Cont'd. from Shabbos Shemini

Last week we left with the Bar Mitzvah of the boy named Shmuel. He proved to be a wonder-child in his grasp of Talmud.

The very next day, however, the baker's wife spoke earnestly to the boy: "You know, it will not be long now before you will be a young man; and with your brilliance in Talmud study, rich men will want to have you as a son-in-law for their daughters. But I want you to know that before your mother died, she and I made a solemn agreement that when you grow up you will marry my daughter Deborah, and we shook hands on it."

"Certainly I will honor my mother's word," said Shmuel, "and especially if it is your wish. You have been just as a mother, raising me all these years. To thank you mama for raising me, when I am grown I will call myself Shmuel Edels, after your name Edels.

As he sat in the synagogue of Jassy listening to this story, Reb Eliezer was deeply affected. Suddenly it occurred to him that there was a parallel between this story and his own life.

The first severe test that the father of Shmuel Edels had passed was to accept poverty. This was in order to have such a distinguished son, one who would say the mourner's prayer of Kaddish for him when he died. Well, Reb Eliezer thought, I too had all my money taken from me by bandits and I accepted it without any sadness since I knew it was decreed by Heaven. And right afterward, Eliyahu HaNavi appeared and foretold that a son would be born to me. It was a good sign...

When Reb Eliezer finally returned home, his wife's joy was indescribable. For years she had not known if he was alive or dead, if she was a wife or a widow. To support herself she had become a midwife, helping the local women birth their children. In fact, she was known everywhere as "Sarah the midwife."

When they finally settled down from the excitement of seeing each other again, Reb Eliezer told her all the details of his adventures, from the time he was first captured and sold as a slave until all his money was stolen, followed by his meeting with Eliyahu HaNavi, and the prediction that Eliyahu had made - that they would have a son.

"Never give another thought to the lost money," said Rebbetzyn Sarah. It is not worth grieving about. To me the birth of a son is more valuable and wonderful than all the wealth in the world."

Then Reb Eliezer told her the story he had heard about the birth of Rabbi Shmuel Edels (the Maharsha). When he finished, the two sat quietly, lost in thought. Both were praying in their hearts that they should not have to meet the same conditions as the parents of the Maharsha, and leave their son an orphan in the world.

"Do you know?" said Reb Eliezer, "I was told that my family descended from the Maharsha. In fact, I was named Eliezer because that was his middle name. Well, if we really have a son with Heaven's help, and some day he will have a daughter, I will leave instructions that he should name her after Aidel, that kind woman who brought up the Maharsha as her own son."

It was happy news indeed that spread through the town of Okup, as the people learned that Reb Eliezer was back. Among themselves, they whispered and agreed that it was due to the merit of his Tzaddekes, Sarah the Midwifewife, that Reb Eliezer had the almost miraculous fortune to come back alive and well. Rebbetzyn Sarah was particularly loved because whenever a poor woman had to give birth, she helped birth the child without expecting anything in return.

On this day of his return, all the people of the town came to bid him welcome. When they left, one rich man stayed behind, and put a sizable amount of money into Reb Eliezer's hand. "Take my advice," he said, "and buy yourself two cows with this. Then you can sell the milk and butter, and you will have a livelihood."

Reb Eliezer and his Rebbetzyn thanked the generous man profusely. Knowing that he had a small daughter, they blessed him that when she came of age, he should have a son of one of the great Torah authorities for a son-in-law. And years later the blessing came true.

Sarah was overjoyed. For years she had yearned and longed for a pair of cows. Many of the poor families in Okup had children who were very weak because there was never enough milk to give them. And there were many poor mothers in the months before giving birth, who also needed milk.

Now at last her dream could come true. Not only could she help the poor women give birth, but she could keep them healthy in the months before birth and afterward she could help their children develop properly. This was like what Shifrah and Puah had done in ancient Egypt when the Israelites were enslaved there. Pharaoh, the cruel king had ordered that all newborn Hebrew boys be killed. But not only did the midwives Shifrah and Puah birth the babies, but they also gave them milk.

And so for many years Reb Eliezer and Rebbetzyn Sarah helped the poor in Okup. Every Friday, Reb Eliezer payed a local boy to sit by the road that went past the town. And if any poor person came along, the boy was to bring the person to spend the Sabbath in Reb Eliezer's home. Before the Sabbath began, he would give each of his guest a good sum of money, as charity, so that they could spend the Sabbath in happiness without having to even think about having to make the rounds of all the houses in town to knock on doors and collect pennies before or after the holy day of rest, .

Well, it has been told that before the Heavenly court there were angels who spoke up to the Almighty in praise of Reb Eliezer and his wife Sarah. They exclaimed that they were really just as generous and hospitable as Abraham the Patriarch and his wife Sarah the Matriarch had been. It was time, said the angels, to give this couple a son as they had been promised. They deserved it. The Heavenly court agreed.

But the angle known as the Satan (the Heavenly Advesary) came running and vehemently objected. The Satan argued that while Rebbetzyn Sarah was righteous and certainly deserved a child, Reb Eliezer had still not proven himself to be worthy of fathering such a child. He argued that Reb Eliezer still had to be put to one more test, the most difficult of all tests. To love a fellow Jew who had turned his back on the holy way of our ancestors, that of Torah and Mitzvos.

The Heavenly court nodded their heads in agreement and decreed to send a guest carrying a heavy load to Reb Eliezer on the Sabbath day and thereby break the Divine Decree not to work on the holy Sabbath. With this, everyone could see how Reb Eliezer would treat him. And he, Satan, was ready to go himself and play the part of this guest.

Immediately, however, Eliyahu HaNavi jumped up and announced that he would go and be the guest that puts Reb Eliezer to this most difficult of all tests.

