In the last installment, a description of how a Great Torah scholar came to Slotz and impressed all of the Bnei Torah.

The day of the sermon arrived. A large crowd as-sembled in the  synagogue  to hear the  words of the gaon. Even people outside of the city had heard of the distinguished visitor and came to listen to him speak. Among these were Reb Boruch and Reb Menashe Yisroel. Reb Boruch had also announced the event in the yeshiva and all the boys attended. 

The guest ascended the platform and silence reigned. They were all impatient to hear the speaker begin at last. He began discoursing the topic he had chosen. Reb Boruch and Reb Menashe Yisroel, who stood at a distance from the platform, had to exert themselves to hear. They listened intently and studied his figure. Reb Menashe Yisroel was able to get a bit closer and when he was able to discern the speaker's face he got a shock. He hurriedly whispered in Reb Boruch's ear that the speaker was none other than Reb Adam, the Baal Shem of Ropshitz, the famed disciple of Reb Yoel, the Baal Shem of Zameshtesh. He himself had been in charge of all the nistorim for years and was in fact their leader. 

Reb Boruch had heard that Reb Yoel had transmitted the leadership and management to Reb Adam Baal Shem, but he had never seen him nor imagined what  he  looked like. 

Reb Adam penetrated to the depths of his subject and discussed it intensively. He spoke clearly, and although his pronunciation was that of a "Galicianer", all thet people of Slotzk understood him well. His content and style inspired their rapt attention. They had not heard such a  lecture for the longest time.

When Reb Adam finished his lecture the crowd remained speechless. When they recovered they lifted the rabbi and carried him to his room in the Beis Medrosh. 

Now everyone was curious to know who he was, but still no one dared asked him. No one suspected their guest of being a mekubol or a nistor since these men always hid their knowledge and didn't like to reveal their scholarliness in public. The heads of the community arranged a large and elaborate banquet for their honored guest. But to everyone's surprise he informed them that he could not partake as he was fasting that day. 

After the evening prayers he took out a dry slice of bread, dipped it into some salt and washed down his meager meal with a drink of plain water. He hereby wished to show that he refused to partake of another's food. At midnight, he said the Tikun Chatzos, shedding many tears. He continued praying until sunrise. Then he davened with the "Vosikin" - sunrise - minyan. After the morning prayers he secluded himself in his room  until afternoon. 

To be continued.

Freely adapted by Tzvi Meir Cohn from Eretz Chaim as translated in Stories of the Baal Shem Tov by Y.Y. klapholtz 

The Power of Tefillin

"Bind [these words] as a sign on your hand, and let them be an emblem between your eyes." (Devarim 6:8)

And then there was the time that the Baal Shem Tov was studying Torah in the Bais Medrash (study hall) with his close disciples. Suddenly, he became so sick that he was unable to speak.

The disciples became very alarmed. "Rebbe, Rebbe," they asked, "What's wrong? Can we get you something?"

The Baal Shem Tov motioned to his Tefillin bag. Quickly, the students took out his Tefiilin and wrapped one around his arm and put the other on his head.

By this time, the Baal Shem Tov was so weak that he just lay down on a bench. He closed his eyes and didn't move. The disciples sat by his side unsure of what to do. After a long time passed, the Baal Shem Tov sat up and began speaking to the disciples. "Thank G d, I'm feeling better."

The disciples asked in a concerned voice, "Rebbe, what happened?"

The Baal Shem Tov explained, "In my youth, I committed a sin. An accusation was made against me before the Heavenly Court and the Court decided that I deserve to die. At first, I wasn't aware of what was happening to me. All I knew was that I started to feel very, very weak. Just then, my teacher, Achiya HaShaloni (a spiritual Being and teacher of King David), came and told me the situation. Then he said to me, 'Reb Yisrael, quickly put on your Tefillin.'"

"After you put my Tefillin on," continued the Baal Shem Tov, "the Accuser (the Satan) came in the form of a Russian peasant carrying an iron shovel in his hand. He wanted to chop off my head. But because of the power of the Tefillin, the Satan could not get close to me. He started yelling, 'Take off that leather (Tefillin are made of leather)!' But I didn't pay any attention to him and he continued yelling until, thank G d, the accusation was nullified."

The Baal Shem Tov continued, "During that time, my brother-in-law, Rabbi Gershon came to testify for me. But the gates to the Heavenly court were closed and he couldn't get through. That didn't stop Reb Gershon though. He took a heavy wooden pole and started banging on the Gates until they were finally opened. Then, he ran in and started yelling before the Court in an angry voice, 'Will you sentence Rabbi Yisrael to death, G d forbid, for a trivial thing that happened in his youth?' The court wasn't able to overcome the defense of Reb Gershon and revoked their original sentence."

The Baal Shem Tov continued, "It says in the Tikune Zohar (book of Kabbalah): The commandment of Matronita (the Schechina, the female aspect of G d) places a man under her wings and protects him from the hand of the Accuser. So it is with the commandment of wearing Tefillin."

And so it was.

Freely adapted by Tzvi Meir HaCohane (Howard M. Cohn, Patent Attorney) from a story found in SHIVCHEI HABESHT and translated in IN PRAISE OF THE BAAL SHEM TOV by Ben Amos and Mintz.
 

And so it was.

47. THE holy Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch of Kaidanov said that the essence of the path of the Baal Shem Tov is to learn how to draw upon oneself the type of worship that will be practiced in the time of Moshiach. From the time of the Baal Shem Tov onward, sparks of Moshiach's soul were manifest in the leaders of each generation. This is as the Talmud says: "Two thousand years of the days of the Moshiach."[1] "Alaphim," or thousands, has the meaning of teaching, as in, "And I will teach you wisdom (ve'a'alephcha chochmah)."[2]

Each individual should teach themselves the path of devotion that will be practiced in the days of the Moshiach.