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Volume 6 Number 37
| Kedoshim | 28 April 2011 - 24 Nisan 5771 |
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BAAL SHEM TOV
EXODUS
Mystical Stories on the Weekly Torah Portion
Volume 2
Two Baal Shem Tov stories for each week's Torah portion by Tzvi Meir Cohn, Founder and Executive Director of the Baal Shem Tov Foundation.
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This week's edition of the Baal Shem Tov Times relates to Pesach. There is the continuing selection for the Origins of the Baal Shem Tov, a Baal Shem Tov story and other teachings relating to Kedoshim and other topics.
PLEASE help spread the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov by forwarding this edition of the Baal Shem Tov Times to a friend or relative, and making a copy for your home and synagogue.
Blessings that you should have a restful and joyful Shabbos.
Tzvi Meir Cohn (Howard M. Cohn, Patent & Trademark Attorney)
Founder and Executive Director
Baal Shem Tov Foundation |
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ORIGINS OF THE BAAL SHEM TOV |
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OBST 33
In the last installment, Reb Adam Baal Shem gave advice to a king. The king's minister, a rabid anti-semite, spoke against Reb Adam. Against the advice of the minister, the king agreed to attend a dinner in his honor at Reb Adams's house.
At long last the day arrived. Early that morning, the king sent a special messenger to inform Reb Adam that on this day he and his court would come to pay their visit. The messenger returned to inform the king that he had found Reb Adam in his rickety shack, sitting and pouring over a very old book. He sent back a message to the king that he was waiting for the king to arrive at the appointed hour and he thanked the king for the high honor accorded him.
The evil minister tried to deter the king from going.
"This Jew wishes only to mock us. It were better not to go at all than to be made a laughingstock of the whole country."
But the king remained adamant saying that his royal promise to Reb Adam must be kept.
How great was everyone's surprise when they came to the edge of the forest. There, where the humble hut had once stood, towered an elaborate palace surrounded by lovely gardens. At the palace gates stood servants ready to serve their noble guests and to tend to their carriages. The king and his entourage were amazed at the beauty of the gardens and its magnificent flowers, its fountains, and at the heavenly music wafting through the trees from some invisible orchestra.
The king and his entire entourage entered the palace and were greeted by Reb Adam who graciously greeted them. He led them through the spacious halls decorated with expensive tapestries and rugs, gold and silver ornaments, and huge crystal chandeliers that were suspended from the ceiling.
Their astonishment grew even more when they entered the dining room. The table was laden bountifully as befitting a king, set with precious goblets and dishes of gold and silver. Even the king and his escorts had never seen a table arrayed so splendidly and with such elegance. They also savored the meal with great delight, especially enjoying the words of wisdom that Reb Adam spoke in their honor.
There was only one man who did not enjoy this feast, who was embittered and antagonistic. It was of course the minister, whose violent hatred and jealousy towards Reb Adam filled his heart and removed all joy. He thought that all this must be a dream or a figment of his imagination. As he sat at the table, his eye chanced upon a pure gold goblet, delicately formed and set with shining precious stones. He coveted this cup and when he saw that no one was looking, removed it from the table and hid it inside his clothing.
After the meal, the king arose to take his leave. At this signal, all the other guests arose too. Just one person remained stuck to his seat. Full of shame with his head bent low the evil minister seemed to be glued in place. The king shot a piercing glance at him and exclaimed in a sarcastic tone.
"Have you eaten so much or are you so drunk that you cannot budge from your seat?"
The minister could barely let the words out of his mouth that the fault was not his own. He was stuck to his place as if he had been driven in with nails.
"This can only be the Jew's doing for he has attached me to my chair by his magic."
"How do you dare to you insult your host, who has honored us so regally?" thundered the king at the minister.
The Baal Shem intervened now and begged to speak. "Your Gracious Majesty. It may be that the minister has taken one of the vessels from on the table. If he returns what he has taken, he will be able to rise once again and return home."
The man's face paled. Against his will, and very shamefaced, he removed the goblet from his pocket and placed it on the table.
The king shot a scathing look at the minister thief, and without paying him any further notice, left the palace. The rest of the guests all thanked their host warmly for his gracious hospitality and departed.
