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ORIGINS OF THE BAAL SHEM TOV
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OBST 18
In the last installment, the Baal Shem Tov showed his power by expelling evil spirits from a haunted house..
Reb Shlomo Moshe, one of the famous scholars in Posen, objected to Reb Yoel and his following and grew furious. This Reb Shlomo Moshe was a former inhabitants of Avigdor Tuvia's building, and had himself heard the wild voices of the demons. He had witnessed Reb Yoel's wonders with his own two eyes yet he still mocked them. He attached no importance to the whole matter and belittled it, denying that Reb Yoel's powers and instructions had been responsible for the excorcism of the spirits. Reb Shlomo Moshe merely said that the time had come for them to leave and this is why they had left, especially since the place had been converted to a Beis Medrosh. The people of Posen began to doubt that the Baal Shem of Zameshtesh had innovated anything here at all.
Six weeks passed when suddenly the strange animal sounds were again heard emerging from Avigdor Tuvia's house. Now the sounds issued from the cellar which served as a storeroom for firewood. When the matter was investigated, it was discovered that Avigdor Tuvia's heir had only transmitted the house to the kehilla but had not mentioned the storeroom. Now he immediately made up a deed giving over the house with the cellar to the community. But it was of no avail. The spirits continued to raise a rumpus. The tumult in the city was renewed in all its former strength. Queer sounds could again be heard every night and people were afraid to enter the shul even.though the devils never dared to enter it, although they haunted the rest of the house freely.
Reb Shlomo Moshe felt himself the victor. Since the demons still existed, the Baal Shem had not accomplished a thing. He had strengthened the opposition. Now Reb Yoel's disciples had to buttress their side by a mighty effort. They decided to bring their rebbe, in all his glory, to the city of Posen to prove his powers and to end the controversy and hate.
But Reb Shlomo and the other opposers disagreed to this plan violently and said that it would diminish the glory of G-d to bring the rebbe. Judaism has no business fighting battles with demons and spirits.
The misnagdim's violent opposition to bringing Reb Yoel to Posen to excorcise the demons from the cellar caused Reb Boruch and his followers to have second thoughts about bringing the rebbe. They feared that someone might insult him after he had troubled himself to come. While they were discussing the matter something happened that aroused the entire city.
To be continued. . . . . .
Freely adapted by Tzvi Meir HaCohane (Howard M. Cohn, Patent Attorney) from a story in Sefer Hazichronos by Reb Yosef Yitzchok of Lubavitch, Zal
as translated in Tales of the Baal Shem Tov by Y.Y. Klapholtz.
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The Lag B'Omer Parade
And then there was the time, two weeks before Rosh Hashanah in 1734, on his 36th birthday, Rabbi Yisrael, the Baal Shem Tov, was revealed as an extraordinarily holy person and the leader of the fledgling Chasidic movement. Before that, he devoted himself to keeping his special qualities well hidden from the public eye. He dressed, spoke and carried himself like every other simple uneducated poor Jew in the Ukraine. To support himself, he worked as a plain laborer. His intense prayers, his meditation, and his deep Torah study were all carried out in secret. In conversation with other Jews, he would often encourage them with teachings and stories from the Midrash and Talmud that stressed the value of serving G-d simply but wholeheartedly. He strove to nourish in them a love for G-d, for Torah, and for the entire Jewish people. But when he did so, it was always in the language and idiom of the common people. No one suspected him of being more than he appeared. Only his wife knew his capabilities.
Sometimes it happened that he would be forced to utilize his extraordinary powers to save Jews or even whole communities in distress. Whenever he did so, as soon as the time of need ended, he would immediately move to a new and distant location where nobody knew him. One of these occasions took place on Lag B'Omer.
In those days, Jewish communities in Eastern Europe were often subject to attack by wild bands of violent Cossacks and other such coarse anti-Semites. They would beat Jewish men, sometimes even fatally, rape the women and plunder or destroy whatever Jewish property they could get their hands on. Once, the town that the Baal Shem Tov was living in received word that such a gang of evil marauders was headed their way. The entire Jewish community decided to abandon their homes and hide in the hills for a few days, until the invading Cossacks would calm down and leave. The Baal Shem Tov accompanied them. The people took refuge in the numerous caves that dotted the rugged terrain.
It was the holy day of Lag b'Omer. . . .
