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BAAL SHEM TOV STORY
Following the Weekly Torah Reading
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THE TAVERN
KEEPER
"When a man or woman commits any of the sins
against man, acting treacherously against
G·d and that person is guilty . . . " Bamidbar
5:5
Once, there was a tavern keeper named Reb Berel
who ran a tavern that he leased from a Portiz (Polish
landlord), as was the custom in those days. For many
years he made a comfortable living from the tavern.
Then one day, a fast talking, unscrupulous man
named Reb Schmerel from a nearby town, spoke to
the Poritz about letting him take over the lease to the
tavern.
At first the Poritz wouldn't
agree. "After all," he said, "I've known Berel for a long
time and he has always been honest in his dealings
with me."
But Reb Schmerel argued
relentlessly using arguments such as, "My lord, you'll
make much more money because I'll modernize the
tavern and greatly improve the business." Finally, he
convinced the Portiz to take the lease on the tavern
from Reb Berel and give it to him.
After Reb Berel was informed by the Poritz that he was
losing his lease to Reb Schmerel, he demanded that
Reb Schmerel appear before a Bais Din (court of
Jewish law). According to Jewish law, one is not
allowed to steal another's business. But Reb
Schmerel refused to go before Bais Din and just
laughed at Reb Berel. Reb Berel became
despondent, not knowing what to do.
The very next day, an old friend traveling through the
village stopped by the tavern. Reb Berel unburdened
himself and told his friend how a stranger came
and "stole" his lease. The old friend just happened to
be on his way to see the holy Rabbi Yisrael Baal
Shem Tov.
"Listen Berel," he said, "come with me and tell your
story to the Baal Shem Tov. He'll be able to help you
with this problem."
Immediately, Reb Berel packed his bags and went
with his friend to Mezibush to have an audience with
the Baal Shem Tov. When they arrived, Reb Berel
immediately went to meet with the Baal Shem Tov.
Between sobs, he told him the whole story.
The Baal Shem Tov listened intently and then
responded, "Reb Berel, don't worry. Everything will
work out just fine and you won't loose your tavern."
Then the Baal Shem Tov wrote a summons requiring
Reb Schmerel to appear before a Bais Din in
Mezibush. The Baal Shem Tov handed the summons
to Reb Berel and said, "Give him this and go with
mazel."
When Reb Berel returned to his village, he
immediately gave Reb Schmerel the summons
written by the Baal Shem Tov. Reb Schmerel read the
summons and said with a sarcastic laugh in his
voice, "And I suppose you think this Rabbi friend of
yours is going to force me to go to Bais Din!" With
that, he tore up the summons, threw the pieces onto
the ground and walked away.
"We'll see how funny this is," yelled out Reb Berel in
frustration.
So Reb Berel returned to the Baal Shem Tov and told
him how Reb Schmerel had laughed as he tore up the
summons to the Bais Din.
"Don't worry my friend," said the Baal Shem Tov, "He
won't think this is funny for very long."
The very next day, Reb Schmerel had a stroke and
became paralyzed. Everyone in the village knew what
Reb Schmerel had done to get the lease and how he
torn up the summons written by the Baal Shem Tov.
All the villagers believed that his stroke was a
punishment for his actions.
The paralyzed man's wife rushed to the Baal Shem
Tov. "Please Rebbe, pray for my husband. He was
arrogant and is truly sorry for the way he acted and
what he did to take Reb Berel's lease."
"Fine, bring him to me," answered the Baal Shem Tov.
The wife returned home and immediately brought her
paralyzed husband back in a wagon to beg
forgiveness from the Baal Shem Tov. A few of the
Chassidim carried him in to meet the Baal Shem
Tov.
The Baal Shem Tov said, "So what can I do for
you?"
Reb Schmerel said with a contrite voice "Rebbe,
please forgive me for not going to the Bais Din as you
demanded of me."
The Baal Shem Tov pointed his finger at Reb
Schmerel and said, "Do you agree to return the tavern
to Reb Berel, the original tavern keeper?"
"Oh yes Rebbe, yes. I'll return the tavern to him as
soon as I return," answered Reb
Schmerel.
"Fine", said the Baal Shem Tov. "In that case I give
you my blessing that you will have a complete
healing. Tonight, I'll go to the mikveh and pray for your
healing. I hope to see you in Shule tomorrow
morning."
"Oh thank you Rebbe," said Reb Schmerel with a little
scepticism in his voice.
That night, the Baal Shem Tov went to the mikveh.
The next morning when the Baal Shem Tov came to
Shule for the morning prayers, Reb
Schmerel walked up to him completely healed.
"Thank you Rebbe, he said with a sigh of
relief in his voice."
And so it was.
Freely adapted by Tzvi Meir HaCohane
(Howard M. Cohn, Patent Attorney) from
a story in SIPUREI YAAKOV as translated in STORIES
OF THE BAAL SHEM TOV by Y.Y. Klapholtz.