Freely adapted by Tzvi Meir Cohn from a story translated in Stories of the Baal Shem Tov by Y.Y. Klapholtz |
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THE FISH AND THE DOG "You shall not hate your brother in your heart; You shall certainly rebuke your friend; [but] you shall not bear a sin on his account." Leviticus 18:5
"You shall not bear a sin on his account." Do not shame him in public. Rashi
Even though I have instructed you to reprove him, when necessary, it should be done in private and not in a way that embarrasses him. Sifra Kedoshim
It has been told that Rabbi Nachman of Kosov had a relative named Rabbi Yudel of Chudnov that was also a follower of the Baal Shem Tov.
Rabbi Yudel was careful not to accept favors of others. He preferred to provide for himself from his own work, running an iron ore business. Once, Rabbi Yudel went to check on one of his iron ore mines. Being a long way from his home, he decided to spend the Sabbath in a small village near the mine. He asked Reb Meir, a local householder in that village, if he could spend the Sabbath with him.
Reb Meir answered, "Of course, Rabbi Yudel, it would be my honor if you would be my guest for the Sabbath. But I don't have any fish or meat for you to eat at the Sabbath meals. To my knowledge, no one has caught a fish here lately. And while I do have some meat that can be prepared, you being a Hassid, won't be able to eat it because you didn't have a chance to examine the knife used by the shochet (ritual slaughterer)." [In those days, the Hassidim were very careful to check the knife used by the shochet to be sure the edge of the knife blade was razor sharp and free of any knicks that would render the meat of the slaughtered animal unkosher.]
Reb Meir continued, "Rabbi Yudel, I suggest that you journey to the next village where a wealthy man lives. He is an old acquaintance of mine and I know that he'll be very pleased to host you for the Sabbath. He has his own shochet and will be able to provide fish and meat that will meet your standards."
Rabbi Yudel decided to follow Reb Meir's advice and started to walk on the road towards the next village where the wealthy man lived. The road connecting the two villages passed through a large pond which one had to cross to go from one village to the other. Usually, the water in the pond was quite shallow. But after a strong rain or in the spring after the snow melted, the water in the pond became much deeper. When Rabbi Yudel reached the pond, he wasn't aware that strong spring rains caused the pond water to be exceptionally deep.
Just as Rabbi Yudel was about to step into the pond and cross to the other side, a dog jumped in and started to drown. The dog started howling from fear. The howling of the drowning dog upset Rabbi Yudel so much that he began to shed tears.
After this experience, Rabbi Yudel decided that the water was too deep for him to continue his way to the next village. So he returned to the village that he had just left. When Reb Meir saw him he asked, "Rabbi, I thought you were gong to the next town to celebrate the Sabbath."
Rabbi Yudel answered, "When I reached the pond, I didn't realize how deep the water is right now. Just then, thank G-d, a dog jumped into the pond. But unfortunately, it couldn't swim and it drowned. The howling of the drowning dog upset me so much that I decided to return here for the Sabbath."
Reb Meir said, "Rabbi Yudel, of course you're always welcome to stay with me but what will you eat for the Sabbath meals?"
Rabbi Yudel asked, "Could you please see if there is any chance at all that you might get a fish for the Sabbath meals?"
Reb Meir requested a few of the local villagers to really try and catch a few fish. Almost miraculously, they returned that very afternoon with an unusually large pike.
When Reb Meir saw the fish, he said in amazement, "In all the years I've lived here, I've never seen such a large fish." The villagers that caught the fish shook their heads in agreement.
That day, being Friday, Reb Meir's wife prepared several sumptuous meals for the Sabbath with the fish.
Later that night, Rabbi Yudel was sitting at the Sabbath table with Reb Meir and his family. After making Kiddush (sanctifying the Sabbath over a cup of wine), eating the Sabbath dinner and singing several Sabbath songs, Reb Meir and his family left the table to go to sleep.
Rabbi Yudel stayed at the table to study a Holy book, as was his custom, before going to sleep. A strong feeling of tiredness came over him and he put his head down on the table to rest. After a few short minutes, he fell into a deep sleep.
