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BAAL SHEM TOV STORY
Following the Weekly Torah Reading
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HIS WIFE WAS
RIGHT
PESACH
"Pharaoh commanded to all his people saying, 'Every
son that will be born - into the river shall you throw
him!' . . ." Exodus 1:22
And then there was the time, during Pesach in the
year 1756, when many Chassidim came to be with
their Rebbe, Rabbi Yisrael ben Eliezer (the Baal
Shem
Tov). On this Pesach, as on all Jewish festivals, it
was the custom of the Chassidim to came to
Mezibush as it was always an uplifting spiritual
experience to be
in the presence of the Rebbe, especially at the time of
a Jewish holiday.
On this occasion, the Chassidim were upset
because they could see that something was terribly
wrong with the Baal Shem Tov. The Rebbe was not
his usual buoyant self.
After the search for
chometz on the night before the Passover Seder, the
Baal Shem Tov told ten of his closest disciples to say
Tikkun Chatzos (a midnight prayer to commemorate
the destruction of the Temple) with great intention.
While they were in the midst of saying this
prayer, Reb Tzvi (the Baal Shem Tov's scribe) came
running and
said, "Lord of the Universe, the Rebbe fainted and fell
onto the floor of his study." Everyone was visibly
upset, but no one would dare go into the study and
disturb the Rebbe.
The next day, the Baal Shem Tov davened (prayed)
Shacharit (morning prayers) in a despondent mood.
At the end of the prayers, he spoke about 'Trust in
G-d. He explained, "True and complete faith
in G-d can only occur when a person can't
see any way to overcome their difficulty. Nonetheless,
the person believes without a doubt that G-d'
will protect them from their difficulty. And most
importantly, a person can only show this trust and
faith
in G-d by being b'simchah (having a joyful
attitude). Being b'simchah shows that the person has
no doubt that they will soon, with G-d's help,
overcome their problem."
As soon as the Baal Shem Tov finished this
discourse, his attitude changed and he seemed more
at ease. His followers realized that the Rebbe's
change in composure was not due to any change in
the spiritual decree about which he was no doubt
concerned. "No," everyone agreed, "this change in
attitude is how the Rebbe will change the Heavenly
decree, G-d help us."
In the afternoon of that same day, when the time
came
to bake the matzos (matzos made just before the
Seder are considered the most precious), the Baal
Shem Tov went to the mikveh and then to bake the
matzos. His mood had improved even more and he
actually seemed to be very happy. That night, in the
synagogue of the Baal Shem Tov, the special prayers
for Passover were chanted with great enthusiasm.
After the prayers, the close disciples were invited to
the Rebbe's Seder. The disciples sat
around the Seder table eagerly awaiting to hear the
Baal Shem's insights on the Haggadah. But this
night
was different from other Pesach nights because the
Rebbe did not expound on the deep
mysteries underlying the text of the Haggadah.
Instead, he just quietly read the text. The disciples
were disappointed.
After some time, the Baal Shem Tov closed his eyes.
The disciples started to wonder, "Is he in a state of
deep meditation or did he 'almost' fall asleep." The
room was silent. Suddenly, the Baal Shem Tov
started laughing so hard that he could barely sit still in
his chair.
"Mazel Tov!" he exclaimed. "Give thanks to
G-d' who has chosen the Torah, Moses our
teacher and Klal Israel. You should know that even
the simplest Jew has the power to change a Heavenly
edict."
The disciples felt propelled into a state of exhilaration
as they eagerly waited to hear more of what the
Rebbe
had to say. The Baal Shem Tov didn't make them wait
long.
They sat speechless as he began to explain what had
just transpired. "Yesterday morning, a terrible edict
was decreed in Heaven against the Jews of a nearby
village. The non-Jews in the village were incited to
attack the Jews on the first night of the Passover. I
prayed with all my strength, and I even had you help
me by praying Tikkun Chatzos. But even together, we
couldn't overcome the strength of the Heavenly
decree. It took a while but I
finally remembered that G-d is merciful. So I
put my trust and faith in G-d and started to
feel joyful because of my complete and absolute faith
that the decree would be rescinded. When we sat
down to the Seder, the hour for the execution of the
decree had arrived. I didn't see any hope for those
Jews living in that village. But in a single instant,
Baruch HaShem (thank G-d), everything
changed."
"During this time, a childless couple that are among
my followers and who lived in that very village, were
sitting
at their Seder Table. While neither is learned in
Judaism, they are both people that are kind, devout
and full of good deeds. When they reached the
section of the Haggadah about the Egyptians
throwing the new born baby boys into the Nile, the
wife
started to cry. Her husband tried to comfort her, "My
sweet wife, don't be sad, after all the Jewish people
were finally taken out of Egypt."
The wife spoke back, "If G-d had blessed me
with a son, I would have protected him and not let
anyone hurt him. And I certainly would not have let
anyone treat my son the way G-d let us be
treated by the Egyptians."
The husband answered and stood up for G-d
saying, "G-d is righteous in all that He does,
it's only that we can't see or understand why it is good
for us."
