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TALES OF THE BAAL SHEM TOV
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THE MAGICAL POWER OF TEFILLIN
"Bind [these words] as a sign on your hand, and let them be an emblem in the center of your head."
Deuteronomy 6:8
And then there was the time that the Baal Shem Tov was studying Torah in the Bais Medrash (study hall) with his close disciples. Suddenly, he became so sick that he was unable to speak.
The disciples became very alarmed. "Rebbe, Rebbe," they asked, "What's wrong? Can we get you something?"
The Baal Shem Tov motioned to his Tefillin bag. Quickly, the students took out his Tefiilin and wrapped one around his arm and put the other on his head. By this time, the Baal Shem Tov was so weak that he just lay down on a bench. He closed his eyes and didn't move. The disciples sat by his side unsure of what to do.
After a long time passed, the Baal Shem Tov sat up and began speaking to the disciples. "Thank G-d, I'm feeling better."
The disciples asked in a concerned voice, "Rebbe, what happened?"
The Baal Shem Tov explained, "In my youth, I committed a sin. An accusation was made against me before the Heavenly Court and the Court decided that I deserve to die. At first, I wasn't aware of what was happening to me. All I knew was that I started to feel very, very weak. Just then, my teacher, Achiya HaShaloni (a spiritual Being and teacher of King David), came and told me the situation. Then he told me, 'Reb YIsrael, quickly put on your Tefillin.'"
"After you put my Tefillin on," continued the Baal Shem Tov to the disciples, "the Accuser (the Satan) came in the form of a Russian peasant carrying an iron shovel in his hand. He wanted to chop off my head. But because of the power of the Tefillin, the Satan could not get close to me. He started yelling, "Take off that leather (the Tefillin are made of leather)!" But I didn't pay any attention to him and he continued yelling until, thank G-d, the accusation was nullified."
The Baal Shem Tov continued, "During that time, my brother-in-law, Rabbi Gershon came to testify for me. However, the gates to the Heavenly court were closed and he couldn't get through. But that didn't stop Reb Gershon. He took a heavy wooden pole and started banging on the Gates until they were finally opened. Then, he ran in and started yelling before the Court in an angry voice, 'Will you sentence Rabbi Yisrael to death, G-d forbid, for a trivial thing that happened in his youth?' The court wasn't able to overcome the defense of Reb Gershon and revoked their original sentence."
The Baal Shem Tov continued, "It says in the Tikune Zohar (book of Kabbalah), the commandment of Matronita (the Schechina, the female aspect of G-d) places a man under her wings and protects him from the hand of the Accuser. So it is with the commandment of wearing Tefillin."
And so it was.
Freely adapted by Tzvi Meir Cohn (Howard M. Cohn, Patent Attorney) from a story found in SHIVCHEI HABESHT and translated in IN PRAISE OF THE BAAL SHEM TOV by Ben Amos and Mintz.
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SEFER BAAL SHEM TOV
The Baal Shem Tov's Teachings on the Torah
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"All the commandments which I command you this day shall you observe to do." (Devarim 8:1)
There is one great principle - that a person must attach himself to the inner dimension of the Torah and the commandments. One must bind one's thoughts and soul to the root of the Torah and the mitzvos that one fulfills. If not, one cuts and separates the "shoots."1
I received this from my Master, and I also found it in the book Chesed l'Avraham, nahar 14.
Ben Poras Yosef, p. 21a
1A Talmudic term implying that one posits a division between G-d and creation. In this case, the Baal Shem Tov applies it to a separation between the soul of the Torah and its outer manifestation. The Talmud states that the Elisha ben Abuya "uprooted the shoots" when he became an apostate.
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HEART OF PRAYER
The Baal Shem Tov's Teachings on Prayer
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7-d3 Understanding the simple meaning of the words of prayer.
WHETHER in Torah study or in prayer, if you understand the simple meaning of the words or the practical law to be derived from your studies, you bind Malchut to Binah.
Toldos Yaakov Yosef, Va'eschanan
From
HEART OF PRAYER by Tzvi Meir
Cohn
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DIVINE LIGHT
The Mystical Light of the Baal Shem Tov
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63. The holy rabbi Reb Yaakov Yisroel of Charkes told of a trip taken by his grandfather, Reb Nochum of Chernobel, and a number of his close followers to his rebbe, the Maggid of Mezritch.
When they arrived in Mezeritch, they met the Maggid and his son, Reb Avraham the Malach. After expressing their greetings to the Maggid and the Malach, Reb Nochum and several of the disciples went on to the local inn.
Two of the followers stayed longer with the Maggid and his son. When they arrived at the inn, they described the great awe they experienced. They swore that the Maggid and his son were so great that none would reach their level of holiness until Moshiach comes.
Reb Nochum told them, "It is written, 'And the sun rose, and the sun set.' One generation goes, another comes, but one such as the Baal Shem Tov will not come again until Moshiach arrives. When Moshiach does come, though, there will be a Baal Shem Tov!"
He repeated these words three times to convey the message that the Baal Shem Tov will be Moshiach.
Maasiyos Vemaamorim Kedoshim
From DIVINE LIGHT by Tzvi Meir
Cohn
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KESER SHEM TOV
Anthology of the Teachings of the Baal Shem Tov
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KST # 3
The Baal Shem Tov discusses the futility of man's effort to know the unknowable - and how he may find spiritual growth and satisfaction in the process of discovery-not in the discovery itself:
The Baal Shem Tov discusses the following phrase in the Talmud:
"If only they had abandoned Me but kept My Torah. "
The ultimate goal in striving to know G-d is the understanding that one truly cannot know G-d. [And man thus remains ignorant of this understanding]. However, there are two categories of such "ignorance".
The first category is that of a person who immediately realizes their limitations. Since they understand that it is impossible to truly know
(G-d), they abandon any further effort to contemplate the matter.
The second category is that of a person who also immediately realizes their limitations. Nevertheless, they continue their effort to search until they know that it is truly impossible to know (G-d).
The difference between these two categories can be explained with the following parable.
Two of the king's subjects want to know the king.
The first person walks through the king's palace observing the wealth and luxury of the king. He delights in all he sees, yet he realizes that despite all that he sees, he doesn't truly know the king -he is only seeing the king's possession.
We can thus better understand the two categories mentioned above.
One individual makes an effort to know the King and does not succeed, while the other does not even attempt to try, and also doesn't succeed.
So when G-d says, "They abandon Me", it refers to the "avodah" [spiritual effort] in trying to know G-d. Nevertheless, says G-d, "If only they had abandoned Me", knowing that they can not ultimately know Me. But the "abandoning" only occurred after they engaged in the process of searching until "they had kept my Torah" (and had explored all its depth).
Yerushalmi, Chagigah 1:7 (6b)
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