The Baal Shem Tov once passed through a village where there lived only simple Jews who were not particularly pious and who prayed without passion. And he was there for Yom Kippur. The Besht could not bear to pray where the davvening was rote; especially on the holiest day of the year! Yet it was impossible to immediately elevate the praying. So at the beginning of the prayers, during Kol Nidre, the Besht stayed apart from the other worshipers and stood in the back of the synagogue by himself, where he prayed with great fervor. The next day, during the morning prayers, he came a little closer to the other people, yet still stood somewhat apart. Later, during the additional prayers, he came still closer and stood at a prayer-desk right next to the other congregants. Finally, during the key closing prayer of Ne'ilah*, he stood behind a prayer-desk in the middle of the room, surrounded by the whole congregation of worshipers, who were now all praying loudly with all their heart and soul, because he had gradually raised everyone to a state of true fervor. Instead of being cooled off by their rote praying, he had warmed them up with the blazing heat of his love for God.

*The concluding, key prayer of Yom Kippur.