"When Moses came into the Tabernacle, to speak [with G●d], he would hear the Voice speaking with him . . . . . .  Numbers 7:89

THE LIGHT

In the town of Mezibush, where the Holy Baal Shem Tov lived, there was a successful businessman by the name of Reb Naftali, who owned a local dry-goods business. Reb Naftali worked long hours in his store, and had little time to devote to Torah study, communal activities, or even some family gatherings. He reasoned, that as he was so occupied with his business, the generous charity he gave to the needy would make up for his lack of Torah study, and that his family would surely understand that he was working for their benefit.

Reb Naftali and his wife had an only son, Yoseph, who worked with his father in his store.

Reb Yoseph was well learned in Torah and known for his "midos tovos" - fine character traits. Reb Yosef would travel a few times each year to Breslau buy merchandise to stock his father's store. Usually, the trip took about one month. Once, Reb Yosef departed for Breslau as usual, but after a month he had not yet returned. His parents were not overly concerned, as sometimes he would find additional merchandise to examine, which could take additional time. But after two months had passed and there was no sign or word from their son, they became worried for his safety.

Reb Naftali's wife begged her husband to speak to the Baal Shem Tov for advice and a blessing for their son's safe return. But Reb Naftali came from a family of misnagdim - those fiercely opposed to the Holy Baal Shem Tov and his teachings. Finally, Reb Naftali's wife begged him: "Please Naftali, put aside your personal feelings and your family's dislikes, and ask the Baal Shem Tov for his advice about our son. People travel from all over to Mezibush to seek his advice and blessing, and he helps them. You who live right here, - five minutes away, but you refuse to go? - The welfare of our son may be at stake -I beg you to go!"

But Reb Naftali wasn't easily swayed by his wife's pleading, and he refused to go. But as the days passed and Reb Yosef still did not return home, Reb Naftali became increasingly worried. "What could be so bad about asking the Baal Shem Tov his opinion?" he reasoned. So he made his way to the Baal Shem Tov's shule.

It was late Friday afternoon, before the holy Sabbath, when he approached the Baal Shem Tov's gabai (assistant) to ask if he could have a few minutes of his Rebbe's time. When he was admitted to the Baal Shem Tov's study, he asked: "Rabbi, it is more than two months since our only son, Reb Yosef left for Breslau to purchase merchandise for our store. He hasn't yet returned, and we've heard not a word from him or about him."

The Baal Shem Tov sat quietly at his desk for a moment, then rose and walked to his bookshelf and removed a volume of the holy Zohar from the shelf. He opened it at random and closely studied the page open before him. After a few minutes of silence, he looked up at Reb Naftali and said: "With G●d's, help your son is alive and well. This very Sabbath, he will stay in a small village not too far from our town."

Reb Naftali couldn't believe his ears! "How could that be?" he thought. "No doubt his son knows his parents are worried about him. If he were close to home, surely he would spend whatever necessary to rent a carriage and return home for the Sabbath. - Perhaps he ran out of money?" he thought.

It would soon be the Sabbath, so Reb Naftali quickly arranged for one of his non-Jewish servants to take a carriage and ride to the nearby village and to remain there until nightfall. Perhaps his son would arrive in enough time to travel home with his servant before the Sabbath.

It was well after dark when Reb Naftali's servant returned and reported that Reb Yoseph had not arrived in the village.

Reb Naftali was livid! "You see" -he screamed at his wife: "This proves what I've been saying. This rabbi is a fake, with words of empty promises. It's probably just another scheme to make money."

In fact, Reb Yoseph had set out for Mezibush with ample time to arrive home before the Sabbath. But, Divine providence would have it otherwise, and his wagon had broken down several times on the road. He arrived at the little village as predicted by the Baal Shem Tov just minutes before the beginning of the Sabbath - just enough time to find lodging in the local Inn. He remained there until the holy Sabbath had ended, and then returned home, where his parents where overjoyed to see him in good health.

When Reb Yoseph explained his delay to his parents, Reb Naftali realized that the Baal Shem Tov's words were indeed true.

He immediately went to the Baal Shem Tov to ask forgiveness. "Rebbe, I have said some terrible things about you. Please forgive me."