But the wife retorted, "Why isn't G-d more
compassionate? How could He have treated us like
that? Even if we do sin, we are still His children." And
so the argument went back and forth as they worked
their way through the Haggadah.
The Baal Shem Tov continued, "During this time, in
the case being presented before the Heavenly Court,
the defending angels were more persuasive when
the
wife presented her arguments and the accusing
angels were more persuasive when the husband
presented his rebuttals. I really couldn't tell which
group of angels was going to win. Finally, after the
fourth cup of wine, the husband
couldn't think of another answer to his wife's
arguments against G-d's behavior, so he
conceded, 'My wife, you're right. G-d should
have treated his children better.' They started to
laugh,
got up and began to dance around the Seder table.
And at that very moment, the decree in Heaven
against
the Jews of their village was annulled," the Baal
Shem
Tov concluded.
The disciples were mesmerized with the story. Then,
the Baal Shem Tov told them to place their hands on
the shoulder of the person sitting on either side.
When the Baal Shem Tov placed his hands on the
shoulder of the person sitting on either side, the
disciples all saw a vision of the husband and wife
dancing together around their Seder table celebrating
the liberation of the Jewish people from Egypt. The
Baal Shem Tov said with a little chuckle, "They should
only know that they are also celebrating the liberation
of the Jewish people of their own village."
And so it was.
Freely adapted by Tzvi Meir HaCohane (Howard M.
Cohn, Patent Attorney) from a story found in SEEKER
OF SLUMBERING SOULS.
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Sefer Baal Shem Tov
The Baal Shem Tov's Teachings on the Torah
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The nature of the Egyptian exile was that the people
lacked da'at1 - the ability to
conclude2 that there is One
Creator, "who in His goodness, constantly renews the
act of creation" 3 - until Moses came,
and through the miracles he performed, showed that
there is One Creator who constantly renews the
world.
However, the aspect of da'at that was
revealed in the Exodus was Feminine4;
whereas the da'at that will be revealed in the future, in
the days of the Messiah, will be
Masculine.5 Thus, the verse says: "Your
eyes will
behold your Master" (Isaiah 30:20). Then, everyone
will see with their eyes the letters of Torah and
prayers
that they are studying and praying, for these are the
purified worlds.6 This is what the
Sages
said: "[Know what is above you,] an eye sees, and an
ear hears."7
This is also what is written in the
Passover Hagadah: "Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah said,
Though I am like a man of seventy years, I did not
merit to mention the Exodus from Egypt in the nights."
8 That is, to make known the renewal of
the world - called "the exodus from Egypt" - in the
night, when the lights and supernal worlds are
hidden. This is because the darkness of the impure
shells, called "nights," makes it impossible to
mention the Exodus from Egypt, which is the
revelation of the renewal of the worlds.
"Not until Ben Zoma expounded. . .." For exposition
has
the power to break the shells.9 Then it
was possible to show the presence of the Exodus
from Egypt, which would otherwise be impossible
until the future, when we will see "eye to
eye."10 And this is what the Sages said,
that this goal will be reached in the days of the
Moshiach.
1Da'at refers to a
direct, spiritual perception of G-d. See the
Torah
portion VaYetze, fn. 7.
2The Baal Shem Tov uses a uncommon
word to describe this lack of da'at: l'hachria which
means decide between multiple options and
reach a conclusion. The nature of the da'at
consciousness is the reconciliation of opposites (as
in the unified, mystical experience). The lack of da'at,
therefore, would mean that a person is trapped
between opposites, unable to come to any singular
conclusion.
3From the daily, morning prayers.
4Da'at d'nukba, in the Aramaic of the
Zohar.
5Da'at ded'chura. To briefly explain this
complex idea, according to the Sages, there are two
levels of prophecy: through a clear lens, and through
an unclear lens - aspaklaria d'me'ira and aspaklaria
d'eina me'ira. Feminine da'at, that was revealed at the
Exodus, means that the Jewish people had a
perception of G-d that was filtered through the
emotions (and possibly, the imaginatively faculty,
following Maimonidies definition of "unclear"
prophecy). Only Moses merited perceiving
G-d
through
a clear lens, which means a direct, intellectual
perception of Divinity, and the workings of the
supernal worlds. All Israel did briefly attain this level at
the revelation at Sinai, although they lost it soon
afterward. However, in the World to Come, this level of
spiritual perception will be regained.
6According to R. Yitzchok Isaac of
Komarno (Otzar HaChaim, Behar), this is not merely a
visual experience of the letters, but a perception of the
absolute Oneness and Providence of
G-d: ". . . . each
person will feel and see that the entire world is filled
with His glory, for the darkness of the impure shells
causes concealment and illusion, until the future
time,
when the glory of His kingdom will be revealed. And
the entire world will see that everything is His simple
Will, and that all that happened was through His
direction, down to the smallest detail, and that the
Master of the World was in each and every gesture, for
the essence of the craftsman is in the object he
creates, and the creation is like a snail, whose
garment is itself."