During this sleep, he had a vivid dream in which his father appeared and spoke to him. "My son, I was reincarnated as that fish you were eating tonight. Do you remember that man I always spoke so strongly against because he was an informer against our Jewish brethren? Well, he was reincarnated as the dog that you saw drown in the pond. He finally made up for his behavior as an informer when he drowned to save you."
Rabbi Yudel's father continued speaking in the dream, "I was reincarnated as the fish because I publicly condemned this informer. As the Torah says, 'You shall not bear a sin on his account.' My son, the tears you shed when the dog howled as he drowned, atoned for me. Please be careful how you eat the fish. Be sure to hold the proper intentions in your mind. This will help elevate my soul."
Later, Rabbi Yudel came to the Baal Shem Tov and told him this story.
The Baal Shem Tov said, "And you Reb Yudel, are a reincarnation of Shmuel HaNavi (Samuel the Prophet)."
And so it was.
Freely adapted by Tzvi Meir HaKohane (Howard M. Cohn, Patent Attorney) from a story in SHIVCHEI HABESHT as translated IN PRAISE OF THE BAAL SHEM TOV by Amos & Mintz |
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SEFER BAAL SHEM TOV
The Teachings Of The Baal Shem Tov On Prayer |
In righteousness you shall judge your people. (Leviticus 19:15)
"[This means that] you should judge your friend favorably."1
The Baal Shem Tov explained the verse: "Deliver me from all my transgressions; make me not the reproach of the despised" (Psalms 19:9), that when you see a wicked person commit some despicable act or grievous sin, you should judge him favorably. He only did it because his passions overcame him, and he has a coarse physical nature, or he doesn't realize the seriousness of the crime. [You should think] these and similar thoughts. Then, you also save yourself from judgment; for seeing this low thing in your friend should make you realize that you share a similar trait, and that there are Judgments and Accusations upon you, as well. When your can judge your friend favorably, you will likewise be judged. By not arousing judgment upon a sinner, who is overcome by his desires, you fulfill the verse: "You shall not incline the judgment of your poor in his dispute" (Exodus 23:6). When trials and conflicts overwhelm him,2 from the "waters of dispute"3 - evil, malicious waters - you should arouse favorable judgments upon him.
Really, this is all a great test. For a person is never sentenced for his crimes until he first passes judgment upon himself. And since he will certainly not judge himself, they show him a person who did something similar. When he passes judgment upon the latter, he seals the judgment on himself, as well.
Otzar HaYirah, Mishpotim, p. 193b
1Shavuos 30a.
2I.e., when he struggles against his own evil inclination.
3From Numbers 20:13.
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DIVINE LIGHT
The Mystical Light Of The Baal Shem Tov |
32. It was the final moments of the Baal Shem Tov's life.[1] His closest Chassidim were gathered around his bedside. "My dearest friends," spoke the Baal Shem Tov in barely a whisper, "Please sing Reb Michel's[2] niggun[3] (also known as the arousement of great Heavenly mercy niggun)." And so the Chassidim began to sing the niggun over and over.
Suddenly, the Baal Shem Tov gathered all of his waning strength, sat up in his bed and said, "I hereby guarantee you and all future generations that whenever someone sings this niggun with the intent of arousing themselves to doing teshuvah,[4] no matter where or who they are, I will hear this niggun in whatever Heavenly Chamber I am found. I will join the singer in this niggun and help arouse great Heavenly mercy, channeling Divine blessings upon him."[5]
[1]First day of Shavuot 5520 (1760)
[2] Reb Michel of Zlotchov, a close disciple of the Baal Shem Tov
[3] A Chassidic melody, which is intended to express and stir the soul
[4] Returning to the path of G-d
[5] Stories of the Baal Shem Tov by Y.Y. Klapholtz |
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HEART OF PRAYER
Anthology of the Teachings of the Baal Shem Tov on Prayer |
9-d11 The sweetening of the 320 and 280 Judgments.
I tremble to relate the awesome things I heard from the Baal Shem Tov about the sweetening of the 320 and 280 Judgments,[1] and the rectification of improper thoughts through the Name Sha-dai, and its transposition [into the Name] Kehat,[2] as well as the YKVK, in its transposition into the Name Kuzu.[3] However, I only wrote down the main points on a piece of paper.
