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TALES OF THE BAAL SHEM TOV
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"When Moses came into the Tabernacle, to speak
[with G-d], he would hear the Voice speaking
with
him."
(Naso 7:89)
REB YOSSELE
AND it happened that in the town of Mezibush, where
the Baal Shem Tov lived, there was a successful
businessman by the name of Reb Naftali, who owned
a local dry-goods business. Reb Naftali worked long
hours in his store, and had little time to devote to
Torah study, communal activities, or even some
family
gatherings. He reasoned, that as he was so occupied
with his business, the generous charity he gave to the
needy would make up for his lack of Torah study, and
that his family would surely understand that he was
working for their benefit.
Reb Naftali and his wife had an only son, Yoseph,
who
worked with his father in his store.
Reb Yoseph was well learned in Torah and known for
his "midos tovos" - fine character traits. Reb Yosef
would travel a few times each year to the city of
Breslau to buy merchandise to stock his father's
store.
Usually, the trip took about one month. Once, Reb
Yosef departed for Breslau as usual, but after a
month
he had not yet returned. His parents were not overly
concerned, as sometimes he would find additional
merchandise to examine, which could take additional
time. But after two months had passed and there was
no sign or word from their son, they became worried
for his safety.
Reb Naftali's wife begged her husband to speak to
the
Baal Shem Tov for advice and a blessing for their
son's safe return. But Reb Naftali came from a family
of misnagdim - those fiercely opposed to the Holy
Baal Shem Tov and his teachings and he refused.
Finally, Reb Naftali's wife begged him: "Please
Naftali,
put aside your personal feelings and your family's
dislikes, and ask the Baal Shem Tov for his advice
about our son. People travel from all over to Mezibush
to seek his advice and blessing, and he helps them.
You who live right here, - five minutes away, refuse to
go? The welfare of our son may be at stake! I beg you
to go!"
But Reb Naftali wasn't easily swayed by his wife's
pleading, and he still refused to go. But as the days
passed and Reb Yosef still did not return home, Reb
Naftali became increasingly worried. "What could be
so bad about asking the Baal Shem Tov his opinion?"
he reasoned. So he made his way to the Baal Shem
Tov's shule.
It was late Friday afternoon, before the holy Sabbath,
when he approached the Baal Shem Tov's gabai
(assistant) to ask if he could have a few minutes of
his
Rebbe's time. When he was admitted to the Baal
Shem Tov's study, he asked, "Rabbi, it is more than
two months since our only son, Reb Yosef left for
Breslau to purchase merchandise for our store. He
hasn't yet returned, and we've heard not a word from
him or about him."
The Baal Shem Tov sat quietly at his desk for a
moment, then rose and walked to his bookshelf and
removed a volume of the holy Zohar from the shelf. He
opened it at random and closely studied the page
open before him. After a few minutes of silence, he
looked up at Reb Naftali and said, "Your son is alive
and well and with G-d's help he will stay this
very
Shabbos in a small village not too far from here."
Reb Naftali couldn't believe his ears! "How could that
be?" he thought. "No doubt his son knows his parents
are worried about him. If he were close to home,
surely he would spend whatever necessary to rent a
carriage and return home for Shabbos. Perhaps he
ran out of money?" he thought.
It would soon be Shabbos, so Reb Naftali quickly
arranged for one of his non-Jewish servants to take a
carriage and ride to the nearby village and to remain
there until nightfall. Perhaps his son would arrive in
enough time to travel home with his servant before
Shabbos started.
It was well after dark when Reb Naftali's servant
returned and reported that Reb Yoseph had not
arrived
in the village.
Reb Naftali was livid! "You see," he screamed at his
wife, "This proves what I've been saying. This rabbi is
a fake, with words of empty promises. It's probably
just
another scheme to make money."
In fact, Reb Yoseph had set out for Mezibush with
ample time to arrive home before the Sabbath. But,
Divine providence would have it otherwise, and his
wagon had broken down several times on the road.
He arrived at the little village as predicted by the Baal
Shem Tov just minutes before the beginning of the
Sabbath - just enough time to find lodging in the local
Inn. He remained there until the holy Sabbath had
ended, and then returned home, where his parents
where overjoyed to see him in good health.
When Reb Yoseph explained his delay to his parents,
Reb Naftali realized that the Baal Shem Tov's words
were indeed true.
He immediately went to the Baal Shem Tov to ask
forgiveness. "Rebbe, I have said some terrible things
about you. Please forgive me."
The Baal Shem Tov smiled. "Don't worry Reb Naftali -
all has turned out for the best. I completely forgive you
for whatever you may have said."
Then Reb Naftali asked the Baal Shem Tov, "Rebbe,
how were you able to know the whereabouts of my
son?"
The Baal Shem Tov explained, "To The Almighty, each
Jew is a ben yochid - an only son. Just as a father is
always mindful of his only child, and always tries to
protect him from danger, so to our Father Above
protects each and every Jew as if he or she were His
only child. Sometimes, even the Jew who realizes that
he is a ben yochid, becomes lost, or perhaps
overly 'occupied' with material pursuits. Then he may
forget that his father is concerned about him. And
sometimes, the father needs to send a 'messenger'
to
remind his son of his purpose in this world."
"You asked how I knew of your son's whereabouts.
The Almighty first created light and then put it into the
Torah. The light illuminates. If one can use it correctly,
one can see from one end of the world to the other,
and even use it to find a lost child."
And so it was.
Freely adapted by Tzvi Meir HaCohane (Howard M.
Cohn, Patent Attorney) from a story in Shivchei Halest
and translated 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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And G-d spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the
children of Israel: When a man or woman shall
commit any sin that men commit, to commit a
trespass against G-d, and that soul be found
guilty,
they shall confess sin which they committed; and
shall make restitution for his guilt in full . . . .
