THE BAAL SHEM TOV

A Brief Biography of
Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov
The Founder of Chasidus

Translated and Compiled by

ZALMANARYEH
HILSENRAD

Published and Copyright by

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

WHO IS A CHOSID' 9
WHAT IS CHASIDUS 9
A DARK AGE I N OUR HISTORY 10
THE FALSE "MOSHIACH ' 10
A SECOND FALSE "MOSHIACH" 11
THE BESHT: HERALD OF A NEW EPOCH 11
THE MOST RADIANT SOUL IN HEAVEN 12
THE BESHT'S FATHER: BOYHOOD YEARS 13
RABBI ELIEZER'S PRAYER 14
RABBI ELIEZER LEAVES THE CITY 15
THE FIRST TEST. RABBI ELIEZER IS SOLD INTO SLAVERY - 16
THE SECOND TEST: WEALTH, HONOR AND A PRINCESS 18
AGAIN RABBI ELIEZER PRAYS 19
THE FINAL TEST 19
RABBI ELIEZER'S PRAYER IS ANSWERED 21
A GRIM CONFLIm RAGES IN HEAVEN 21
THE INFANT BESHT 23
SATAN'S INDICTMENT 24
RABBI ELIEZER'S GREAT SOUL DEPARTS THIS EXISTENCE
HIS DYING WORD< 25
THE YOUNG BESHT 25
ENCOUNTER IN THF 26
THE TZADIKIM NISTARIhl 28
ELIYAHU HANOVEE REVEA 29
THE THREE LOVES THE BESHT'S CONTRIBUTION 30
THE NISTARIM FOCUS ON RELIGIOUS EDUCATION 31
THE BESHT AS BAHELFER 31
THE SWEETEST PERIOD IN THE BESHTS LIFE 32
NISTARlM ELFCT BESHT TO LEAD THEM 33
RABBI ADAM BAAL SHEM THE KESUVIM 33
THE YOUNG SHAMASH 34
E ADAM BAAL SHEM'S SON THE SEARCH 35
THE REVELATION THE KESUVlM REACH THEIR DESTINATION 38
THE BESHT'S DILEMMA 39
BACK TO NATURE: CLOSER TO G-D 40
THE BESHT LOSES HIS ONLY TWO F 41
THE BESHT LEAVES HIS BIRTHPLACE 41
THE BESHT TAKES A SECOND WIFE 42
BACK TO NATURE AGAIN: FURTHER PREPARATION
FOR HIS LIFE'S WORK 42
A NEW ERA DAWNS 43
THE BESHT'S MISSION 43
CHASIDUS: THE GREAT NEW LIGHT 44
THE ESSENCE OF CHASIDUS 44
WHEN MOSHIACH WILL COME 45
CHASIDUS BECOMES A WORLD-WIDE MOVEMENT 45
THE BESHT S PASSING.. . AND LEGACY 45
IS CHASIDUS A COMPLETELY NEW APPROACH) 46
THE BESHT'S CONTRIBUTIONS 46
CHASIDUS: SOME BASIC ELEMENTS 46
 INTRODUCTION
The ethical teachings of the Torah are best summarized
in the Golden Rule (Lev.-Vayikra-19 :18) : "And thou shalt
love thy neighbor as thyself." The Gemora (Shab. 31a) tells
us that a heathen once came before Hillel and said: "I agree
to become a proselyte on condition that you teach me the
whole Torah while I stand on one foot." Hillel's reply was:
"What is hateful to you, do not to your neighbor: that is the
whole Torah; the rest is commentary; go and learn it."
It has been suggested that Hillel used the negative in-
stead of the Golden Rule itself because i t would be too much
to expect a pagan to rise in one swoop from paganism to the
lofty concept of loving his neighbor as himself. Progress must
be gradual, as the Psalmist (34 :15) advises : "Turn away from
evil and do good."
This then is the core of the ethical teachings of the
Torah and its commentaries: to uproot the evil, the selfish,
and the negative traits in us; then, cleansed and purified, to
think, speak, and do only that which will give nachas to
HaShem.
The sweet approach to our faith, which we call Chasi-
dus, puts great emphasis upon this process of shteigen . . . of
constantly striving to reach loftier spiritual heights.
This is a very difficult goal to achieve. R. Yisroel
Salanter, zl, is quoted as saying: "It is easier to learn through
the whole Gemora (another version: to become conversant
with the whole Gemora), than to uproot one bad character
trait."
Those who have delved into the sources of Chasidus and
the lives of the early great Chasidic Rebbes, know that they
were the very personification of goodness and piety. They
divested themselves completely of the lusts and cravings
which are the hallmark of human frailties. They desired
nothing of this world except to study Torah and fulfill the
will of the Creator. Although just short of angels in their
service of G-d, they were the very essence of humility.
Chasidus may thus be defined as a way of life whose
goal is a never-ending q u ~ s tto refine our thoughts, words,
and deeds so that we may more perfectly fulfill the will of
HaShem.
In this strident age, when the so-called civilization and
culture of the world lie shattered, Chasidus may also be des-
cribed as an oasis in a strife-ridden, peace-parched world,
where a weary, confused humanity can find that tranquility
and peaee of mind which only a sense of nearness to G-d can
achieve.
Who and what was the founder of Chasidus? What
was there about him and about his teachings which attracted
- and continues to attract - both the greatest Torah scholars
and also the least learned of our people? To learn something
of the times of the Baal Shem Tov, of his parents, his birth,
upbringing, and early manhood.. . that is the purpose of this
little book. It is offered in the fond hope that i t will inspire
us to aspire to follow. . . and to shteig with the saintly men
we know as Chasidim. And if but one reader adopts but one
Chasidic t r a i t . . . that will be my reward.

Zalman Aryeh Hilsenrad

Motzoi Shabbos Kodesh
Parshas Mishpotim
24 Shevat 5726
 WHO IS A CHOSID?
"Tzaddik HaShem b'chol dro-
chov V'chosid b'chol maasov," (Te-
hillim 145:17). David, King of
Israel, proclaims that HaShem is
a Tzaddik in all His ways and a
Chosid in all His works. Com-
mentators have debated the signi-
ficance of his prayer in Tehillim
86:Z: "Guard my soul for I am
a Chosid.. ." since he says in Te-
hillim 22:7: "For I am a worm
and not a man." Rashi and R'Dak
explain that he justifiably called
himself a Chosid because he did
not exercise his power as King
to punish his enemies. Rashi also
cites the Gemora Berachos 4a,
where Levi and R. Yitzchok offer
different interpretations. "All the
WHAT IS CHASIDUS?
A Chosid is therefore one who
practices loving-kindness and does
more than the Law requires. Then
why do Chasidim call themselves
Chasidim? Does this show humil-
i t y ? It is interesting to note that
the Baal Shem Tov, the founder
of Chasidus, called his followers
Rayim Ahuvim, i.e., loving friends.
Their opponents, the early Misnag-
dim, in derision, called them Cha-
sidim. The name fits; so it has
endured. Chasidus would infuse us
with hislahavus, the joyous, fervent
kings. . .sleep late or are busy with
pomp among their c a m p y , while
I, at midnight, rise to give thanks
to thee ..." eK. (TehiUim 119:62).
In Pirkei Avos 2: 11, where
Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai char-
acterizes Rabbi Yose Hakohen as
"Chosid," Rabbenu Ovadya corn-
ments: "He does 'lifnim meshu-
ras hadin,' i.e., more than the Law
requires." Sforirn say that the es-
sence of King David's prayer was:
"Since I am a Chosid and often
do more than the Law requires, I
fear that the Yetzer Hora will
beguile me by urging that I should
do a little bit less, at times, than
the Law requires; so please, G-d,
watch over me."
enthusiasm, which is the indispen-
sable ingredient in all service to
HaShem, whether it be prayers, the
performance of a Mitzva, or a good
deed of lovingkindness.
The Gemora Megilah, 27b-28a,
cites a number of Rabbis who
were asked by their disciples by
what virtue they reached a ripe
old age. Here are some of their
answers: R. Eleazer b. Sharnmua:
"Never have I made a short cut
through a Synagogue, nor have I
stepped upon the heads of people"
10 T H E BAAL SfiEIM TOV

(i.e., pushed the disciples aside in
order to get to his place in the
House of Study). R. Perida:
"Never in my life have I allowed
anyone to be before me at the
House of Study." R. Yehoshua b.
Korcha: "Never in my life have
I gazed at the countenance of a
wicked man." R. Zera: "Never in
my life have I been harsh with my
household."
It is curious that while none of
these are among the Positive Com-
mandments, yet their reward is that
greatest boon - long life. It is
upon such refinements of character
that Chasidus places great em-
phasis.
Before we delve into the signi-
ficant, scintillating contributions of
Chasidus to the fabric of our faith,
here is a gem of a thought which
has c o n e down to us in the name
of the Baal Shem Tov: Since all of
our people are G-d's children, He
wants us to be good to each other;
live in peace with each other;
to do deeds of lovingkindness to
each other at every possible mo-
ment. At times, a Jew may fulfill
his whole life's purpose by doing
not more than one thing for a
f~llow-Jew. For this reason, G-d
may take a soul from under His
Heavenly Throne, and send it down
t o earth to inhabit a body for
seventy or eighry years, with the
sole objective of performing a
single act of lovingkindness, either
material or spiritual.