7Pirkei Avos 2:1.
8I.e., in the evening prayers, in the last
passage of the Shema, that speaks of the
commandment of tzitzit. This passage was included
in
the evening prayers because it mentions the Exodus,
not because of the mitzvah of tzitzit, which does not
apply at night.
9The process of expounding upon the
Torah, derush, brings to light previously unrecognized
details of the text or clarifies issues that were difficult
to understand. In both cased, it is as though a "shell"
that covers the meaning of the Torah has been
cracked. When Ben Zoma expounded upon the verse,
he not only broke the shell of the Torah, he broke
the "impure shells" that prevent the consciousness
from experiencing a perception of G-d. Thus
R. Elazar
was able to make mention of the Exodus from Egypt
in
the night; that is, to reveal the presence of G-d
even in
exile - a foretaste of the revelation of the World to
Come.
10Isaiah 52:8: "Hark, your watchmen!
They lift up the voice, together they sing; for they shall
see eye to eye the return of the L-rd to Zion."
Toldos Yaakov Yosef, VaYishlach
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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7-b2 G-d's keeps people alive after prayer.
IT is only G-d's great love that keeps people
alive after prayer. For with all the energy and
concentration that they put into their words, it would be
natural for them to die of exhaustion.
Tzava'as HaRivash 35
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THE LIGHT OF THE EYES
On the Greatness of the Baal Shem Tov
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SHABBOS HAGADOL
And then there was the time, one Shabbos HaGadol
(the Great Sabbath) in Mezibush, the city where Rabbi
Yisrael ben Eliezer (the Baal Shem Tov) resided, that
the entire Jewish community was worried. They
heard whisperings from the local peasants that a non-
Jewish baby was killed so that its blood could be put
into the Passover matzos. The allegation that Jews
murdered non-Jews to obtain blood for the Passover
Matzos was known as a blood libel and was used
since early times to persecute Jews. They had also
learned that a certain judge was spreading the
rumor, "The baby was probably killed by their shochet
(ritual slaughterer)."
In the Synagogue of the Baal Shem HaKodesh, a
large gathering of the Chassidim were assembled to
daven (pray). After davening Shachris for Shabbos
(the morning prayers), the Baal Shem Tov removed
his Tallis (prayer shawl) and went outside from the
synagogue. Everyone waited for the Rebbe to return
so they could continue with the Torah reading and
remainder of the Sabbath prayers. After a long time
had passed, some Chassidim went outside to see if
something was wrong.
Just then, they saw a group of village boys running
after a huge, dancing, brown bear being led with a
rope by a gypsy. The Chassidim were surprised to
see the Baal Shem Tov among the group of boys
following the bear. They too joined in and followed
the
bear to see what was going to happen. "After all,"
they thought, "the Rebbe doesn't usually leave prayers
to run after a bear."
The gypsy stopped in front of the judge's house and
had the bear perform a number of tricks. The bear
caught a ball, stood on its two hind legs and even
danced. Suddenly, the bear broke loose from the
rope
and started to act in a crazy way. Everyone in the
crowd turned to run away, afraid that the bear might
turn on them. However, the Baal Shem Tov remained
there by the bear. Just then, the bear broke into the
front door of the judge's house. Many, including the
Baal Shem Tov, excitedly ran to the windows to see
what the bear was going to do in the house.
They watched with amazement as the bear
deliberately moved a table and pulled up the floor
boards under the table as if they were match sticks.
Then, the bear began to dig into the ground until it
uncovered a dead child buried in the earth. Later it
was discovered that the dead baby was a mamzer
(born of an illicit relationship between a married
woman and a man other than her husband). The
bear
picked up the dead child and waved it around for all to
see.
The Baal Shem Tov yelled out, "You are all witnesses
of this attempted blood libel. The judge accused us
of killing a child to use the blood for the Matzos. In
fact, the dead child is buried here in this house."
With that, the Baal Shem Tov returned to the
Synagogue to complete his Sabbath prayers.
And so it was.
Freely adapted by Tzvi Meir HaKohane
(Howard M. Cohn, Patent Attorney) from a story found
In Praise of the Baal Shem Tov.
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KESER SHEM TOV
Anthology of the Teachings of the Baal Shem Tov
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Kst 83
"Each day conveys an utterance, and each night
expresses knowledge."
The Baal Shem Tov taught:
Man's initial judgment is for abstaining from Torah
study.1 But a person assumes that he
will be able to absolve himself from judgment
because he was busy earning a living by day and
resting from his toil by night. However, the short winter
days prove him wrong, and the short summer nights
contradict him.2
1Oral tradition (Tractate
Kiddushin 40b) derives this from a verse in Proverbs
17:14.
2Until the advent of electricity, the
workday basically ended at sunset, and thus during
the winter, people worked less hours. This proves
that one is willing to work less hours when
necessary, which raises the question, Why not for
Torah study? Similarly, one sleeps less during the
short summer nights, which shows that one is able to
be flexible with one's sleeping hours, which
contradicts the contention that one must rest the
entire night.
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