(Numbers 5:5-7)
Whoever fulfills one commandment properly, it is as if
he fulfilled the 248 positive mitzvos. For there is no
mitzvah that does not contain all 248. (Zohar, Raya
Mehemna 145a)
According to the conclusions of the Rishonim, it is
proper for a person to know the mystery of
G-d's unity,
because whenever a person grasps a portion of unity,
he grasps all of it. I also heard this from my Master.
Understand it!
Now, since the Torah and the mitzvos emanated from
G-d's essence, which is true unity, when you
fulfill one
mitzvah properly and with love, you become attached
to G-d, and grasp through this commandment
a part
of His unity. Therefore, you grasp all of it, as though
you fulfilled all the mitzvos, for they reflect the totality of
His unity, a complete persona, as it were.
Toldos Yaakov Yosef, p. 55b
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HEART OF PRAYER
The Baal Shem Tov's Teachings on Prayer
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7-c3 Even with limited thoughts cleave to G-d
when you fall from your spiritual level.
EVEN when you fall from a loftier spiritual level, you
should continue cleaving to G-d albeit with
more limited thoughts. Even with this impediment,
you can still reach an intense spiritual level for as
long as one spark remains in a coal, it can be fanned
into a great fire. But if even this small spark is
missing, it cannot be stoked. So too, if a person does
not constantly cleave to G-d by whatever
means possible, their soul can be completely
extinguished, G-d forbid.
Likkutei Yikarim p.15b
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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54. THE author of Kitzos HaChoshen,1
once asked
the holy Rabbi Tzvi Hirsh of
Zidichov:2 "What is the
difference between one day and another? From the
day the Baal Shem Tov became known, the number of
Chasidim who follow him has multiplied. As we know,
the Baal Shem Tov based himself upon the roots and
foundations of the teachings of the Arizal. Yet, we
don't find that any large groups attached themselves
to the Arizal. What did the Baal Shem Tov innovate in
the roots of Chassidus that attracts such a large
following, with groups in every city?"
Reb Tzvi answered him with the following parable.
Once, the citizens of a certain country had to appoint a
king. They heard that in a very distant land, there was
remarkable man: a man of towering stature and
wisdom, beautiful to look upon, with flowing hair, pure
as wool. He was complete with every good virtue, and
there was no other as fit as he for the kingship.
However, because he was so far away, it was
impossible for them to get a detailed picture of each
of his merits, though they did have an overall image of
his wondrous virtues. Many of the townspeople could
simply not grasp or comprehend the essence of this
man.
Then, someone who had traveled to that distant land
and had seen that man with his own eyes, came to
them and was able to describe him in every detail.
His words entered the hearts of a number of the
people, who could understand him. However, the
majority of the people still could not understand
everything based upon the traveler's testimony alone.
Finally, one wise man traveled to the distant land and
actually brought the man back and set him before
them, so that all who desired could see him.
Multitudes flocked to him and saw his wondrous
virtues for themselves. Now that they had seen what
he was and they understood that he was fit to be king,
they devoted themselves to him in love and set the
crown of monarchy on his head.
The parable can be understood as follows:
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and his companions were
the first to reveal a little of "G-d's secrets to
those who
fear Him"3 in the Holy Zohar and
especially in the two
Idras.4 However, they carefully hid the
meaning of
their words in the Zohar. And so it remained, until
the "World of Repair" was revealed in the generation
of the Arizal.
The Arizal came to make known and explain that
which Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and his companions
had concealed. However, all the holy words of the
Arizal deal with supernal lights and supernal worlds,
and cannot be grasped by every person. All his words
are in the highest heavens, and relate to spiritual
matters. The multitude of people cannot be
enlightened by them.
Finally, the holy Baal Shem Tov, revealed Divinity even
in this lowly world, in each and every detail, and
especially, in human beings. He showed how
everything, even every limb and gesture, is a garment
for the Divine power hidden within it.
And he revealed the great power of Tzaddikim, who
liken the form to its Creator.5 For there
is no
movement or word that does not contain awesome
and wondrous unifications. Every person is created
upon this earth in order to achieve greatness and
wonders, and to act in this world while remaining
connected to the supernal worlds. Divrei Tzaddikim
1Aryeh Leib Hacohane Heller 1745-
1813
2d. 1831
3Psalms 25:14
4Idra Rabbah and Idra Zutra; two parts
of the Zohar.
5In other words, who see within the
forms of
creations, and especially the human form, a reflection
of supernal realities, as the verse says, "From my
flesh, I will behold G-d." (Job 19:26)
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 92
The phenomenon of "running and returning" exists in
the physical world as well. This is alluded to in the
Mishnah, "Make yourself warm near the fire of the
wise,"1 implying not to try and warm
oneself from too far, but at the same time, not to come
too close, until one is at the flame, as the Mishnah
concludes, "Be careful from their coals, lest you be
burnt."2
1Tractate
Avoth 2:10.
2Toldot Yaakov Yoseph, VaYera #2. As
the Toldot explains there, when one "runs" toward
G-d, one's being becomes "dissolved"
and "absorbed" into His Oneness, thus one loses
one's own identity and in a sense, "nullifies" one's
very existence. But this is not G-d's wish, but
rather
that a world continue to exist in apparent
separateness from Him, so one must "return" to
earthly existence and serve G-d from
the "distance."
Similarly, if one gets too "close" to the wise, one may
tend to lose one's own identity by being overwhelmed
by their spiritual light, and not grow to become what
one oneself is meant to become. One must thus find
the golden median between submission to the wise
and self-actualization.
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