A DARK AGE IN OUR HISTORY

The Baal Shem Tov was born
at a time when the Jewish p p l e
had lived through one of its darkest
eras. Half a century of brutal mas-
sacres, starting with the notorious
Chmelnicki uprising in 1 6 4 8
which was followed by ruthless
persecution, had left our people in
the depths of desolation and des-
pair. Jews in other parts of ELI-
rope, especially in Bohemia and
Germany, had undergone suffering
and privation following the Thirty
Years' W a r (1618-1648), and
following various invasions. What
had once been flourishing Jewish
c~mmunitieswere n o more. Great-
ly reduced in numbers our people
l~ved in dire poverty, materially
and spiritually.

THE FALSE "MOSHIACH"

In addition to these appalling they also experienced devastating
catastrophies which all but anni. calamities from within. These mis-
hilated out people from w i t h ~ u r , fortunes provided the proper back-
 T H E BAAL SHEiZl TOV
ground for an opportunist, named
Shabsai Zvi, to proclaim himself
the "Moshiach" who had come to
"redeem" our people from Golus
and lead them to Eretz Yisrorl.
Originally from Turkey, which at
that time was close to Poland, he
proclaimed that the successive dis-
asters visited upon our people con-
stituted the "Chevlai-Moshiach"
(the birth-pangs which will usher
in the era of Moshiach, of which
our Prophets had warned), and
A SECOND FALSE "MOSHIACH"
It is sad but true that there re-
~nainedin Poland segments of our
people who refi~sedto believe that
Shabsai Zvi had ab,indoned our
faith. And years later, Yaakov
Frank, a Polish Jew, who was born
in the same province where the
THE BESHT: HERALD OF A NEW EPOCH
In this tragic era when the spirits
of our people had sunk to the
lowest level of despondency, Ha-
Shem dispatched the saintly soul
of the Baal Shem Tov to heal their
broken spirits. His life heralded
a new epcch in the history of our
people, whom he lifted from the
depths of dejection and spiritual
degradation,
- and breathed a new
life and a new spirit into their
famished souls. His way of life and
his teachings have come down to
11
he declared that the time of the
Final Redemption had come.
Many of our people were delud-
ed by this imposter, and joined him
in large numbers. This whole move-
ment, however, collapsed when
Shabsai Zvi was arrested by the
Sultan, and to save his life, de-
serted our faith for Moharnmed-
nnism. The effect of this heart-
breaking experience upon OW
deeply depressed people can easily
be imagined.
Baal Shem Tov was born, also
proclaimed himself "Moshiach,"
with the same tragic result. H e and
many of his followers eventually
converted to Catholicism, and be-
came bitter enemies of t h e i r
former brethren.
us under the name of Chasidus.
This sweet, joyous approach to our
fai.th found its way quickly and
easily into the hearts and minds of
the broad masses of our anguished
people. By his life and the lives
cf his disciples, he showed us how
to rebuild Jewish life on the time-
tested sources of our strength:
dedicated Torah study, sincere pray-
er and deeds of lovingkindness.
However, he placed special em-
phasis on joy - to serve G-d
14 T H E BAAL SHEM TOV
full of joyous exultation at the
beauties of nature and more so
at their Creator, whom he loved
with all his heart and all his soul.
Often, he would notice how
eagerly people pursued worldly
goods, and he would think: "Poor,
RABBI ELIEZER'S PRAYER
One day, as he turned his face to
G-d in supplication, many mighty
voices stormed up to heaven with
the cry: "Make way! Make way!"
Angels soared towards the Throne
of Glory where many angelic in-
tercessors were already conveying
to G-d the earnest sincere prayer
of Rabbi Eliezer: "Master of the
Universe! Give me a son! A son,
who will, with his wisdom open
the eyes of our confused people,
that they may recognize and strive
for all that is good and noble. I
cannot make them understand; let,
therefore, my son teach them to
differentiate between g a d and
evil."
The Angel Gabriel stretched
forth his hand to the Palace of
Light in order to take the hidden
soul, whose light radiated a brilli-
ance which rivaled the noonday
sun. The whole celestial world ex-
ploded in rapturous exultation.
Suddenly the heavens parted -
and were enveSoped in gloomy
darkness.. With one mighty surge
of his great black wings, Satan
deluded mortals! So gecdy for
gold and silver! ...Why, when G-d
causes the sun to shine, is not the
world golden? And at night, when
He presents to us out of His trea-
sure, the moon and the stars, is not
the world full of silver?"
swooped up shrieking to Gabriel:
"Stop! Let go."
And again a fervent prayer
emanating from the depth d a
pure heart was heard: "For Your
compassion, Master of the Uni-
verse, do I hope! Our unfortunate
people are completely forlorn,
therefore do they pursue vanities.
Grant me a son to show them the
light of Your Wisdom and to lead
them to the right path."
"Rabbi Eliezer pleads for that
radiant soul," implored the good
angels. "He richly deserves that his
prayer be fulfilled."
"Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Eliezer! "
mocked Satan. "What has he done
to deserve this great distinction?"
The angels were again quiet, as
still another prayar rose on High
from Rabbi Eliezer: "These poor
little people, interested only in ac -
cumulating more and still more
gold! How they persecute and ex-
ploit each other! How they defile
the holiness of their souls! May
it be Your will, dear G-d, that
my. son should open their hearts,
 T H E BAAL S H E M TOV
that they may recognize and s e n e
You truly."
"Surely, this is a pure plea,
emanating from the pure heart of
n pure man," interceded the good
xngels.
And, yet again, Satan jeered at
their words: "A pure heart! A
pure man! .. .In what respect has
he proven himself more deserving
than others? They love genuine
gold and silver, and he loves the
gold of the sun and the silver of
the moon."
"His is a good heart overflowing
with campassion," pleaded the
good angels.
Venomously, Satan persisted :
"He lives among Jews. Let him
dwell among non-Jews, and he will
surely become as one of them. H e
does not lust for gald, because he
is poor; let him become rich and
RABBI ELIEZER LEAVES THE CITY
With a heart overflowing with
sorrow and pain, he left the city
and took up his abode in the w d -
ed forest. There among the stately
trees he felt there was no envy or
hatred; all nature enjoys G-d's
beautiful world and all chant
praises to His glory. The birds with
their songs and the beasts with
their growls all are really blessing
G-d for His bounty. Even the
15
his heart will become as hard as
his gold . .."
The angels covered their faces
with their wings; they felt power-
less against the malevolent Satanic
barbs. And Gabriel was forced to
release the great, radiant soul from
his hand.
When Rabbi Eliezer saw that
his prayers were still unfulfilled,
and the years were fleeting, he
was very sad. H e and his wife
were getting well-along in years,
and G-d had not yet presented him
with a son who would radiate
goodness. How crystal-clear it was
to him that our people were
following evil ways because there
was no one to lead them and light
t1.e way to the good and kind
life! H e felt that he could no
longer live in the city with its
poor, deluded, unfortunate people.
winds and the waters of the rivers
join in this mighty symphony of
tribute to the Creator. And the
trees mutely bow, as each branch
and leaf adds its silent prayers to
the Master of the Universe.
Rabbi ELiezer gathered branches
and constructed a hut as protection
against the elements. His food con-
sisted of the fullness of the earth
and of the trees; his drink - the
1s T H E BAAL SHEM TOV
flight directly above Rabbi Eliezer's
lead ship. Their twittering filled
the air with joyous song. But sud-
denly they stopped singing, swoop-
ed down to the lead ship, and
flapped their wings vigorously a-
gainst the faces of the oarsmen.
"Stop!" shouted Rabbi Eliezer.
"If we move further, our ships
will encounter the wires and cap-
size."
The oarsmen obeyed, and Rabbi
THE SECOND TEST:
WEALTH, HONOR, AND A PRINCESS
"You are truly a G-dly man!"
said the monarch, embracing and
kissing him. H e took the royal seal
from his finger, and said to Rabbi
Eliezer: "Take this; from now on,
my kingly treasures will always be
open to you, and I shall give you
my daughter's hand in marriage."
Rabbi Eliezer's face turned white
at this offer. Trembling, he said:
"Gracious King! W h a and what
am I to deserve such great honor?"
"There is no wiser nor finer
man in my kingdom. Only you
are worthy to be my son-in-law."
"Hear me out, I beg of you,"
continued Rabbi Eliezer. "I will
marry your daughter only after I
have conquered a second fortress
without any help."
When the king's ministers and
counselors heard this astounding
Eliezer ordered that the huge pliers
they had brought, be used to cut
the wires which were under the
surface directly in front of them.
When this was done, Rabbi Eliezer
commanded the armada forward
once more. The fortress fell with-
out further resistance. As a trium-
phant victor, Rabbi Eliezer return-
ed to the king, who repeatedly ex-
pressed his amazement at Rabbi
Eliezer's achievement.
offer, they urged him to accept it,
and to put off the wedding until
Rabbi Eliezer will have made good
his promise. To this the king
consented.
As soon as Rabbi Eliezer sailed
away, the birds of the garden pro-
vided him with their delightful,
musical company. They also point-
ed the way, and for seven days and
nights he sailed until he reached
shore. As he stepped on dry land,
the birds overhead flew off in a
certain direction, and Rabbi Eliezer
followed until he came to a small
town. Suddenly the birds swooped
down towards one of the small
houses. Rabbi Eliezer entered this
house, where he found his deatly
beloved wife engaged in reciting
Techinos - the heartfelt prayers
of supplication for women.
 T H E BAAL SHEM TOV
AGAIN RABBI ELIEZER PRAYS
And again there was a commo-
tion in heaven. Once again, angelic
intercessors brought up to Ha-
Shem, Rabbi Eliezer's oft-repeated
p l e a : "Please, dear Father in
heaven, give me a son!"
As this pure prayer reachcd G-d,
a spirit of compassion and exceed-
ing grace permeated the celestial
world. Rabbi Eliezer had passed
the test; he had lived among non-
Jews, yet remained steadfast to our
faith; and he had refused riches,
power, and the king's daughter in
marriage. It seemed that this time
nothing would prevent the Angcl
Gabriel from taking the most bril-
liant soul in the heavenly Palace
of Light and favoring that genera-
tion with its powerful influence
for the G-dly life.
But Satan was not yet r e d y to
THE FINAL TEST
In the celestial world, Chasidim
relate, there was a dispute between
Eliyahu HaNovee and Satan. Each
wished to give Rabbi Elierer this
final test, which would determine
if his love of our people extended
even to those who had forsaken
G-d and His Torah.
Satan was selected because the
19
give up. H e knew that the release
of this soul from its heavenly
abode, would create a man who
would seriously contest his rule
over the hearts of men. So he came
storming up once more from the
nether world, just as Gabriel
stretched forth his hand towards
the Palace of Light, and shrit:ked:
"Stop! Don't touch that soul! rrue,
Rabbi Eliezer passed a severt. test.
But has he ever proven that he
loves and can abide a Jew who has
thrown off the yoke of the King-
dom of Heaven? Let him pass this
truly severe test before we grant
him the boon of that most brilliant
of souls."
The good angels covered their
faces. Once again they felt power-
less against Satan's fiendish wiles.
And so Rabbi Eliezer was subject-
ed to this final test.
Heavenly Tribunal decided that
Eliyahu HaNovee was so saturated
with goodness and love of our
people, that he might not carry
out this assignment impartially.
For this test, Satan appeared dis-
guised as a poor man. Carryirg
his bag and cane, in flagrant dese-
cration of the Sabbath, he walked
20 THE BAAL SHEM TOV
into Rabbi Eliezer's home on a
Shahs afternoon with a taunting-
ly hearty "Gut Shabbos." Although
his heart was heavy with sadness
at this poor man's un-Jewish be-
havior, Rabbi Eliezer did not in
any manner show annoyance. In
order not to embarrass his unex-
pected guest, Rabbi Eliezer acted
a s if he had not noticed anything
unusual. Instead, he extended his
most gracious hospitality during
the Seudah Shlishis (the third of
the festive Sabbath meals), and
the Melaveh Malkah (the feast
marking the departure of the Sab-
h t h Queen).
H e also personally provided a
comfortable place for his guest for
the night, and on the morrow, with
every courtesy, escorted him on his
way. As a final gesture of hospi-
tality, Rabbi Eliezer gave the "poor
man" a generous sum of money.
Not once did he rebuke him for
his desecration of the Holy Sab-
bath. . . Thus did Rabbi Eliezer's
abiding love of our people help
him pass this final, and probably
most severe test.
Parenthetically may I add for
the benefit of those readers who
will wonder how Rabbi Eliezer
could remain silent in light of the
commandment ('Va~ikra, 19:17 )
"Thou shalt surely rebuke thy
neighbor." The Gemora In Yeba-
mos 65b, in commenting on this
Positive Commandment, states that
"just as one is commanded to say
(rebuke) that which will be
obeyed, even so is one commanded
not to say that which will not be
obeyed." Rashi deduces this from
the repetition in the Chumosh,
"hocheach tocheach," literally, "re-
buke shalt thou rebuke." Accord-
ing to Rashi this implies that we
should rebuke only where jt will
be heeded. N o rebuke, therefore,
should be addressed to one who is
sure to ignore it.
From the "poor man's" impudent
''Gut Shabbos" while openly dese-
crating the Sabbath, Rabbi Eliezer
realized that he would have to
choose between offering him h~os-
pitality on his terms, or driving
him away. His great love of our
people won him over to the deci-
sion to choose the former.
Now insofar as rebuking him
after he had fulfilled his duties as
a host and the poor man was about
to Ieave, we must conclude that
from his insolent "Gut S h a b 5 "
Rabbi Eliezer felt that he was deal-
ing here with one who scoffs ;tt
Torah and Mitzvos. And it wns
this type of person whom the Sages
of the Gemara had in mind when
they advised that we should not
address any rebuke when it is
sure to be ignored.
 T H E BAAL SHEM TOV 21