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Sefer Baal Shem Tov
The Baal Shem Tov's Teachings on the Torah
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And G·d spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the
children of Israel: When a man or woman shall
commit any sin that men commit, to commit a
trespass against G·d, and that soul be found
guilty, they shall confess sin which they committed;
and shall make restitution for his guilt in full . . . .
(Numbers 5:5-7)
Whoever fulfills one commandment properly, it is as if
he fulfilled the 248 positive mitzvos. For there is no
mitzvah that does not contain all 248. (Zohar, Raya
Mehemna 145a)
According to the conclusions of the Rishonim, it is
proper for a person to know the mystery of
G·d's unity, because whenever a person
grasps a portion of unity, he grasps all of it. I also
heard this from my Master. Understand it!
Now, since the Torah and the mitzvos
emanated from G·d's essence, which is true
unity, when you fulfill one mitzvah properly and with
love, you become attached to G·d, and grasp through
this commandment a part of His unity. Therefore, you
grasp all of it, as though you fulfilled all the mitzvos, for
they reflect the totality of His unity, a complete
persona, as it were.
Toldos Yaakov Yosef, p. 55b
Translation
and Commentary by Rabbi Dr.
Eliezer Shore
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THE PILLAR OF PRAYER
The Baal Shem Tov's Teachings on Prayer
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Section 122.
I learned from my Master how to know if a
foreign thought derives from the side of Chesed
("Love"), that fell in the Breaking of the Vessels and
now needs rectification and uplifting. Whereas, on the
other hand, there are also sinful thoughts. When
these enter one's the mind, a person should realize
that there are Judgments upon him that want to
punish him. In such a case, he should be extremely
concerned and make a unification between "fear"
and "awe." Then "all the workers of iniquity will
disband" (Psalms 92:10).
Thus, he explained the verses: "And it
came to pass, when [Abraham] approached to Egypt,
that he said to Sarai his wife: I know now that you are
an attractive woman" (Genesis 12:11), and "When the
local men asked [Isaac] about his wife, he said: 'She
is my sister'; for he was afraid to say: 'My wife'; 'lest
the men of the place should kill me for Rebecca,
because she is fair to look upon.'" (ibid. 26:7). For the
fact that they thought about female beauty was a sign
of impending punishment.
Ketones Passim, p. 42d
1 The Sages explain that before these occasions,
neither Abraham nor Isaac recognized their wife's
beauty. According to the Baal Shem Tov, the fact that
these Tzaddikim suddenly becoming attracted to
physical beauty was a sign that there were Supernal
Judgments upon them, as reflected in the Egyptians
and the Philistines who threatened to kill them.
Translation and Commentary by Rabbi Dr.
Eliezer Shore
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THE LIGHT OF THE EYES
On the Greatness of the Baal Shem Tov
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Section 6.
6. "If a person were to come and
tell me, "I saw the Baal Shem Tov build a ladder and
climb to heaven alive, physically, in his clothing," I
would believe him. For whatever they say about the
Baal Shem Tov is possible to believe."
The Seer of Lublin1
1Yaakov Yitzchak of Lublin
(1745-1815)
Translation
and Commentary by Rabbi Dr. Eliezer Shore
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KESER SHEM TOV
Anthology of the Teachings of the Baal Shem Tov
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Section 155
"Then you will see the difference between the
righteous one and the wicked one, between the one
who serves G·d and the one who
doesn't."1
"What is the
difference between the righteous one and the one
who serves G·d, and between the wicked one
and the one who does not serve Him? Rather, [the
one who 'doesn't serve' G·d is also righteous,]
but there is no comparison between the one who
reviews his lesson one hundred times and the one
who reviews it one hundred and one
times."2
The Baal Shem Tov taught3 :
Why should this righteous person, who reviewed his
lessons one time less, be considered as not having
served G·d?
This can be understood with a parable: ["He who goes
around weeping bears a measure of seed, but] he
who comes back with songs of joy carries
sheaves."4
That is, if the foundation of one's Torah study and
service of G·d is for self-interest, then one's
study and service is meaningless, since he is lacking
the One, that is, lacking the intention of serving
G·d, the True One. Therefore, even though
this person is "serving G·d," he is referred to
as not serving Him, because there is no comparison
between the one who reviews his lesson one hundred
times and the one who reviews it one hundred times
with One.5
1Malakhi 3:18.
2 Tractate Chagigah 9b.
3 Toldos Yaakov Yoseph, teachings
following Zos HaBrakhah.
4 Psalms 126:6.
5 And regarding the parable, the one
who always weeps over his distance from G·d
will bear seed, whereas the one who sings joyous
over his perceived closeness to G·d carries
only sheaves (Tzofnath Paneach 37c).
Translation and Commentary by Rabbi
Yehoshua
Starrett
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