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TALES OF THE BAAL SHEM TOV
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Offering hospitality to a wayfarer takes precedence
over receiving the Shechinah (Divine Presence)
(Talmud, Tractate Shabbos 127a).
And Avraham planted an "eishel" (tree) in Beer Sheva
(Genesis 21:33): Rashi (the foremost commentator
on the Chumash - the Five Books of Moses) explains
in the Talmud that the acrostic formed of the first
letters of the Hebrew words for eating, drinking and
escorting (the three ways one shows hospitality to a
guest) are the same letters for the three letters
forming the Hebrew word "eishel".
THE MEANING OF HOSPITALITY
Rabbi Eliezer, the father of The Baal Shem
Tov, and his wife Sarah carefully observed the Mitzvah
(Divine commandment) of showing hospitality to
guests, especially to those in need, in their home.
They even employed local villagers to wait on the
roads passing by their little village of Okup to invite
travelers to their home. Every Sabbath and on the
Holy Days there were always guests at their dining
room table. They told stories of the Holy Jewish
Masters, discussed the teachings found in the Holy
Torah and sang the special songs for the
day.
The love and joy in which Rabbi Eliezer and his wife
Sarah carried out the mitzvah of extending hospitality
to those in need did not go unnoticed in the heavenly
realms. It was decided by the Heavenly Court to
answer Rabbi Eliezer's daily prayer: "Master of the
World, please send someone to guide the
Congregation of Israel....". The Jewish communities
in Eastern Europe were living in dangerous times and
under difficult conditions. And so, in answer to his
prayers, a "nefesh chadash" - 'new soul', was sent
into this world to serve as a light and guide to the
Jewish people. This holy soul was to be raised by
Rabbi Eliezer and his wife Sarah, who had no
children, and were advanced in years.
However, the Angel known to all as the Satan (the
Adversary), stepped forward and argued that Rabbi
Eliezer was not worthy of fathering such a holy soul
because he was still untested. "After all," contended
the Satan, "Rabbi Eliezer has not proven that he can
withstand the most difficult test of all - loving a fellow
Jew who scorns the path followed by his forefathers,
that of the Holy Torah".
The Heavenly Court
nodded in agreement, and agreed to test him". At that
moment, Elijah the Prophet came forward and said, "If
Reb Eliezer must be tested, let me be the one to test
him." The Heavenly Court agreed, and Elijah
descended into this world.
The next Sabbath afternoon, Rabbi Eliezer's guests
sat at his dining table enjoying a sumptuous Sabbath
meal when they heard a knock at the door. Rabbi
Eliezer opened the door to a man in torn, dirty
clothing. It was the prophet Elijah disguised as a
common beggar. The beggar carried a walking stick
and sack over his shoulder, -a clear desecration of
the Holy Sabbath. After muttering "Guht Shabbos", the
beggar barged into the house, threw down his sack
and walking stick and sat down at the Shabbos
table.
Rabbi Eliezer didn't say a word or show any sign of
annoyance about this newest arrival who appeared to
be desecrating the Holy Sabbath. Instead, while his
wife Sarah prepared a place at the table for the
newest guest, Rabbi Eliezer brought him wine for
Kiddush (the prayer said over wine to sanctify the
Sabbath) and two loaves of bread for HaMotzi (the
prayer said over the bread). The beggar mumbled
something unintelligible over the wine and over the
bread and immediately began to wolf down the food
and wine.
Meanwhile, Rabbi Eliezer's other guests seemed
upset at the behavior of the new arrival. After all, it is
prohibited to perform certain work, such as carrying a
walking stick or a sack, on the Sabbath. And to eat
and drink with barely a mumbled blessing (incorrect
ones, too, no doubt), especially at the house of Rabbi
Eliezer, was completely unacceptable. Nevertheless,
Rabbi Eliezer continued to serve his new guest
without any sign of displeasure.
That night, during the celebration of Melavah Malkah
(a meal that corresponds to the sending out of the
Sabbath Queen), Rabbi Eliezer continued to serve the
beggar, all the while telling stories of the Holy Rabbis,
as is the custom.
The next morning, when the beggar was preparing to
depart, Rabbi Eliezer gave him a donation and
blessed him with great success in all matters - family,
health, and livelihood. Rabbi Eliezer the escorted his
guest to the door and accompanied him outside to
the front of the house.
It was then that the beggar revealed himself. "I am
Elijah the Prophet and I have been sent to test you.
Because of your selfless love and acceptance of
others, you are worthy to have a son who will serve as
a guide to all of Israel and bring light to the
world!"
Within a year, the blessing was fulfilled, and a
cherished son named Israel was born to Rabbi
Eliezer and his wife Sarah. Later Israel attained
renown as the holy Baal Shem Tov. May his merits
protect us!
And so it was.
Freely adapted by Freely adapted by Tzvi Meir
HaCohane (Howard M.
Cohn, Patent Attorney) from Shivchei ha-Besht
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SEFER BAAL SHEM TOV
The Baal Shem Tov's Teachings on the Torah
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The Baal Shem Tov taught:
And G-d said to Abram, "Go out from your
land, from your birthplace, and from your father's
house, to the land that I will show you." (Genesis
12:1)
"I will make your nature known in the world" (Rashi).