RABBI ELIEZER'S PRAYER IS ANSWERED

And once more R a b b ~Eliezer's hed been hidden in its heavenly

oft-repeated plea ascended to hea- abode since the creation of the
ven: "Dearest Father in Heaven! morld. H e clothed it with veins,
Give me a son who will bring flesh and bones and sent it down
Thy Light to ~ u rpoor, deluded to our world.
people. .." As this pure prayer
reached the Throne of Glory, Sa-
tan again came storming up to the Towards the end of that year,
upper world.. H e started ro babble Rabbi Eliezer and his wife, who
Furiously in pmtesr. but nothing were then both close to one hun-
intelligible could be heard. Even dred years old, were blessed with
his fiendishly cunning mind failed a son, whom they named Yisroel.
to produce any rational objections And this is the son whose profound
for not granting Rabbi Eliezer's knowledge of both the revealed
plea. Deeply humiliated, he im- Torah and its mystic interpretation,
mediately plunged down into the whose extraordinary goodness and
n~.ther world whence he came. piety, created and personified that
And the Angel G ~ b r i e ljoyfully unique, sweec approach to our
stretched his hand into the Palace faith, which we know as Chasidus
of Light and to the accompaniment . . . and which has proven to be a
of the celestial choir, at last drew Tower of Light to our people ftx
forth that most brilliant soul which over two centuries.