The Baal Shem Tov smiled: "Don't worry Reb Naftali - all has turned out for the best. I completely forgive you for whatever you may have said."

Then Reb Naftali asked The Baal Shem Tov, "Rebbe, how were you able to know the whereabouts of my son?

The Baal Shem Tov explained: "To The Almighty, each Jew is a ben yochid - an only son. Just as a father is always mindful of his only child, and always tries to protect him from danger, so to our Father Above protects each and every Jew as if he or she were His only child. Sometimes, even the Jew who realizes that he is a ben yochid, becomes lost, or perhaps overly 'occupied' with material pursuits, then he may forget that his father is concerned about him. And sometimes, the father needs to send a 'messenger' to remind his son of his purpose in this world.

You asked how I knew of your son's whereabouts: The Almighty first created light. Light illuminates - if one can use it correctly, one can see from one end of the world to the other-and even use it to find a lost child.

And so it was.

Freely adapted by Tzvi Meir HaCohane (Howard M. Cohn, Patent Attorney) from a story in Shivchei Halest and translated in Praise of the Baal Shem Tov by Ben-Amos and Mintz.

Speak unto the children of Israel: When a man or woman shall commit any sin that men commit, to commit a trespass against the L-rd, and that soul is guilty. Then they shall confess their sin which they have done; and he shall make restitution for his guilt in full. Numbers 5:6

I heard from my Master (the Baal Shem Tov) that the pleasure of sin derives from the sparks of the Primordial Kings that fell during the Shattering [of the Vessels] into the Bright Shell Kelipas Nogah .¹ It is through this very spark that a person comes to repent. For when a person regrets his sins, he uplifts this spark to the Supernal World, as it is written: "who bears iniquity" Exodus 34:7. ²

Tzafnah Paneach, Terumah 3, p. 90b ³

¹ The Zohar and Lurianic writings speak of a cataclysmic even at the early stages of the creation called the "Breaking of the Vessels," or the "Death of the Eight Kings," based upon the verse from Genesis 36:31: "These are the kings that reigned in the land of Edom, before there reigned any king over the children of Israel." According to this teaching, the light that emanated from the G-dhead to fill the vessels of creation was too strong, and the eight lower Sefiros, from Da'at to Malchus, shattered and fell into the Kelipas Nogah, a realm of creation that stands between the pure and the impure. (See Sefer HaTanya for a full discussion of this level of creation and our relationship to it.) These are the sparks of holiness that are enclothed in and enliven all elements of creation. They are the spiritual root of all physical pleasure, including the pleasure derived from sin. It is the role of human beings to uplift these sparks to their supernal root. This is done through the path of Torah and mitzvos, and in the case of sin, through the act of repentance, as this teaching of the Baal Shem Tov explains.
² That is, a person who repents literally bears, or lifts up, the sin that he committed and returns the spark of holiness to its source.
³ The second paragraph in this translation is from Tzivos HaRivash, p. 19b. 

37. A man once journeyed to the Baal Shem Tov with a question. He had studied the natural sciences and philosophy and had discovered that according to the laws of nature, the Sea of Reeds[1] was supposed to split at the very moment of the Children of Israel's arrival there. Why then, he wondered, do we believe that the splitting of the sea was such a miraculous event great thing? This question troubled him deeply.

When he arrived at the Beis Medrash of the Baal Shem Tov, even before he had asked his question, the Baal Shem Tov summoned all the townspeople to hear a sermon.

"There are fools and heretics in this world who have trouble believing that the splitting of the sea was a miracle," he said. "These people have eyes, but cannot see.

It is written: 'In the beginning, G-d created the heavens and the earth.' The name of G-d, 'Elokim'[2] has the same gematria[3] as of 'Hatevah,'[4] for nature is also created by G-d. Thus, the Sages said on the verse, 'And the sea returned to its strength,'[5] that 'G-d made a condition with the sea.'[6] From the very beginning, G-d had built it into the sea to split before the Children of Israel at that time. This, in fact, makes the miracle even greater! From the beginning of creation, G-d created the natural order for the sake of the Children of Israel, as it says: 'In the beginning' - for the sake of Israel, who is called 'the beginning.'[7] This nature of the sea was created for Israel.  Had they not required this miracle, G-d would not have built it into the sea."[8]