I heard from my Master in the name of Rav Sa'adiah
Gaon, that a person is created in this world solely to
break his negative, inborn character traits. Through
this, he raises up the level called "your nature" [i.e.
what is natural for you] "in the world" - [i.e. into the
world] Above." It is called "world" (olam) from the
word "hidden" (he'elam) and "concealed."
Kesser Shem Tov, p. 3b
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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5.c3 All of your requests should be that G-d
is fulfilled.
IT is known that "In all their afflications , He was
afflicted" (Isaiah 63:9), and "I am with him in trouble"
(Psalms 91:15). Yet, it states in the Tikkunei
Zohar: "They cry out like dogs, but there is no one to
wake in repentance to break their prison house."
Tikkunei Zohar 7 For the main repentance
must be for G-d's honor, which means
rectifying and removing the agony caused by our sins.
In all that you request, have in mind the honor of the
Shechinah, i.e., that G-d's [requests] should
be fulfilled. This is the meaning of: "May G-d
fulfill all of your requests" (Psalms 20:6). That is, all of
your requests should be that G-d is fulfilled.
When your intentions are only for the sake of
G-d, you cause the Shechinah to ascend, and
create a Unification with G-d.
Mevaser Tzedek, Chukas
Translation
and
Commentary by Rabbi Dr.
Eliezer Shore
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DIVINE LIGHT
The Mystical Light of the Baal Shem Tov
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26. The Baal Shem Tov taught:
When a person carries with him pearls and gems, he
may be attacked by robbers. Not so, however, when
he carries straw. Likewise, in every generation,
wicked people and a "mixed multitude" rise up
against the Congregation of Israel because they have
whatever exists in the realm of holiness.
The Baal Shem Tov saw this trouble in the last
generation and cried out over it. For because of
these "thorns," and their strange and distorted ways,
he was unable to fix the souls of the Children Israel by
means of Torah study and Divine service.
Indeed, every Tzaddik and Chassid has an opposing
force, which draws to itself all the rejected souls. At
times, the wicked are able to overcome the Tzaddik.
Notzer Chesed, chap. 2:4F >
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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Kst 46
"The Jewish people were not exiled until they denied
G-d and the dynasty of David."1
"The only difference between the world at the present
and the world at the time of the Messiah is the
subjugation to the [gentile] kingdoms."2
The Baal Shem Tov taught:
The Talmud teaches, "Whoever has not suffered for
forty days has received thereby his future reward. And
what is considered suffering? Even if one puts his
hand into his pocket to take out a golden coin and
instead takes out one of lesser
value."3
However, since suffering is only in atonement for
liability, how can such minor inconvenience constitute
atonement?
The explanation is that since the righteous person
lives with G-d, he believes in Divine
providence and knows that G-d is guiding all
events in his life down to the smallest minutiae, and
that all his suffering is an expression of Divine
justice - DINA, which is represented by the Divine
Name of ADoNaI - on account of his sins.
Hence, as soon as the righteous person suffers
however slightly, he immediately [searches his soul
and] regrets [any misdoing], and becomes filled with
anxiety and fear of G-d. He is thus
immediately forgiven, since he believes [that his
suffering is from G-d], and he repents and
binds his mind to G-d.
Therefore, even when one is only slightly
inconvenienced by having not taken out the coin he
intended, since this only happened because of his
sin, and he [is aware of this and] repents, this
constitutes atonement.
This concept is referred to as "David" [made from the
letters daleth, vav, daleth], for the Infinite One, Who is
referred to as Ayin/Nothingness, is represented by the
[first] daleth. "Nothingness" is then conveyed via the
vav to the [second] daleth, which represents the nadir
of nothingness, which is expressed by a belief that
everything that happens is Divine providence from
G-d.
However, when a person does not believe that
everything that happens is Divine providence from
G-d, but rather attributes things to his own
actions, this is considered having denied G-d
and the aforementioned concept of "David," for he is
denying the justice [providence] of the Kingdom of
G-d/ADoNaI.
But G-d's Kingdom is hidden and subservient to the
kelipoth/shells that cover and conceal G-d's
providence from
mankind.14 In the future,
though, with the coming of the Messiah, who will
banish the spirit of impurity from the earth,
G-d's providence will be revealed even in the
minutest of events.
With this we can understand, "The Jewish people
were not exiled until they denied G-d and the
dynasty of David," and, "The only difference between
the world at present and the world at the time of the
Messiah is the subjugation to the [gentile] kingdoms."
Understand this well,5 for everything that
a person is able to comprehend about G-d is only
regarding His Malkhuth/Kingdom, but above that
cannot be comprehended.
1Yalkut Shimoni, I Samuel #106.
2Tractate Pesachim 68a.
3Tractate Erkhin 16b.
4These "shells" are the "laws" of nature,
the apparent cause-and-effect, and in this case, the
statistical but "chance probabilities" that seem to
govern whether one picks the gold coin or the copper
one from one's pocket.
5Until here is quoted from the Toldoth
Yaakov Yoseph, VaYishlach #8. The conclusion is that
of the compiler of the Keser Shem Tov, and its
relevance to the rest of the piece is not clear.
Translation and commentary by Rabbi
Yehoshua Starrett.
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