A GRIM CONFLICT RAGES IN HEAVEN

Chasidim tell of a great conflict
which once raged in Heaven, and
which pitted the nether against the
upper world. The Angel of Death,
naked sword in hand, was flying
toward Rabbi Eliezer's small house.
Suddenly, the heavens trembled,
and alarmed the Angel Raphael,
who leaped from his nccustomed
place, and abruptly cook off after
the Angel of Death. When he
caught up with him, he grabbed
his sword and held on grimly. The
Angel Gabriel came to Raphael's
assistance, and together they held
the Angel of Death captive.
"Let me go!" shouted the Angel
of Death. "I have an assignment
and must fulfill it."
When the Angel of Death real-
ized that he could not break away,
he emitted a thunderous roar,
22 T H E BAAL SHEM TOC'
which reached the nether warld,
and which immediately summoned
the destroying angels carrying the
Book of Life and Death on their
wings.
"Open the Book for Raphael
and Gabriel!" screamed the Angel
of Death.
As the Book opened to the Aut-
tering of their wings, the Angel
of ~ e a t hagain screamed: "Look!
11: is written here: Chanah, daugh-
ter of Reuven, is destined to live
one hundred years, one hundred
twenty days, seventy hours, and
seventeen seconds. And now the
moment has come. Release me that
I may fulfill the decree of my
Creator!"
"Even if it is as you say, we will
nor release you."
Raphael held his sword while
Gabriel held his mighty wings. Thc
Angel of Death struggled furiorlsly
to break away, screaming all the
while: "I must obey the decree!"
As the two angels felt thernsclves
gradually growing faint, and on
the point of defeat, they summon-
ed him to appear with them before
the Heavenly Tribunal, before
which they pleaded : "The Baal
She~n Tov was just born. He is
destined to enlighten a world en-
shrouded in darkness. And now
this Angel of Death comes to rob
him of his mother."
"The hour has struck! 'Ihe mo-
ment is come!" shrieked the Angel
of Death
But the good angels would nut
y~eld, instead they pleaded: "The
~ n f a n t must have hls mother so
that rhe may nurse and b r ~ n ghim
up, otherw~se, it may seriously
hamper his growth and develop-
ment There is no irrevocable law
wh~chdecrees t h ~ tan Infant who
needs his mother should beco-ne
orphaned, especially as t h ~ sch~lci
1% dcstlned LO enrtch l l t ~ n l ~ r ~ ~ t y
wrth the G-dly I ~ f e "
Here Sdtan the w ~ l y came, up to
ti c Trlbundl and said "G-d's edict
~,lnnot Ix. changed. To Chdnah,
daughter of Reuven, was cl~trusred
f o r her wjo~trn on earth, soul
\t hich 1s a spark from G-d's Throne
of Glory. The tune h ~ come s for
11s xcturn.'
R c a l i ~ ~ n that
g they could galn
nothing by any further pIeas b:
fore the Heavenly Tr~bun'xl, rhc
gxxi angels flew into C,ln Eden
2nd arousecl the Tzaddrklm whose
help they sought to 5 ~ v ethe llfe
o f the Baal Shern Tov's mother
Tllc P.~tr~nrchs,Avrohom, Yltz
chok m c l Yaakov, ac~ompanlectthe
,~ngels back to the Heavenly
Tr~bunal
' T h e B ~ n Shern
l Tov rnerlts that
yedr4 be & l e d t o 111s mother's
irte!" stated Raph,lcl and Gdbr~el
rcsoliitely
 T H E BAAL S H E M TOV
And Satan answered with guile
"She has already been the benefac-
tress of a great miracle; she bore
a son in her old age; this has de-
pleted her merits to the vanishing
point."
Thereupon, our Father Yaakov
stepped forward and snid: "My
father lived to one hundred and
eighty, and I only to one hundred
end forty-seven."
"It was so decreed," shrieked
Satan.
"It was so decreed for Yaakov,
THE INFANT BESHT
Chasidirn relate that while still
an infant, the Baal Shem Tov mani-
fested some of the unique charac-
teristics which were to be the hall-
mark of his mission - to bring
our people ever closer to our
Father in Heaven.
When he heard anyone studying
Torah, his face would glow in
keenest delight. H e gravitated to-
wards the good people, and avoid-
ed the evil and the false. An un-
pleasant event in town provoked
tears; but each time his mother
helped a poor man with food or
money, he would Inugh in sheer
joy-
When the day came for him to
begin learning the Hebrew alpha-
25
but not for Yisroel," answered Ya-
akov (who was also known as
Yisrcxl). "Since my father lived
to be one hundred and eighty, why
were thirty-three years taken from
my life? I hereby give three of
niy years as a gift to the mother
of the Baal Shem Tov, as he will
also be called Yisroel."
Vanquished, Satan and the Angel
of Death disappeared into the
nether world. And the good angels,
amidst the joyous singing of the
celestial choir, escorted the Patri-
archs back to Gan Eden.
bet, the whole world seemed to
take note. And when his father
wrote the letters Aleph, Bais for
the Baal Shem Tov, his eyes shone
like two diamonds, whose luster
gleamed far and wide. As these
rays reached our people, they seem-
ed to perceive suddenly that the
Torah is sweeter than honey; that
helping and being kind to each
other leads to the only true happi-
ness and serenity.. . and that in-
dolence and evil deeds bring de-
struction upon themselves and all
of humanity.
As this way of life dawned upon
our people, they abandoned the
purposeless vanities, and started a
new life, one dedicated to deeds
of loving kindness; to care for the
24 T H E BAAL SHEiCl 7 ' 0 F
orphan, not only for his physical
needs, but also for his Torah
training; to help the needy with
SATAN'S INDICTMENT
And here Chasidim tell of a
commotion in the Heavens. Satan,
with pious hypocrisy, feigned deep
concern for the welfare of hu-
manity. Approaching the Throne
of Glory, he exclaimed: "Master
of the Universe! A great catas-
trophe threatens your children
through Rabbi Eliezer and his
son! "
At this the Good Angels laughed
heartily: "A catastrophe because of
Rabbi Eliezer and his son? How
absurd! Because of him and his
son, evil is at its lowest ebb. A
sinful humanity has stopped sin-
ning; they cleave to the Torah and
follow its precepts."
But Satan continued cunningly:
"Master of the Universe! You cre-
ated man and gave him the choice
of two ways, the good and the evil;
each chooses and will be rewarded
01 punished accordingly in the
World-to-Come. Now these rays
emanating from Rabbi Eliezer and
his son grow ever more powerful.
Our people see - as if for the
first time - the reward awaiting
the good, and the dire conse-
quences the evil. W h o but an idiot
would do evil and incur punish-
free ioans; to establish Shuls and
Talrnud Torahs ..each d,~y they
scarched ro do some gooci deed.
ment in this and in the future
world?"
" B L I this
~ fulfills the purpose of
creation," answered the Good
A~~gels. "If people will cease doing
evil, this world will become gtmd,
peaceful and serene."
"Ah," said Satan, pretending
compassion. "But who will receive
the reward for this heavenly state
on earth? All this is cine to the
child Yisroel. Because of the rays
vihich emanate from his eyes
when his father teaches him Alepll
h i s , people refrain from (doing
evil. Therefore he ;~ndonly he is
entitled to all rhe rewarci. And as
for all the other people, they inerit
neither punishment, nor reward."
The Gutxi Angels felt helpless,
not knowing how to answer Satan's
v:ily arguments.
"Rabbi Eliezer and his son de-
serve death!" stormed Satan.
At these words the upper world
trembled. All the angelic inter-
cessors congregated at the Throne
of Glory pleading: "If the tzaddik
Rabbi Eliezer and hi5 sun should
iiie, what will b~colneof the joy
and nachas which Yisroel is to
bring to the world?"
 T H E BAAL SHEM TOV
"In thar case," craftily countered
Satan, "let the child Yisroel grow
up without his father and we shall
see how great a tzaddik he will
grow up to be."
"Why should Rabbi Eliezer die
now? What is his sin?"
"He is old enough, and his soul
RABBI ELIEZER'S GREAT SOUL
DEPARTS THIS EXISTENCE: HIS DYING WORDS
The voice on High reached
Rabbi Eliezer, and at thar moment
he noticed angels gathering around
him to escort his soul to Gan
Eden. Now he knew that the rime
had come to depart this existence
. . . and that no plea or prayer could
save him for this world until his
son would grow to fulfill his great
destiny.
"My child," said the old Gaon
acd Tzaddik in the last moments
THE YOUNG BESHT
The gucd people of the town of
Okup remembered the tzaddik
Rabbi Eliezer and dealt kindly with
his orpaned son. They paid his
tuition at the local Talmud Torah,
where his teacher marveled at his
progress. i n a matter of days, he
learned to read and pray like an
adult. His progress in Churnosh
and Gemora was equally amazing.
And yet his Rebbe complained - Torah than their literal transiations
25
longs for the delight of G-d's
Divine Presence," answered Satan,
as the destroying angels gathered
about to help his evil designs.
As the heavenly intercessors had
no ready answer to this, a voice on
High suddenly proclaimed: "Make
way! The soul of the aaddik Rabbi
Eliezer will soon be here."
of his life, "never fear anyone or
anything in this world.. .fear only
G-d.. . with all your heart and
every fiber of your being, love each
and every one of our people.. .
regardless of who, what and where
he is.. .mark well and always re-
member my words!"
These words of his saintly father
became enshrined in his heart and
guided forever his life's purpose.
and not without cause. For often
it was obvious that little Yisroel
was paying not the slightest atten-
tion to his Rebbe.
"What in the world is that little
boy thinking about?" he would
wonder.
How could he have guessed thar
little Yisroel perceived a great deal
more in the holy words of the
26 THE BAAL SHEM TQV
which his Rebbe was so earnestly
trying to teach?
Then there were occasions when
Yisroel would suddenly burst into
tears without any discernable cause.
Here the Rebbe would feel deeply
aggrieved.
"One would think that I mls-
t~eatedhim in some manner. Why,
I am extremely careful never to
touch him, in deference to the
memory of his saintly father and
also because he is orphaned."
How could the Rebbc know that
the child's great soul longed for that
divine radiance in whtch he felt en-
veloped, when his faher had taught
him the Aleph Bais? The Rebbe
and the other townsfolk concluded
that he was thus expressing lone-
liness, and ceased to be concerned
Soon, however, Yisroel d ~ docher
strange things which the k ~ n d
townspeople could neither justify
nor forgive. The Carpathian Noun-
tains in which the town of Okup
nestled, abounded in dense forcsts
of which the other children would
speak with awe. But Yisroel feared
them not. H e found them blissfully
ENCOUNTER IN THE FOREST: THE NISTOIi
One day, Yisroel prayed with
the early minyon in town and ar
rived in the forest earlier than
usual. So..nething drew hirn there
ahead of his accustomed time.
When he reached his cherished
quiet and serene. So he would often
suddenly disappear from town fur
days; just- as suddenly, he would
reappear and give no answer to
his Rebbe's questions as to where
he had been.
And what did he do in the
forest? H e would sit on the stulr?
of a tree or o n the grass and
review the Torah he Ix~dstudied.
Then 11e would observe the trees,
listen to the singing of the birds
. . . and meciitate. Often he would
chink of another little boy, who
lived Inany, lilany years ago . . . and
was even younger than h e . . .our
father Avrohotn who was only
three years old when he recog-
nized his Creator.
Yisrocl, tot), sensed from t l ~ c
world c-,f natnre, that every blade
of grass and every Icaf grows and
iivcs, anci that G-d, who created,
also susr:iins ,every living thing.
'Thus, like enctl of our Patriarchs,
Ire oarrle to a comprehension
of, anci faith in Hashem, through
his own ~nental, cnlotional, and
physical prowess.
So passed three yenrs.
spot, he suddenly heard :r volce
from afar. Following the sound,
h e was surprised to see a vener-
able, graybearedcd Inan standing
near a tree, enveloped in Talis and
T'ph~llin.. davening in a manner
 THE BAAL SHEM TOV
he had never seen or heard. The
voice wafting heavenward was a
symphony of longing. . . of joy. . .
oft expressing entreaty amidst tears
. . . then changing to rapture.. .
Yisroel stood spellbound. The old
man did not see Yisroel, who was
therefore able to observe his every
movement.
"He must be one of the thirty-
six tzadikim of whom the world
knows not, and in whose merit the
world exists," mused little Yisroel,
without permitting his eyes to stray
for even a second.
Finally, the old man completed
I-iis prayers, intoned a number of
chapters of Tehillim in a gentle,
melodious voice; then took a sefer
and learned Torah with rapt con-
centration and delight for a con-
siderable length of time.
Yisroel had observed many of
our people in the Bais Hamedrosh
davening and learning Torah; but
such davening and such learning
were unique in his experience.
Finally, the old man took off his
T'philin and Talis, kissed them
lovingly, replaced them in his bag.
Then he took his st& and slowly
started on his way.
Here Yisroel left his hiding
place, and approached the aged
man, saying: "ShoIom Aleichem,
Rebbe."
The patriarch manifested not the
slightest surprise at Yisroel's sud-
27
den appearance in the forest. With
a lovingly gentle smile, he answer-
ed: "Aleichem Ha-Sholom. And
what is a little boy doing alone
in the forest? Have you n o fear?"
Yisroel answered the questions
in order: "I love the woods and
fields where there are no deceitful
people, puffed up with arrogance.
Here in the woods everything is
so gentle, so serene. No, I have
no fear; I am an orphan, have
neither father nor mother. Before
my saintly father of blessed mem-
ory, departed this existence, he
said to me: 'My son, fear no one
.. . fear only G-d' . . . and thus there
is n o fear in my heart."
" h e you Rabbi Eliezer's son?"
asked the *Id man.
"My father, peace be upon him,
was called by that name."
"Let us sit down, Yisroel, and
study Gemora."
They sat down on the grass, and
the patriarch took out a Gemora
Pesachim, from which they studied
for a considerable time. Yisroel's
knowledge, eagerness to learn, and
quick grasp gave the old man much
nachas. When they finished learn-
ing, the old Rebbe got up to go
and Yisroel, without asking or
knowing why, followed him.
The little orphan did not know
who this patriarch was, didn't even
know his name, and did not deem
28 T H E BAAL SHEM TOV
it important to ask. Quite suddenly,
he felt a profound spiritual kinship
with this unknown old man.
Together they traveled from
THE TZADIKIM NISTARIM
Finally, they came to a village
where the patriarch said to him:
"One of our people lives in a forest
close by. He is truly G-d fearing
and a great Tarah scholar. I am
going to leave you with him for
a while."
They entered the forest and soon
reached a small hut where dwelt a
tar-maker called Reb Meir. Yisroel
immediately sensed that his new
mentor was no ordinary man, but
a tzadik, a profound Torah scholar
and perhaps even one of the thirty-
six tzadikim in whose merit the
world exists, but of whom the
world is unaware.
During the four years Yisrot.1
stayed with Reb Meir, he devoted
most of his time to Torah study.
Each day they walked to town to
daven with a minyon. No one
paid any attention to Reb Meir
as they did not suspect him of
, k i n g anything but an ordinary
man of little knowledge or piety.
As time went by, Yisroel noriced
that many men, extremely pious
and learned, would stop at Reb
Mcir's unpretentious cottage. Dis-
guised as wayfarers or laborers,
these holy men had one mission in
town to town and city to city. As
they journeyed, the old Rebbe
learned Torah with him and shared
what food he had.
chis existence: to kindle in the
hearts of our people a desire to
reach the best and noblest in hu-
manity through the sweetness of
our Torah. To achieve this objec-
tive, they helped the poor and the
ill with material help; they instilled
faith in G-d; they taught our p r -
secured and discouraged people
how to reach G-d through sincere
prayer and love of our people,
which must be manifested through
deeds of loving kindness.
The Baal Shem Tov was four-
teen years old when he became a
full-fledged member of chese Tza-
dikim Nistarim (secret society of
the saintly), whose noble accorn-
plishments were known to no one
but thenlselves. Like the other
members he was so careful in his
m d e of life that no one suspected
that at this tender age he was al-
ready a Gaon and Tzadik. He
carried out with distinction the
various missions which were as-
signed to him by the leaders of
the Nistarim.
By the time he was almost six-
teen, he had delved deeply into
Kabalah, the mystic interpretation
and apprmch to our faith. From
 THE BAAL SHEM TOV
time to time, he would daven in
the tradition of W b e n u Yitzchok
Luria, the ARI HaKadosh, for the
purpose of achieving a closeness
ELIYAHU HANOVEE REVEALS A SOURCE
OF NACHAS TO G-D
Here is a free translation of an
interesting passage, in the Yiddish
book, "Rabbenu Yisroel Baa1 Shem
Tov," published by Chabad-Luba-
vitch on the occasion of the two-
hundredth Yahrzeit of the Besht.
The Baal Shem Tov writes: "On
my sixteenth birthday, the eight-
eenth day of Elul in the year 5474
(1714), I found myself in a small
town. The Jewish innkeeper was
an unlearned man, who could bare-
ly pronounce the prayers in He-
brew, and did not know their
meaning. Yet he was truly G-d
fearing, and was accustamed to say
at all times and occasions: 'Blessed
be the Blessed One forever.' His
wife had a similar expression:
'Praised be His Holy Name.'
"In accordance with the time-
honored custom, I went out into
the fields on this my birthday to
spend a part of the day in solitude
and meditation. I recited some
chapters of Tehillim, and tried
through Dvaikus to come closer
to HaShem.
"Deeply immersed in reflection
and prayer, I became oblivious to
my surroundings. Suddenly I beheld
29
to G-d through Dvaikus and His-
lahavus, i.e., clinging to G-d
amidst fervor and a glowing
ecstacy.
the smiling countenance of Eliyahu
HaNwee. My emotions were a
mixture of awe and wonder. Dur-
ing the time I had spent with the
Tzadik Reb Meir and also when
I was in the company of the N i s
tarim, I had seen him. But [?is
was the first time that I had merit-
ed the privilege of having him
reveal himself to me alone. I tried
to, but could not fathom the mean-
ing of his enigmatic smile.
"Said he to me: 'You are striving
so hard to achieve a closer com-
munion with G-d through Dvaikus,
and through delving deeply into
the secrets that are hidden in the
combinations of the first and last
letters of the words of our prayers.
And Aharon Shlomo the innkeeper
and his wife Zlata Rivka know
naught of these secret paths of
coming closer to HaShem. Yet his
heartfelt 'Blessed be the Blessed
One forever,' and his wife's equally
sincere 'praised& His Holy Name'
create a stir in the upper worlds
which more than equal the rapture
created in Heaven by the mystic
means utilized by the great masters
of Kabalah."
30 THE BAAL SHEM TOV
"Eliyahu HzNovee then clarified
to me in full detail the great na-
chas-ruach (rapturous delight)
which is felt in Heaven as a result
of the thanksgiving and praise
which ordinary men, women and
children offer to HaShem. It is
made even more acceptable to G-d,
when these laudatory expressions
are repeated constantly.. . for then
they achieve an unremitting close-
ness to HaShem and their hearts
are purified and ever overflowing
with love of and trust in Him.
"From that moment I made this
THE THREE WVES: THE BESHT'S CONTRIBUTION
At about this time, they further
decided to concentrate their efforts
on the unlearned of our peoplc
who felt somewhat estranged from
our faith and from each other.
This enstrangement was even
greater between the unlearned and
the Torah scholars. They realized
that this breach would be heaied
by instilling the Three Loves: love
of G-d; love of His Torah; love
of all His people, regardless of
their spiritual status.
Let us briefly c o n s i d e r this
fundamental question: What was
new in the above three-fold ap-
proach? Were not these same,
lofty, spiritual objectives empha-
sized by our Sages in every era
long before the advent of the
Besht? What new element did he
objective one of my life's purposes.
to always evoke praise of G-d from
each one of our people. To achieve
this, I would inquire aibol~ttheir
health, livlihood, and children. Each
would answer with various expres-
sions of praise and appreciation to
HaShem.
"For a number of years I alone
concentrated on this means of
bringing our unlearned people
closer to G-d. However, at a cer-
tain gathering of the Nistarim,
it was adopted for the entire
group."
inject? His contribution consisted
of broadening and deepening these
three loves and the other Chasidic
goals which we shall consider
presently.. . and becoming the Iiv-
ing personification of chcm. His
soul, overflowing with love of G-d,
Torah, and our people, reached
into the parched souls of the great
masses. What had previously been
lofty, but abstract ideals, appreck-
ated and pursued by a relatively
few exalted souls, the Besht inter-
preted arid clarified in terms easily
understood by all. His mere exist-
ence . . .his unique singing soul. ..
his profound wisdom.. .his extra-
ordinary ability to reach every
crevice of the human being - all
combined to endow him with that
magnetic power which drew ro
 T H E BAAL SHEM TOV
him all who cams near. He was
able to identify with great Gaonim
such as the Mezritcher Magid and
the Toldos Yaakov Yosef, and at
the same time, with the least learn-
ed of our people. H e uncovered
the hidden light in these three
great loves.. . love of G-d. Torah
and our people, until they became
THE NISTARIM FOCUS ON RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
For a number of years he worked
in secret with the other Nistarim,
who were disciples of Rabbi Adam
Baal Shem, of whom we shall
learn presently, to bring mdrerial
and spiritual help to our people,
with special emphas~s upon the
needs of the ordinary. unle.wncd
laborers, artisans and peasants.
When he hcarne eighteen years
old, he suggested that the Nistarim
THE RESHT AS BAHELFER
The Besht fulfilled the maxim
that he who proposes a meritorious
project should personally involve
himself in it. Although he could
easily have qualified as a Rosh Ha-
Yeshiva, or a Rabbi in a promi-
nent Jewish community, hc chose
instead to fill a need which existed
in the city of Brod for a Bahelfer
(assistant to a religious teacher ) .
Every morning, h e would call
at the homes of the children, help
them wash their hands and faces,
recite the morning prayers and
3'1
living, pulsating realities and he
breathed them into the people of
his generation - and also be-
queathed them to our people in
all generations till the end of
time. H e raised Torah study to its
rightful place in the lives of our
people - the means to fulfillment
. . .and yet an end in itself.
zssume the responsibility for re-
I~gious education by organizing
proper schools and providing pious.
qualified teachers for them, with
special attention to be given 20 the
children of the poor. His sugges-
tion was accepted. Ir was further
decided that when a fully qualified
religious teacher was unavailable,
one of the Nistarim should volun-
teer his services.
blessings, and assist them with all
the other necessary preparations for
their complete sub~nission to the
will of G-d at the level appropriate
for each child. Then he would
lead thern to the Cheder and teach
them the Aleph Bais and the vowel
sounds. At the end of the day, he
woulcl lead them back to their
homes and recite the evening
Shcma with them.
He loved these little children
with all the fire of his great flarn-
ing soul. Many years later, the Mez-
32 THE BAAL SHEM TOY