From their lookout places they could see that the Cossack horde had arrived. Unable to find any Jews to physically assault, they vented their anger and frustration on Jewish property. They broke into the warehouse of wine, drank themselves into a state of crazed drunkenness, smashed the rest of the barrels and set fire to the building. From their lookout, the Jews all trembled in fear that the cruel Cossacks would decide to search the hills and their hiding places would be discovered.
A few days went by. The invaders stacked piles of booty looted from Jewish homes and stores. The Jews were still terrified of being discovered. How startled they were to see that the nondescript "Yisroelik" (a nickname for "Israel", the Baal Shem Tov's name) was assembling groups of their children outside of the caves, in broad daylight!
They protested, whereupon the Baal Shem Tov explained to them that it was the holy day of Lag B'Omer, a day to be outside in the fields, joyously celebrating the day of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. He assured them that not only would they not be endangered, but that the merit of their Lag b'Omer observance would help to protect and rescue the entire community.
Somehow his enthusiasm and conviction affected the nervous parents, and they gave their permission. The Baal Shem Tov went from cave to cave and gathered nearly all the children.
All his movements reflected ecstasy in the Divine, as he danced with the circle of children. . . .
While many of the adults were still mulling over this startling turn of events, the Baal Shem Tov launched a mini parade. The children marched along singing happily, as they followed their new charismatic leader. At first, they were a bit afraid and sang only in whispers and low voices, but in just a short time their fear melted away as they raised their voices to join in the infectiously cheerful tunes of the day honoring Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai.
The parents gazed after their children with nervous affection, but their attention soon whipped to the Baal Shem Tov. It was as if he was a person they had never seen before. His face flamed with rapture as he sang, and all his movements reflected ecstasy in the Divine, as he danced with the circle of children. The simple Yisroelik that they knew had been transformed in their eyes to the holiest of men. His voice combined with those of the pure innocent children to produce singing that seemed to be no less awesome than that of the angels in Heaven.
Suddenly, they saw the Cossack gang rush from the village and scatter in every direction. . . .
The parade and the singing continued for a long time. Afterwards, the Baal Shem Tov led the children to a small plateau, sat them on the grass, and distributed to each of them deserts that he had brought with him. He made sure that each child pronounced loudly the correct blessing for the food that he received. Then, after they had eaten, he told them riveting stories from the Talmud and the Midrash about Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and about Rabbi Akiva. The children listened attentively and felt the powerful love the Baal Shem Tov had for each of them, responding with great affection.
The parents and the other adults from the village remained very worried. How could Yisroelik stay so long in the open with their children? Their frightened glances switched rapidly back and forth from the smoke and fury in the village below to the rows of children seated in front of the Baal Shem Tov. They whispered prayers that all should end well and that everyone would be safe.
Suddenly, they saw the Cossack gang rush from the village and scatter in every direction, running with all their might. They left so suddenly that they didn't stop to take anything with them, abandoning their massive plunder. At first the Jews were afraid that the crazed invaders were searching for them again, but the speed with which the enemy disappeared from the vicinity soon calmed their fear. Soon after, all the Jews returned to their village. The danger was over!
Eventually, they were able to clarify what had happened. Somehow the hooligans had found out - or thought they had found out - that a troop of government soldiers was rapidly approaching in their direction. Frightened, they had fled for their lives, abandoning everything that might slow down their flight.
The Jews returned to their homes with happy strides, amazed by the miracle that had taken place for them. They knew without doubt that the miracle occurred in the merit of their children's joyous celebration in honor of the great sage Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai on his day of joy, Lag B'Omer, with the heretofore hidden mystic, the Baal Shem Tov - who had already disappeared to another location.
And so it was.
Freely adapted by Tzvi Meir Cohn (Howard M. Cohn, Patent Attorney) from Sichat HaShavua #176, as translated by Rabbi Yerachmiel Tilles of the Ascent Center in Safed, Israel
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SEFER BAAL SHEM TOV
The Teachings Of The Baal Shem Tov On Prayer
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"And Moses said: 'Thus says the L-rd: At about midnight, I will go out in the midst of Egypt.'" (Bo 11:4)
The main thing is that one's intentions be for the sake of G-d, even when one's deeds are questionable, such as in the case of the Lot's daughters.1 And if you raise a objection from the case of Baal Pe'or, where the people's intentions were pure, but they were punished anyway,2 we would have to say that this requires deep contemplation and deliberation, to know whether one is acting for the sake of G-d, or not.3 One should seclude oneself and study Torah to attain a level of objectivity. Then the verse will apply: "And G-d said, Let there be light." (Genesis 1:3) That is, G-d will enlighten you from His Torah as to how to proceed. This corresponds to something I wrote elsewhere, on the verse: "At about midnight, I will go out in the midst of Egypt." Doubt occurs at midnight - when an issue can go either way4 - then "I will go out among Egypt" - into a person's limited awareness,5 to enlighten him.
