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TALES OF THE BAAL SHEM TOV
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CONFRONTING THE ENEMY
(Eisav's guardian angel, appearing as) a man
wrestled with him (Yaakov) until the break of dawn.
When he saw he could not prevail against (Yaakov)
he touched the joint of his hip. Genesis 32:25
And then there was the time that a group of Jewish
community leaders of Mezibush came to the Baal
Shem Tov, also a resident of Mezibush, to
discuss a serious problem.
"It is not a happy
occasion that brings us," they explained with a
worried tone of voice. "There is an army officer, who
despises Jews and does everything he can to
torment us. We have just learned that he is about to
become our mayor. It will be disastrous for us. He will
make our lives unbearable. Only you can help us,
Rebbe."
I am already aware of this problem but I don't know
what can be done. Esau's guardian angel is at this
man's right side. I am powerless against him."
"And so what if Esau's angel supports this man!" the
townspeople responded. "Are we not more
influential? Are we not G-d's own children?"
It was such utterances of implicit faith that made
these townspeople so beloved to the Baal Shem
Tov.
"We will see. There are good
ministering angels
on our side too. Let us wait and see how this turns
out," he answered.
The townspeople heard this and were
satisfied. "Thank G-dWe
can rely on the Rebbe," they said to each other.
Mezibush had an annual fair which was attended by
farmers and merchants from near and far. This fair
was the main attraction of the town. Everyone found
something of interest, be it buying, selling or just
having fun.
On the morning the fair was about to open, the Baal
Shem Tov arose early to pray with the Jewish
merchants that were hurrying to open their booths.
Following the morning prayers, the Baal Shem Tov
announced "I am also going to the fair."
This statement alarmed the merchants. They warned
the Rebbe, "You can't go today. The army officer we
told you about will ride through the market place on
his horse and strike whoever is in his way with a
leather whip. He makes a special point of lashing
Jews, whom he particularly despises. Please, Rebbe,
don't go."
"And why should I be any different than the other Jews
who feel his whip?" the Baal Shem Tov replied.
Wearing his capote (a long black coat) and his
shtreimel (traditional fur hat), the Baal Shem Tov
walked to the market place, followed by a group of his
followers.
"Good morning," he said to whomever he passed.
However, the townsfolk could not bear to look at his
glowing face and answered his greetings with averted
eyes.
Suddenly everyone froze. The anti-semetic officer
galloped into the
market place on his huge, powerful, black horse. His
uniform was pressed, his high boots polished to a
sheen, and with a gleeful smile, he flicked his whip
right and left in sadistic pleasure. He accompanied
his lashes with shouts of fury, "Dirty Jews, out of my
way!"
Everyone tried to flee from his path but few could
escape the long reach of his vicious whip. Right and
left it swung, tearing at coats, upsetting piles of
merchandise, relentlessly striking whomever it could.
Only the Baal Shem Tov stood his ground. Following
his example, the chassidim behind him were equally
steadfast.
The officer soon reached the group of Jews. When he
saw they weren't fleeing, he grew furious. "Out of my
way!" he shouted and brought his whip down.
It was
fortunate that the Baal Shem Tov was wearing his
shtreimel. The whip fell on it, merely grazing the
Rebbe's forehead. But its tip did leave an imprint and
a drop of blood shone brightly upon his forehead. To
add insult to injury, the officer spat at the group and
galloped on.
Everyone crowded around the Baal Shem Tov to
make sure he was alright. They were concerned
about both his wound and the shame he had suffered
at the hands of this cruel officer, a truly miserable
person.
But, the Baal Shem Tov didn't appear to be upset and
maintained is usual calm demeanor. "When the fair is
over this evening, I want everyone to come to my
shule," he announced.
At the end of the day, everyone came to the shule and
found many tables set with platters of cake and
shnaps. "Drink a 'lechayim'!" he happily urged each
newcomer. "Eat something! Rejoice! exclaimed the
Baal Shem Tov"
Everyone could not help but wonder why they were
celebrating.
Finally, after much anticipation, the Baal Shem Tov
arose and spoke. "I have good news for you. Today,
when the officer so arrogantly rode through the market
place, I whispered a prayer.
'G-d all
Mighty,
this evil
man, in his great pride and haughtiness, sees
himself as the ruler of Your children. Does he really
deserve such greatness?'
"Thank
G-d, my
prayer was
accepted and the heavenly court ruled against him.
Therefore, I am happy to inform you, my brothers and
sisters, that that this wicked man lost his future post
as mayor. Now eat, drink and be grateful to
G-d."
And so it was.
Freely adapted by Tzvi Meir HaCohane (Howard M.
Cohn, Patent Attorney) from a story found in Stories of
the Baal Shem Tov by Y.Y. Klapholtz
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SEFER BAAL SHEM TOV
The Baal Shem Tov's Teachings on the Torah
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And when he saw that he could not defeat him, he
touched the hollow of [Jacob's] thigh; and Jacob's hip
joint became dislocated as he wrestled with him.
(Genesis 32:26)
I heard from my Master [the Baal Shem Tov], an
explanation of the Mishnah: "When the spirits of a
person's fellowmen are pleased (nocha) with him,
G-d is pleased with him, and when the spirits
of a person's fellowmen are not pleased with him,
G-d is not pleased with him."1
A human being is a microcosm, as is the
entire Jewish nation2 where one
individual
corresponds to the head, another, to the foot. Thus,
we find the "heads of the generation,"3
or the "eyes of the congregation."4 When
the head of the generation makes himself into a
vessel for the presence of the Shechinah, it radiates
from him to the rest of his generation.
Thus,
the
Mishnah can be read: "When the spirits of a person's
fellowmen rest upon them (nocha) from
him,"5 it is because the spirit of
G-d rests upon the entire world through him.
The opposite is also true. If the spirit of G-d
does not rest upon them, he is to blame, and not the
generation.
Although this isn't the Baal Shem Tov's exact words, it
captures their meaning
.
Toldos Yaakov Yosef, p. 98a
1Pirkei Avos 3:10.
2That is, the entire Jewish people
correspond to the human structure. (The words "as is
the entire Jewish nation" are an addition from the
parallel teaching in Kesser Shem Tov, p. 11d.)
3As in Numbers 13:3.
4As in Numbers 15:24 and 20:27.
5I.e., when the people are uplifted by an
indwelling of spirit.
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.c7 The effect of the exile of the Divine Presence.
The exile of the Divine Presence means that
foreign thoughts "ride" upon your words.
Darchei Tzedek, part 1, §20
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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30. The great sages, from the time of the Baal Shem
Tov until the complete revelation of the Moshiach, are
an illumination of the Moshiach, as is known.
Divrei Shalom, Introduction
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 56
The Baal Shem Tov taught:
Wherever a person's thoughts are, that's where he
fully is.1
1This thought was already expressed in
KST 43
regarding the spiritual world in which a person is at
any moment, or the physical world that surrounds a
person at any given time. Perhaps this quote is
adding that this is so not only regarding the
surrounding physical world, but also regarding one's
own physical body, and even if one is actually
not "there." This is because thoughts are so potent
and have such an effect on one's body, that the
thought alone will create the virtual reality as if the
body was indeed "there." An echo of this idea is found
in the Sages' teaching that fantasizing about sinning
is worse than the actual act, when one's mind may
likely be somewhere else. . . . .
Translation and commentary by Rabbi
Yehoshua Starrett.
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