ritcher Magid remarked that he hearts of our people to rcam it

wished he could kiss the Sefer brought comfort, joy and faith. It
Torah with as much love as the helped to sweeten the bitter life
Baal Shem Tov kissed these chil- which was our people's lot in chat
dren. His special tender loving care dark period. Slowly, fear left their
was reserved for those children hearts, then their eyes. Gradually,
whose parents had neglected their some of the joy of life replaced the
religious training. To these he heartbreak and melancholia induc-
would relate the beautiful stories ed by their harsh existence. It
of the Chumosh . . .of Moshe Rab- seemed that the Heavens, e u t h ,
benu.. .of how G-d gave us the trees, birds, and cattle. . . and all
Torah on Mount Sinai.. . of the nature, joincd in the singing with
Prophets.. . and the Sages of the the faithful shepherd and his little
Talmud. holy flock.
As he led these pure young souls A profound joy suffused the
t o and from Cheder, he would sing wholc world.. . and, Chasidim re-
with them the most heavenly cx- late, also reached the upper world
quisite songs. Never had the towns- where the rapturous delight en-
people heard such singing The gendered was not any jess than that
Besht's unusually sweet voice ema- felt when the Leveeyim would sing
nating from that unique soul and in the Bais Hamikdosh.
loving heart, went straight to rho