Ben Poras Yosef, p. 18a
1After the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot's daughters engaged their father in an incestuous act; however, their intentions were for the best, as the verses say: "And the first-born said unto the younger: 'Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth. Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.'" (Genesis 19:31-32)
2"And Israel joined himself to Baal Pe'or, and the anger of the L-rd was kindled against Israel." (Numbers 25:3) The Zohar (3:238a) explains that this was done unintentionally. The worship of Baal Pe'or included defecating in front of the idol. The Israelites saw this, and assumed it to be an act of desecration, and so unwittingly participated in the ceremony.
3Literally, "If it is for G-d or for Azazel" - a reference to the Yom Kippur service (Leviticus 16), in which two identical goats were used: one sacrificed in the Temple, and the other sent to a demon in the wilderness. The Baal Shem Tov uses the latter as a metaphor for one's own ego.
4I.e., midnight represents the mid-point between the two possibilities.
5The Hebrew word for Egypt, "Mitzrayim," is related to the word metzer, which means narrowness or constriction.
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DIVINE LIGHT
The Mystical Light Of The Baal Shem Tov
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15. When the Baal Shem Tov would study Torah with his students, they would be surrounded by fire and the ministering angels would gather around them. They would hear the voices and thunder heard by the Children of Israel during the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, and the words "I am the L-rd your G-d," from the mouth of G-d.
Heichal HaBracha Va'eschanan
1The first printed Chassidic book, published in 1780
From DIVINE LIGHT by Tzvi Meir Cohn
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HEART OF PRAYER
Anthology Of The Teachhings Of The Baal Shem Tov
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9-b4 Do not mock a person who gesticulates during prayer.
A person drowning in a river makes all sorts of strange gestures to save themselves. No one would mock them for doing so. So too, a person who gesticulates1 during prayer. Do not mock them for they are saving themselves from the "evil waters,"2 which seek to disrupt their thoughts and prayers.
Likkutim Yikarim p. 15a
1Early chassidim were known to move wildly during their prayers, at times even performing somersaults.
2Psalms 124:5
From
HEART OF PRAYER by Tzvi Meir
Cohn
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KESER SHEM TOV
An anthology of Teachings on the Torah by the Baal Shem Tov
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Kst 44
The Baal Shem Tov taught:
The letters of Torah study and prayer are the vehicles for dveikut/Oneness with G-d. One must concentrate one's thoughts and one's deepest being on the deepest spirituality that lies within the letters. This is the deeper meaning of the verse, "May He kiss me with the kisses of His mouth,"1 which refers to the dveikut/union of souls,2 as alluded to in the verse, "If you lie down between the lips."3
Thus, when one extends the pronunciation of a word, this is a sign that one has become one with it, since he does not want to leave that word.4
1Song of Songs 1:2.
2 Zohar II 124b. This refers to both the uniting of two human souls in this manner, and to the uniting of man's soul with G-d. The intense experience of union on the human level is a metaphor for the union of the human soul with G-d.
3 Psalm 68:14. This verse is interpreted this way in the Tikkunei Zohar, quoted by Rabbi Moshe Cordevero, in his Pardes Rimonim 8:13.
4 Rebbe Nachman of Breslov expounds on this idea and says that while one must continue from one word of prayer to the next, each word begs the one who expresses it to remain with it in dveikut. The solution, says Rebbe Nachman, is to make the entire prayer into "one," which means that the dveikut state achieved with each word be maintained throughout the prayers, so that even when has reached the last word, one is still with the first (Likkutei Moharan I 65:2). This state of consciousness can only be achieved when one has indeed reached a certain level of "Oneness," whereat one's mind and entire being are "at one" with G-d, and the individual letters and words are experienced as different manifestations of the One, as said in n. 1.
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