exact moment of sunrise. This is
known as praying like the vatikin. The Baal Shem Tov
offers a different explanation.
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 203: THE SEPHIROT
The Baal Shem Tov taught:
When one sits down to learn, or even during normal
conversation, one should reflect upon what subject
one is talking about: Is it love, is it fear, is it
compassion, is it perseverance, is it gratitude, is it
connecting with others, or is it some type of
controlling? Then one should attach oneself to the
Divine Sephirah1 connected with that
trait.
1The Sephirot are the channels through
which
G-d speaks to us, and by becoming
consciousness of those channels we can become
more conscious of those messages. In the context of
this teaching, perhaps the thoughts that arise
spontaneously in our minds when we are in a
certain "Sephirah-emotional state" will bear that
message for us.
Translation and Commentary by Rabbi
Yehoshua
Starrett
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