THE SWEETEST PERIOD IN THE BESHT'S LIFE

These years were forever cn-
shrined in the manory of the Baal
Shem Tov as the sweetest of his
life. In later years, after he becarnc
renowned as the great leader of o u r
people, the founder of the world-
wide Chasidic movement, whose
disciples included great Gaonim to
whom he revealed the innermost
secrets of the Torah, he would re-
call longingly the time when he
guided these children to Torah and
Mitzvos and say: "Those were the
happiest days of my life.. .when I
helped these sinless children reclte
Moclch Ance, Shema Yisroel, Ye-
hzy Shmay Rabbo.. . I sensed the
great joy which was felt in Heaven
, ~ n dthe great envy of rhe angels
as they watched these pure little
souls soar ever closer to G-d"
At the Besht's suggestion. the
Tzadikirn Nistarim concentrated on
building a firm foundation for our
faith, knowing that a strong, sound
system of religious educaticm was
the best means of bringing O L I ~
people closer to G-d and His Torah.
 T H E BAAL SHEM TOV 33

NISTARIM ELECT BESHT TO LEAD THEM

Upon his election to serve as the of ignorance and bringing them
leader of the Nistarim, Moreinu to the Torah table.
(our teacher), the Baal Shem Tov, Like the great giant spirits of
directed the establishment of Cha- previous years, such as the Ram-
dorim for the young and Yeshivos barn, Moreinu the Besht extended
for the older boys in hundreds of sweet words of consolation and en-
Jewish communities. With the re- couragement to the unlearned, suf-
l~giouseducational apparatus thus fering people of his time and
firmly established, the Besht point- brought them back to the Torah
ed a way for serving G-d and camp. In even the slightest Jewish
fulfilling his injunction for Ahavas movement, he saw a prayer to the
Yisroel. As a second objective, the Creator.. . and in every Jewish sigh
Nistarim focused their attention of a longing to Teshuva.. . a return
raising the masses from the morass to G-d.

RABBI ADAM BAAL SHEM: THE KESUVIM

There was another great Tzadik extremely difficult to understand the
who lived at that time who was deeper, inner meaning of many
called Rabbi Adam Baal Shem. Torah passages.
Widely known, loved and esteemed When Rabbi Adam would reach
by all, he lived in a small house a passage which eluded his com-
outside of town, and devoted day prehension, he left the world of
and night to prayer and Torah humanity for the fields, the forests
study. Since the words of the Torah and the caves. There he would
are the personification of G-d Who divest himself of all worldly cares
is Infinite, it is very difficult for and pursuits, immerse himself
a finite being to delve into and completely in the Torah, and pray
understand their secret inner mean- to G-d for perception.
ing. Even the greatest Tzadikim are On one of these occasions, when
no more than flesh and blood. he had left his home for a p a i d
While their souls can and do attain of study and prayer, he found a
a very lofty spiritual level, their large number of Kesuvim (hand-
bodies, fashioned of clay from this written manuscripts) in a cave. As
lowest world, hamper their spi- he started to read, a new powerful
ritual progress. Thus they find it spiritual light seemed to encompass
34 TILE BAAL S H E A TOT,'
him. The hitherto s%ret, inexpli-
cable passages of the Tcrah sud-
denly became crystal clear. He
closed his eyes and from the inner-
most recesses of his heart, there
poured a tremulous prayer of
thanksgiving to HaShem.
When the time came for Rabbi
Adam to depart this existence, his
heart was heavy with worry. What
was he to do with these Kesuvim?
In adirion to revealing the mystic
significance of certain Torah pas-
sages, they also contained veiled
hints on changing the course of
nature, i.e, the performance of
miracles. Were they to fall into the
hands of an unsctupulous person,
he might use this knowledge for
evil purposes. To destroy them was
unthinkable; yet, he was also re-
luctant to bury them, since they
could be of great benefit to hu-
manity in the hands of the right
person.
THE YOUNG SHAMASH
In order to unobtrusively carry
on his work as leader of the Tzadi-
kim Nistarim, Morenu the Baal
Shem Tov became the Shamash in
the town of Okup. In this position
he found that he could best guide
the work of the Nistarim and at
the same time devote himself com-
pletely to Torah study.
In the Bais Harnedmsh, in which
the Besht served as SIumlsh, 2s in
One day, while concentrating on
this problem, he fell asleep and in
a vision was given specific ctircc-
tions. Upon awakening, he called
his son and said: "The time has
come, my dearly beloved son, for
me to depart from this lower exis-
tence. These Kesuvim reveal many
Kabalistic secrets and instructions
which you are not yet worthy of
knowing. In a far-away city nameri
Okup, there is a young rnan named
Yisrocl, the son of Rabbi Eiiezer.
H e is at this time the only one in
the world who merits their posses-
sion. Promise me that after my
death you will take them to him.
He is great in Torah and in deeds
of loving-kindness. 1 hope arrcl
pray that you will be fortitnatc
enough to become his disciple."
As he finished these words, the
great holy soul of Rabbi Adam
Baal Stiern soared back to its Di-
vine Source.
ail Botei Medrashim of that era,
the schc'ars of our people would
devote themselves day and night to
Torah study and prayer. Imrnedi-
ately aftex Shabbos they wouid
leave their homes for the &is Ha-
medrash and not return until next
Friday afternoon, or just in time
to prepare properly for Shabbos.
Content that they were fonunate
enough to be married to Torah
 THE BAAL SHEM TOV
scholars, their wives would act as
fathers and mothers to the chil-
dren for the six weekdays, and in
addition assumed the role of bread-
winners for their large families.
As noted above, these scholars
would be cmpletely immersed in
Torah study and prayer all their
waking hours. When they felt
hunger pains, they would pause
just long enough to eat a few slices
of bread or a meal if it was pre-
pared at home, and immediately
resume their Avodas HaShem. At
night, when they became drowsy
they would rest their heads on their
hands or stretch out on the hard
Shul bench for a quick nap, just
long enough to store the requisite
energy to return to Torah and
prayer.
The Besht, who was known to
them as Yisroel the Shamash, serv-
ed their needs. He would bring
them water and their food from
their homes. In the cold winter,
he would heat the oven. And as he
R. ADAM BAAL SHEM'S SON: THE SEARCH
One day, the Bais Harnedrash
in Okup had a visitor.. . a young
man whose face glowed like the
sun.. .mute testimony that he was
great in Torah and Mitzvos, for the
face mirrors the soul. The Talmidei
Chachomim, as one, rose to give
Sholom Aleichem to the stranger.
35
feared that these scholars would
not permit him to serve them if
they found out that he was their
superior in learning, and since he
relished the mitzva of Shimush
(serving Talmidei Chachornim ) he
resorted to the following stratagem :
when the scholars would return to
study after Maariv service and the
evening meal, he would nap. And
when they tired and napped, he
would arise and study Torah in.
tensively. Without any mundane
cares or worries, he studied much,
absorbed all, and became full to
overflowing with Torah knowledge.
Like a cemented cistern, he lost not
a drop. The scholars, however, pre-
sumed that he slept the whole
night. As he was never caught
studying, he was considered by ail
to be an ordinary, unlearned Sha-
mash and permitted to perform his
menial duties. Loyally and capably
did he serve these Talmidei Cha-
chomim whom he loved and re-
vered with every fiber of his great
soul.
Then they asked him to explain a
number of difficult Torah passages
whose meaning had eluded them.
He answered each question to
everyone's complete satisfaction.
When the elder of the com-
munity heard that the young
stranger was a Torah scholar, he
38 T H E BAAL SHEM TOV
THE REVELATION :
THE KESUVIM REACH THEIR DESTINATION
One night, when everybody in
the Bais Hamedrash was asleep,
he stretched out on the shul-bench
f w a nap. But sleep eluded him.
Without getting up, he opened his
eyes and suddenly beheld a strange
sight.. .one which h e had not
heretofore witnessed: the Shamash
Yisroel stood near a table and was
looking into a book! Just looking?
NO! Although not a sound issued
from his lips, lest he awake the
sleeping Talmidei Chachomim, his
face glowed and flickered.. . sparks
seemed to fly from his eyes.. .his
head was slowly weaving to and
fro.. . while his hands moved rhy-
thmically, up and down to keep
cadence with his head.. . a perfect
picture of complete, intense absorp-
tion and concentration.
An hour passed.. .then another,
and R. Adam's son's eyes were still
riveted on the Shamash. Suddenly
R. Yisrwl closed the book and
quickly stretched out on the bench
. . . just as one of the Talmidei Cha-
chomim awoke to resume his
studies. From the Shamash a loud
snoring was heard.. . as if he were
fast asleep.
"Did I dream all this?" R.
Adam's son thought. H e decided
not to sleep at all the following
night in order to see.. .what he
thought might have been a hal-
lucination.
And during the second night,
R. Adam's son saw the Shamash
repeat precisely what he had done
the night before. Now R. Adam's
son was almost certain that this was
the Rabbi Yisroel, son of Rabbi
Eliezer, for whom he was search-
ing. His quest seemed over at last.
Yet he determined on just one
more test. After all, the Kesuvim
constituted a powerful agency for
good or evil; he must be absolutely
certain before giving them up.
He looked for and found the
opportunity when the Shamash was
really asleep. H e took one page of
the Kesuvim and placed it on the
table close to R. Yisroel. Then he
stretched out on a bench and
feigned sleep. When the Sharnash
awoke, he saw the sheet of the
Kesuvim and started to read. Al-
most at once, his body trembled
perceptibly. Hastily, he looked
zround him on all sides, as if to
find the man who left the sheet
there. As everyone seemed asleep,
he resumed his study of the page.
His face turned a fiery red as he
concentrated on the sacred words.
Then he carefully placed it in his
coat and stretched out on the bench
to sleep.. .or to simulate it.
 THE BAAL SHEM TOV
Now R. Adam's son was certain
that this was the man to whom his
father wished him to convey the
Kesuvim. H e breathed a sigh of
relief.. .and a prayer of thanks to
THE BESHT'S DILEMMA
As R. Adam's son revealed to R
Yisroel the story of the Kesuvim,
the young Shamash stood mute,
fearful . ..and sad. H e had succeed-
ed in passing himself & as an
ordinary, unlearned man in order
to fulfill the great mitzva of Shi-
mush which is in some respects,
even more praiseworthy than
Torah study. In this guise, he had
also been able to direct the Nis-
tarim and devote himself to inten-
sive Torah study, completely di-
vested of worldly cares and respon-
sibilities. And here the son of R
Adam reveals to him in his saintly
father's name that he is greater
than the greatest.. . the only one in
the world worthy of the Kesuvim
. . . and his thoughts ran on: If this
became known, then people would
honor and seek to serve him . . .and
he would no longer be able to
serve his beloved Talmidei Cha-
chomim. Suddenly a new and even
more dismaying thought struck
him: the homage which will be his
may make him fall prey to those
abominable human weaknesses -
vanity and arrogance.. .which are
so hateful to G-d. After all, he was
39
HaShem. How happy he was to
finally fulfill this last charge of his
saintly father! And he wasted not
a moment, ht called R. Yisroel
and told him the whole story.
still so young.. .had not yet been
subjected to honor and had not
yet learned not to let it affect his
spiritual development.
As these sad and frightening
thoughts raced through him, he
stood like a lost soul, not knowing
what to answer. T o deny that he
is the man R. Adam's son was
seeking in order to convey the
Kesuvim was obviously out of the
question. It was an untruth.. .and
he stood ever afar from anything
which was not true. And even if
he felt justified to deviate in this
instance in order to protect his
anonymity so as to continue serv-
ing G-d unknown to the world, he
knew that he could not convince
R. Adam's scn that he was not the
man he soughc. R. Adam's son had
seen him cngrussed in Torah . ..and
had testcd h i m And then, of course,
his SUEI t!iilsted so for the Kesu-
vim. H:re was the key to rise ever
higher anJ closer to HaShem. Folr
a l o n ~agonking moment the Baal
Shern Tov st& uncertain.. .fear-
full. ..n?t daring to admit, yet un-
able to deny, that he was the man
42 T H E BAAL SHEM TOV
might have on his spiritual de-
velopment.
H e settled in a town called
Tlosty in Galicia, where he set up
his own Cheder and continued his
most beloved work.. .bringing our
children into a life of Torah and
Mitzvos.
THE BESHT TAKES A SECOND WIFE
One day, R. Ephraim, a promi-
nent Jew of Kutev, came as a
disputant and was so impressed
with the Besht that he offered him
his daughter Leah Rachel in mar-
riage. Tenaim were duly recorded
and R. Ephraim returned hame.
When the date of the wedding ap-
proached, the Besht went to Brody
to the bride's brother, R. Gershon
(her father had died in the in-
terim) to daim his bride.
In keeping with his way of life,
that of serving G-d unknown to
BACK TO NATURE AGAIN:
FURTHER PREPARATION FOR HIS LIFE'S WORK
The Baal Shem Tov and his wife
left the noisy city for the calm of
the Carpathian Mountains, where
they lived in great poverty. He,
however, had here the privacy and
solitude he needed in order to de-
vote all his time to a total commit-
ment to a pure Torah-and-Mitzvos
life.
Here, tw, he could carry on most
Although for a time he succeed-
ed in passing himself off as an
ordinary Melamed, his wisdom and
integrity could not be hidden. As
a consequence, many of our people
selected him as the neutral third
party in settling disputes.
the world, he was clad in the garb
of an unlearned, poor peasant. His
prospective brother-in-law, who
was a highly esteemed and promi-
nent Torah scholar, was shocked
at. the prospect of having this
seemingly ignorant man in the
family. The bride, however, per-
ceived that there was much more
to this man than his peasant's attire
and speech indicated, and consent-
ed to become his wife despite her
brother's objections.
effectively his work as the spiritual
leader of the Nistarim.
Under his direction and supervi-
sion, a great many new Chedorim
and Yeshivos were established in
cammunities which had heretofore
been spiritual wastelands.
With the education of our youth
in good hands, the Nistarim turned
their attention to the adults. In
 T H E BAAL SHEM TOV 43