Toldos Yaakov Yosef, p. 41b
[2]כהת - these three letters follow the letters of the Name Sha-dai in the Hebrew alphabet.
[3]כוזו - these letters also follow the four letters of the Tetragrammaton.
9-d10 Chochmah, the location of thought, is the aspect of Judgment.
To purify your thoughts, concentrate on the name כוז"ו.[1] Our Teacher and Master M.P.[2] wrote that this name is in Chochmah, the location of thought, which is the aspect of Judgment.[3] When spelled out in full, as follows, כ"ף וא"ו זי"ן וא"א, it has the numerical value of טפטפי"ה, the Name of thought.
Siddur Rabbi Shabsai
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KESER SHEM TOV
An anthology of Teachings on the Torah by the Baal Shem Tov |
Kst 73
The Baal Shem Tov told this parable:[1]
There was a king who had three servants. Once, a rumor reached the king that they were not loyal to him, so he ordered that each of them should choose one of the dogs in the royal courtyard and feed and support it.
One of the servants was wise, and made a crown for the king with the money that could have gone to support his dog. The second servant only fed his dog enough that it shouldn't die. The third servant, though, fed his dog very well.[2]
The king provoked the dog to attack the third servant, but not the one who made him a crown.[3]
[1] Ben Porath Yoseph 126d.
[2] This parable is a metaphor for G-d's intention regarding the evil inclination, similar to the metaphor in the Zohar of the king who hired a prostitute to entice his son. Here, the king wants to test the loyalty of his servants, so he orders them to feed a dog - the evil inclination. The king's intention, of course, was not that they really feed the dog, which the wise servant understood. So this servant takes the money that he would have put into the dog and puts it into glorifying the king. By the same token, our task is to take the energy that we could put into fulfilling our evil inclinations and transform it into glorifying G-d. We "crown" G-d when we are able to see through the veil of evil and to recognize how G-d is hidden even there. We have then coronated G-d over all corners of existence. This is the path of transformation spoken about in #69 (see there, n. 2). The second servant, though, followed the path of overcoming and subduing - he virtually starved the dog, a method of mortification once commonly used to overcome the evil inclination. The third servant, of course, is the one who fulfills his desires and evil inclinations, and thus only increases their hold on him, as represented by the king provoking the dog.
[3] The parable only speaks about the king's response to the first and third servants, but the second servant seems to be ignored. Indeed, as said in the previous note, the second servant represents the one who tries to serve G-d, but his path is not what G-d really desires. |
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The Baal Shem Tov Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, uses emails, teleclasses and other material to spread and publicize the Torah of the Baal Shem Tov throughout the world. Please visit us at www.baalshemtov.com to learn more about the Baal Shem Tov and the work of the Foundation.
The goal of the Foundation is to hasten the imminent coming of the Moshiach (Messiah) by acting on the answer of the Moshiach to the Baal Shem Tov's question: 'When are you coming Master?' (The Moshiach answered) "When your teachings have become well-known and revealed throughout the world, and when your well springs have spread outwards, imparting to others what I have taught you, so that they too will be able to perform contemplative unifications and ascents of the soul..." [quoted from a letter from the Baal Shem Tov to his brother-in-law Rabbi Gershon Kitover.]
One of the major projects of the Baal Shem Tov Foundation is the World Wide Mezuzah Campaign whose goal is to insure that every Jewish person in the world has a kosher Mezuzah attached to the doorpost of their home. Please visit www.mezuzah.net for more information.
Tzvi Meir is always available for questions and to support your work in this area.
Tzvi Meir Cohn (Howard M. Cohn, Patent Attorney)
Suite 300, Pepper Pike Place
30195 Chagrin Boulevard
Cleveland, OH 44124
800-613-0955
bst_times@baalshemtov.com
www.baalshemtov.com
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| | Yisrael Ben Moreinu Rabbeinu HaRav Rav Eliezer KoesB (presently in) Mezibush | | Signature of the Baal Shem Tov |
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