"Pharaoh commanded to all his people saying, 'Every son that will be born - into the river shall you throw him!' ..." Exodus 1:22

HIS WIFE WAS RIGHT

And then there was the time, when there was worry in the holy community of Mezibush, the home of the holy Rabbi Yisrael ben Eliezer (known as the Baal Shem Tov). It was the Passover of 1756, and as on all Jewish holidays, many of his followers came to Mezibush to spend Passover with their Rebbe. It was always an uplifting, almost magical experience to be in the presence of the Baal Shem Tov, especially at the time of a Jewish holiday.

On this Passover, the followers were upset because they could sense that something was terribly wrong with the Baal Shem Tov. He was not in his usual buoyant spirits.

After the search for chometz on the night before the Passover Seder, the Baal Shem Tov told ten of his closest disciples to say Tikkun Chatzos (a midnight prayer to commemorate the destruction of the Temple) with great concentration. While saying this prayer, Reb Tzvi (the scribe of the Baal Shem Tov) came running and yelled, "Lord of the Universe, the Rebbe fainted and fell onto the floor of his study." Everyone was upset, but no one would dare go into the study and disturb the Rebbe.

The next morning before the Passover Seder, the Baal Shem Tov prayed the morning prayers in a despondent mood. When he finished his prayers, he expounded about 'Trust in G-d'. He explained, "True and complete faith in G-d can only occur when a person can't see any way to overcome their problem. And at that very moment, the person believes without a doubt that G-d will save them from their problem. And most importantly, the person shows this trust and faith in G-d by being b'simchah (having a joyful attitude). Being b'simchah shows that the person has no doubt that they will soon, with G-d's help, overcome their problem."

As soon as the Baal Shem Tov finished this discourse, his mood noticeably changed. He seemed more at ease. The followers whispered among themselves, "The change in the Rebbe's mood is not because of a change in the spiritual decree about which he is no doubt concerned. No," everyone agreed, "the change in the Rebbe will change the Heavenly decree, G-d help us."

In the afternoon of that same day, when the time came to bake the matzos (matzos made just before the Seder are considered the most precious), the Baal Shem Tov went to the mikveh (ritual bath) and then to bake the matzos. His mood had improved even more and he actually seemed to be happy. That night, in the synagogue of the Baal Shem Tov, the special evening prayers for Passover were chanted with great enthusiasm.

After the prayers, his close disciples were invited to the Seder of the Baal Shem Tov. The disciples sat around the Seder table eagerly awaiting to hear the Rebbe's insights on the Haggadah. But this Passover night was different because the Baal Shem Tov did not expound on the deep mystical meanings of the Haggadah. Instead, he just quietly read the text. The disciples were disappointed.

Near the end of the Seder, the Baal Shem Tov closed his eyes. The disciples looked at each other, "Is he in a state of deep meditation or did he 'almost' fall asleep." The room was silent. Suddenly, the Baal Shem Tov started laughing so hard that he could barely sit still in his chair.

"Mazel Tov!" he exclaimed, "Thanks to G-d who has chosen the Torah, Moses our teacher and Israel. You should know that even the simplest Jew has the power to change a Heavenly edict."

The disciples sat speechless as he began to explain, "Yesterday morning, a terrible edict was decreed in Heaven against the Jews of a nearby village. The non-Jewish peasants in that village were planning to attack the Jews on the first night of the Passover."

"I prayed with all my strength, and I even had you help me. But we couldn't overcome the Heavenly decree. I finally gave up and put my trust in G-d that the decree would be rescinded. Right then I started to feel joyful. When we sat down to the Seder, the hour for the execution of the decree had arrived. I didn't see any hope for those Jews living in that village. But in a single instant, thank G-d, everything changed."

"During this time, a childless couple that are among my followers and lived in the village where the decree was to be executed, were sitting at their Seder Table. Although they were simple, unlearned Jews, they were exceptionally kind, devout and full of good deeds. When they reached the section of the Haggadah about the Egyptians throwing the new born baby boys into the Nile, the wife started to cry. Her husband tried to comfort her, "My sweet wife, don't be sad, after all the Jewish people were finally taken out of Egypt."

The wife spoke back, "If G-d had blessed me with a son, I would have protected him and not let anyone hurt him. And I certainly would not have let anyone treat my son the way G-d let us be treated by the Egyptians."

The husband stood up for G-d saying, "G-d is righteous in all that He does, it's only that we can't see or understand why it is good for us."

But the wife answered back, "Why isn't G-d more compassionate? How could He have treated us like that? Even if we do sin, we are still His children."

And so the argument went back and forth as they worked their way through the Haggadah. The Baal Shem Tov continued, "During this time, the case against the Jews of their village was being argued before the Heavenly Court. The defending angels were more persuasive when the wife presented her arguments and the accusing angels were more persuasive when the husband presented his rebuttals. I really couldn't tell what the outcome would be."

"Finally, after completing the fourth cup of wine near the end of the Seder, the husband couldn't think of another answer to his wife's arguments against G-d's behavior. So he conceded, 'My wife, you're right. G-d should have treated his children better.'

They started to laugh, got up and began to dance around the Seder table. And at that very moment, the decree in Heaven against the Jews of their village was annulled," the Baal Shem Tov concluded.

The disciples were mesmerized with the story. Then, the Baal Shem Tov told them to place their hands on the shoulders of the person sitting on either side. When the Baal Shem Tov placed his hands on the shoulders of the person sitting on either side, the disciples all saw a vision of the husband and wife dancing together around their Seder table celebrating the liberation of the Jewish people from Egypt. The Baal Shem Tov said with a little chuckle, "They should only know that they are also celebrating the liberation of the Jewish people of their own village."

And so it was.

Freely adapted by Tzvi Meir Cohn (Howard M. Cohn, Patent Attorney) from a story found in SEEKER OF SLUMBERING SOULS.