these same communities, regular community to make sure that Tarah

shiurim were organized in Gemora, courses were available to ybung and
Mishna, Ayin Yaakov, Chumosh old, the scholarly and the unlearn-
and Rashi, etc. Thus, each adult ed, before moving on. Their pro-
was sure to find a shiur to suit his found knowledge and noble, exem-
spiritual need. The Nistarim usual- plary behavior served to create
ly would stay long enough in each widespread interest in Torah study.

A NEW ERA DAWNS

Chasidim relate that at the age
of twenty-six, a new era began for
the Besht .. .one which lasted pre-
cisely ten years. To prepare him
properly for his unique mission,
for which his unique soul had been
sent to inhabit his body in this
lower existence, HaShem provided
him with a unique teacher.. . Achi-
yah of Shilo, the Prophet who lived
at the time of David, King of
Israel. In a letter to his disciple, R.
Yaakov Yosef HaKohen of PuInoh,
author of "Toldos Yaakov Yosef,"
the Besht wrote that on the eight-
eenth day of Elul, 5484, the day
he became twenty-six years old, the
prophet Achiyah of Shilo appeared
to him. They started to study Be-
reishis. And when they had finish-
ed the last verse in Devorim, pre-
cisely ten years had passed.
During these ten years, the
Besht's teacher appeared to him
regularly, and taught him those Di-
vine secrets of the Torah which
are reserved for the truly saintly.
The prophet Achiyah thus prepared
the Baal Shem Tov with the re-
quisite Torah knowledge, resolu-
tion and personal magnetism for
the great task of winning the hearts
of our people, both scholars and
the unlearned, for our Father in
Heaven through Chasidus.

THE BESHT'S MISSION IS REVEALED TO HIM

On his thirty-sixth birthday, it
was revealed to the Baal Shem Tov
from on High that he had a unique
mission in this existence.. .:o
bring a new light and instill a new
spirit in our people through a
somewhat different approach to our
faith.. .a way of life which we now
call Chasidus. He was most reluc-
tant to undertake this mission. The
simple, sublime life he led in the
Carpathian Mountains, far from
the teeming cities.. . the indescrib-
able bliss of learning Torah from
a true Prophet of G-d . . . made life
a veritable Gan Eden for him. He
44 T H E BAAL SHEM TOC'
pleaded to be permitted to con-
tinue to lead his present mode of
life until he reached his alloted
span of years. He was told in repiy
that he must undertake this mis-
sion . . .that it was precisely to un-
CHASIDUS: THE GREAT NEW LIGHT
Thus, at the age of thirty-six, in
the year 5474 ( 1734 C.E.), a great
new dazzling light burst upon the
world. The Baal Shem Tov settled
in the city of Mezshbozsh, where
he began to live and teach the
doctrines of Chasidus in public. Im-
mediately, he attracted unusual at-
tention and numerous followers.
Many young and older men,
learned and unlearned, stteamed to
Mezshbozsh to learn this new way
of coming closer to G-d, His Torah
THE ESSENCE OF CHASIDUS
What is the essence of Chasidus?
It stresses the importance of Ka-
vanah in prayer and the observance
of all Mitzvos wlth an ever-cheerful
and joyous heart.. . that simple
faith is something that everyone
of our people has potentially..
that through sincere prayer and the
whole-hearted chanting of Tehilim,
even the unlearned Jew can attain
a high spiritual level and closeness
to G-d.. .that selfless love of
fellow Jews and selfless devotion
to the Torah way of life are i w be
constantly cultivated.. . that humil-
dertake it that his unique soul had
been sent down to this lower exist-
ence.. .that if he were adamant in
h,is refusal, his soul would have no
further function on earth.
and Miuvos. Numbered among his
thousands of disciples were the
most highly esteemed Rabbis and
Talmudic scholars. The greatest of
them, Rabbi Ber of Mezritzch,
later became the Besht's successor
and the teacher of the celebrated
Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liady,
the founder of Chabad-Lubavitch
Chasidus, whose followers are help-
ing so many of our people in every
corner of the globe find their way
back to G d .
ity and modesty in thought, speech
and action are the all-important ob-
jectives which need constant and
intense concentration.
Today, countless thousands of
our people regard Rabbi Yisroel
Baal Shem Tov as a divinely-in-
spired leader who instilled new life
and new hope into the scattered
and shattered flocks of our people
in a11 lands, and who fortified them
with renewed faith and courage
to meet the dreadful days that are
to usher in Moshiach, may hc
come speedily and in our time.
 T H E BAAL SHEM TOV

WHEN MOSHIACH WILL COME

In a letter to his brother-in-law,
who had become his disciple, the
Baal Shem Tov wrote that he had
an extraordinary experience on
Rosh Hashonah 5507 ( 1747 C.E.),
when the heavens opened before
him and he saw Moshiach.
"When will the Master come
down to earth to redeem us?" the
Besht asked him.
'When your fountains (of Cha-
sidic doctrine and practice) will
spread to the outside," replied
Moshiach.