The Heavenly court nodded their heads yes.

The next Friday before that Sabbath, Satan made sure that no poor people came along the road that passed the town. The boy that was stationed there returned to Reb Eliezer late on Friday afternoon, without finding even one poor person on the road.

Reb Eliezer and Rebbetzyn Sarah were very sad because this was the first time in many years that they would have to spend a Sabbath day without a guest.

It was late on Shabbos afternoon, shortly before the time for the afternoon prayers, when Reb Eliezer saw a beggar, with a heavy bag over his shoulder and walking stick, going by on the road. Never stopping to think that the man was doing a great wrong, because a Jew is forbidden to carry such things on the Sabbath, Reb Eliezer thought only how hungry the poor man must be and he ran to invite him to his house.

Before the man had time to know where he was, a fine Shabbos meal was set before him. Reb Eliezer and Sarah joined him because it was about time for their third Sabbath meal. And soon, they had the man feeling cheerful and happy.

When Saturday night came and the Sabbath was over, it was time for melaveh malkah, the meal to mark the departure of the Sabbath queen. In this too, they had their guest join them and it was a happy meal indeed.

After they said the grace after meals to thank the Almighty for the food He provided, the "beggar" spoke up: "I am Eliyahu HaNavi. You should know that in Heaven it was decided to put you to the test, and that is why I appeared here today as a poor beggar. Usually, when the town's people see a rich man doing something wrong and forbidden, they will not say a word. But if they see a poor man doing the same thing, they won't hesitate to point out his error and berate and insult him. You acted splendidly, however. You never even asked me why I was walking and carrying a heavy bag, when it is forbidden to carry on the Sabbath.

"I can tell you now that at last the Almighty will keep His promise, and a son will be born to you. And this child, who will grow to be a wondrous, extraordinary human being."

Then Eliyahu HaNavi told Sarah: "Before Samuel the prophet was born, a Heavenly voice foretold that a child would be born who would help and rescue the people of Israel, and his name would be Samuel. A great many mothers named their newborn sons Samuel, but only the one born to Hannah the prophet was the one for whom the heavenly voice meant. You should know that thousands of mothers will call their newborn sons Yisrael this year. But only your son, whom you will bear this year and name Yisrael, will be blessed to become a great shining light for all the generations. ... And now I, Eliyahu haNavi bless you with a good week and an extradordinary child, who will be called when he grows up: the Baal Shem Tov, the master of the good name."

To be continued . . . . . . . . Freely adapted by Tzvi Meir Cohn (Howard Cohn Patent Attrorney from Legends and Stories of the Baal Shem Tov by Rabbi Menachem Gutman

"This is the law of the metzorah on the day of his cleansing: he shall be brought to the priest. Then the priest shall command to take for the one who is to be cleansed two living clean birds, and cedar-wood, and scarlet tola'as, and hyssop." (Metzorah 14:2-4)

I heard a parable from my Master. A certain king sought a drug that would enable him to live forever. The "medicine" he was given was to distance himself from pride.¹ However, the more humble he acted, the prouder he became - for he was such a great king, and so humble too! Finally, his teacher came and taught him how to act outwardly like royalty, but humbly within. He did this by showing him [that he needed to use] the toilet, like other men.
Tzafnah Paneach, p. 3c

¹This is not merely a metaphor, for the humbler a person is before G-d, the more he becomes attached to the Divine and partakes of G-d's essence. He can attain an aspect of eternal life, which derives from G-d's own eternal nature.

Translation and commentary by Rabbi Dr. Eliezer Shore.

Section 3.5

Learning a passage of Zohar before each of the daily prayers.

The Baal Shem Tov instructed his disciples to learn a passage of Zohar before each of the daily prayers.
Likutey Torah, hadracha 7

Translation and Commentary by Rabbi Dr. Eliezer Shore

Section 4.
The Holy Rabbi Moshe of Kobrin¹ 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

¹1784-1858

Translation and Commentary by Rabbi Dr. Eliezer Shore

Section 4.

The Baal Shem Tov taught: Every individual must live and conduct himself according to standards of his own spiritual level. However, when one tries to conduct his life by the standards of someone else's spiritual level, he will fail by both standards. This is the deeper meaning of the sages' teaching, "Many tried to emulate Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, but they were unsuccessful."¹ This means that though they themselves were not on Rabbi Shimon's spiritual level, they tried to live according the high standard by which they saw him living, and that is why they were unsuccessful.² Furthermore, the sages teach us that Truth is G-d's seal (Genesis Rabbah 81:2), and truth is the only gateway to G-d. If one is not living truthfully with oneself, one cannot be living with G-d. And finally, since no one can truly grasp the spiritual level of another person, following the unique behavior of another person can be nothing more than mimicking his conduct, and is doomed to failure, as the Baal Shem Tov says here.

¹Brakhoth 35b
²The underlying thought of this teaching is that every person must be true to himself and live his own truth within the framework of the Torah. Every person was brought into this world for a very specific purpose, and if one tries be someone else, one has betrayed his own soul (Toldot Yaakov Yoseph, VaYishlach #8, Metzora #1).

Translation and commentary by Rabbi Yehoshua Starrett.

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The goal of the Foundation is to hasten the imminent coming of the Moshiach (Messiah) by acting on the answer of the Moshiach to the Baal Shem Tov's question: 'When are you coming Master?' (The Moshiach answered) "When your teachings have become well-known and revealed throughout the world, and when your well springs have spread outwards, imparting to others what I have taught you, so that they too will be able to perform contemplative unifications and ascents of the soul…" [quoted from a letter from the Baal Shem Tov to his brother-in-law Rabbi Gershon Kitover.]

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