CHASIDUS BECOMES A WORLD-WIDE MOVEMENT

The disciples and followers of
the Besht have tried to do just
that.. .spread his teachings among
all our people, and they have met
with unusual success. Within half
a century, about half of the world's
Jewish population became Cha-
sidim.
The opposition tried but could
not stem the tide of the Chasidic
movement which was gaining more
and more followers from both the
masses and the scholars. Thus in
the final years of his life, the Baal
Shem Tov witnessed the beginning
of the fierce, ruthless spiritual
struggle, which for a time divided
our people into two hostile camps,
the Chasidim and the Misnagdim.
But he could also see the eventual
victory of his teachings. And when
all our people will accept his teach-
ings, the ground will have been
fully prepared for the coming of
Moshiach, speedily and in our days.
Amen.

THE BESHT'S PASSING. ...AND LEGACY

Moreinu Rabbi Yisroel Baal ings and way of life are studied
Shem Tov departed this existence and followed today by numerous
on the first day of Shevuos 5520 Chasidim in every land where our
( 1760 C.E.) at the age of sixty- people live. May his life and
two, with these words of Tehillim memory be a blessing to us all.
(36:12) on his lips: "Let not the Now that we have learned briefly
foot of pride overtake me!" What of the Baal Shem Tov's birth and
an eternal legacy and lesson for early manhood, let us summarize
us to be mindful of right up to briefly the foundations of Chasidus
our last breath, not to fall into and their significance for us today.
the trap of arrogance! His teach-
 T H E BAAL %HEM TOV

IS CHASIDUS A COMPLETELY NEW APPROACH?

First let us consider this primary
question: What was new and ori-
ginal about the Besht's spiritual
brainchild which we call Chasidus?
Why did it and still does attract
the greatest and most saintly Gao-
nim and Tzadikim? Don't we find
in the Gemora and later Rabbinical
literature many thoughts, stories,
anecdotes, parables and customs
which are identical with and p i n t
up the Chasidic way of life? Were
not all the mystics, including R.
Moshe Cordovero, the A'RI Ha.
kadosh, R. Chaim Vital, the Sh'loh
and many others who lived before
the Fksht, Chasidim in the generic
sense of the word?

THE BESHT'S CONTRIBUTIONS

What new element then did the
Baal Shem Tov add? H e polished
these concepts until they gleamed
like bIue-water gems; he length-
ened, broadened and raised them to
the loftiest heights and he breathecl
a new life and a new spirit into
them through his own unique sot~l,
through his sweet loving person-
ality which drew to him everyone
with whom he came in contact, the
scholar as well as the nnlearned.
The Besht was 3 living, pulsating
ex'ample of Chasidus . . .and what
is perhaps most signific~nt,he suc-
ceeded in reaching the great masscs,
something never dreamed of by
tho Chasidim who preceded ~ I I I I

CHASIDUS: SOME BASIC ELEMENTS

Chasidus may be described as a
way of life which stresses thc
following:
1. The all-importance of Kava-
nah, or as the Gemora in Sm. lO6b
declares: "G-d requires the heart."
Chasidim took this message t o
heart. The prayers . . .Torah study
..indeed every Mitzvah must he
ftilfilled with joyful eagcrnesr -
with every hidur, - nor as a bur-
densome obligation, but rather as
a privilege which brings us closer
to G-d. Chasidus stresses the im-
portance of Torah study, but also
teaches that even if for solnc reason
beyond his control, a person does
not understand the Hebrew pray-
ers, they are ncverthcless accepted
by G-d if they are 'offered by a
sincere, repentant heart, which re-
grets deeply that it does not undrr-
stand them. Such prayers will split
the very heavens, will open the
Gates of Compassion and will en-
noble and bring down G-d's boun-
 THE BAAL SHEM TOV
ties to the supplicant. . .Chasidus
is aptly summarized in the dictum
in Pirke Avos ( 2 : 1 7 ) : "And all
your deeds should be for the sake
of Heaven."
2. Before the development of
Chasidus, the saintly believed that
the world and everything in it con-
sists of mutually-exclusive powers
which are forever locked in a life-
and-death struggle. These are:
Good vs. Evil; Holiness vs. Im-
purity; Spiritual Objectives vs. Ma-
terial Drives. They further believed
that the and the Spiritual
draw their sustenance from a Holy
Source; whereas the Impure and
Material Strivings draw their sus-
tenance fram a defiled, impure
source. These ancient Chasidim
therefore concluded, that the major
objective in life and the goal to
spiritual perfection could be best
achieved by weakening the body
and its drives through eating less,
sleeping less and abstaining as much
as possible from earthly pleasures.
With the body in a weakened con-
dition, the soul w o ~ ~ lthen
d find it
easier to dominate and influence
the whole personality toward the
Good and the Spiritual.
The creator of Chasid~lscame to
a carnpletely different conclusion.
Since HaShem fills the entire uni-
verse, or as the mystics express it:
"There is not any place that is
void of G-d," then both the Spirit-
47
ual and the Material derive their
sustenance from the same soutce.
Yes, even the profane would not
be able to exist one second without
the power of life i t draws from the
G-dly source. Thaefore it follows
that the materialistic world and all
earthly joys cannot be condemned
as stemming from an impure
source; they are merely vessels for
Kedusha. The all-important ques-
tion is: what is our Kavanah as we
enjoy the worldly pleasures? One
can eat, sleep and attend to all his
bodily needs in order to have the
strength to serve G-d and to bring
children into the world for the
self-same PurWse. And one can
eat and cater to all his bodily needs
like an animal, completely divested
of "Y thought, save to satisfy his
lusts and cravings.
Thus the Baal Shem Tov had a
ccmpletely different approach to
the problem of Good and Evil. The
Chasidic interpretation of the verse
in Tehillim 34: 15, which reads:
"Turn aside from evil and d o good,"
is: "Turn aside from evil, V'ahsay
- and make of it - of evil -
good." Therefore man can serve
G-d with literally every fiber of
his being, and still enjoy the sweet-
ness of Olam I-Iazeh.
Furthermore, the Besht believed
that weakening the body through
eating and sleeping little, often
brings on a sadness of spirit which
48 THE BAAL SHEM TOV
he considered a tremendous ob-
stacle to the proper service of G-d.
3. This brings us to another hall-
mark of Chasidus: Joy. "Serve the
L-rd with joy; come before Him
with singing," urges the Psalmist
( 100:2 ) .. ."My heart and flesh
sing out joyfully to the living
G-d," sings the Psalter ( & 1 : 3 ) .
Even if we have failed and sin-
ned, we should not let the Yetzer
Hora plague us with a dejected
feeling of failure and frustration.
Yes, we should acknowledge that
we have erred, do Teshuva, resolve
never again.. . then turn right back
to serving G-d with joy. Chasidus
engenders joy through the use of
stirringly beautiful melodies, during
prayer; through a "farbrengen,"
assembling for good fellowship;
through a Chasidic dance and a
"L'Chaim," in order to raise thc
spirit to heightened appreciatiorl
of: "How happy are we, how good
is our destiny, how pleasant our
lot, how beautiful our heritage.. ."
In a word, how fortunate arc we
to be G-d's chosen people.
4. "The Tzadik is the founda-
tion of the world (Prov. 10:25).
Therefore a Chosid visits his
Rabbe, to be given specific direc-
tion how to progress in Avodas
HaShem . . . to seek his Torah-
inspired advice and blessing in all
rnajor decisions.. .to ask the G-dly
man, who is a living model of
goodness and purity, to pray for
him.. .to share his simchos with
his beloved Rebbe.. .and also to
be given courage and resolution
to bear up when things are not
as he would want them to be.
Finally, a true Chosid is recog-
nized by his appearance and garb.
He usually wears a beard, and
on the Sabbath a Kaftan, to
of kings. . .that his is a unique
member of the elite of the King
.
of Kings.. that his is a uniqbe
way of life, as a member of a
unique sect, of a unique people
chosen by G-d for a unique mis-
sion: to elevate the earthly heaven-
ward. T o the verse (Ps. 115:16),
"The heavens belong to the L-rd,
and the earth He has given to the
children of man," Chasidim add,
"...to make of it (of earth)
heaven."
Yes, a Chosid is different - his
soul and body are aglow with a
fiery lovc of Hasham.. . a love
which has seeped into his veins
and arteries.. . which in turn have
czrrried chis flaming l w e to every
organ of his body. Would that we
could all attain the Chosids joy i n
serving G-d; his love of G-d; his
love of Torah; his love of His
people; and his love of His Mitz-
los. Then would Moshiach most
surely come, spectiily and in our
d,~ys, iirnen.