| Sayings Attributed To The Baal Shem
Tov |
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| 1. Every single
things one sees or hears is an instruction for his conduct in the service of
G-d. This is the idea of spiritual service - to comprehend and discern in all
things a way in which to serve G-d. |
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| 2. When one
hears an uncomplimentary report about another Jew, even if the listener does
not know the individual referred to, the listener should be very deeply pained.
Either what is being said about the individual is true and the talebearer is
spreading gossip (albeit true), or it is not true and the talebearer is
spreading false gossip. In both cases, the talebearer is acting outside of the
bounds of the Torah. |
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| 3. It is
written, "For you [Israel] shall be a land of desire." Just as the greatest
scientists will never discover the limits of the natural resources which the
Almighty has placed within the land, neither will anyone ever find the limits
of the great treasures which lie within Israel - G-d's "land of
desire." |
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| 4. The Baal
Shem Tov's love of a fellow Jew was beyond imagination. His successor, the
Maggid, said: If only we could kiss a Torah-scroll with the same love that my
Master kissed the children when he took them to school as a teacher's
assistant. |
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| 5. "Love your
fellow like yourself," is an interpretation of and commentary on "Love the
L-rd, your G-d." He who loves his fellow Jew loves G-d, because the Jew has
within himself a "part of G-d Above." Therefore, when one loves another Jew, he
loves G-d as well. |
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| 6. The Baal
Shem Tov was very fond of light, and said, "Oar (light) is the numerical
equivalent of raz (secret). Whoever knows the 'secret' in every thing can bring
illumination. |
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| 7. Love of the
Jewish people is love of G-d. "You are children of G-d, your L-rd;" when one
loves the father, one loves the children. |
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| 8. One must
have total self-sacrifice and dedication for love of one's fellow, even towards
a Jew whom he has never seen. |
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| 9. A soul may
descend to this world and live seventy or eighty years, in order to do a Jew a
material favor, and certainly a spiritual one. |
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| 10. First and
foremost on the path of one's spiritual service is to draw close even the
simple folk, for one must love a Jew simply because he is a Jew. |
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| 11. G-d's love
of each and every Jew is infinitely greater than the love of elderly parents to
their only child born to them in their later years. |
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| 12. The three
loves, the love of G-d, love of Torah, and the love of one's fellow, are indeed
truly one. |
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| 13. A sigh
offered by a Jew because of the pain of his fellow Jew, breaks all the
impenetrable barriers of the "accusers." The exultation in the joy of his
fellow Jew and the blessings offered him, is as dear to G-d and accepted by Him
as the prayer of Rabbi Yishmael, the High Priest, uttered in the Holy of
Holies. |
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| 14. "You must
aid it" - Purify the body, refine it, but do not break it by
mortification. |
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| 15. "Seek peace
and pursue it" - One must seek and pursue means of making peace and
establishing harmony between materialism and the G-dly life-force that
vitalizes it. |
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| 16. "Slander
kills all three" - the inventor of the slander, the one who relates it, and the
listener. This is all in spiritual terms, which is more severe than spiritual
murder. |
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| 17. "In the
beginning, Elokim (G-d) created heaven and earth." - The "beginning" of divine
service lies in revealing divinity (Elokim) within heaven and
earth. |
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| 18. One must
cleave to the letters and words of Torah and prayer. This will protect the
person and his entire extended family, enabling them to receive from G-d all
their necessities. |
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| 19. Cleaving to
G-d is the master-key that opens all locks. Every Jew, even the most simple,
possesses the ability to cleave to the words of Torah and prayer, thereby
achieving the highest degrees of unity with G-d. |
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| 20. The simple
true faith of a Jewish man or woman that finds expression in their recitation
of Psalms, is the most exemplary degree of cleaving to G-d. It arouses G-d's
Divine mercies and provides comfort to the one who recites these holy words in
a spirit of oneness with G-d. |
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| 21. There are
two forms of repentance, that of Rosh HaShanah and that of Yom Kippur. The
former is more general in nature, involving acceptance of the Divine Yoke. The
latter is more specific: to enumerate one's misdeeds, to be cleansed of them
and become purified. Both, however, depend on the person's prior soul-searching
during the preceding month of Elul. |
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| 22. "An angel
of G-d appeared to Moses in a flame of fire amidst the thorn bush." Simple folk
- the 'lowly' thorn bush - within whom is found the "flame" as they are
spiritually aglow, have an unquenchable thirst for G-dliness, Torah and its
commandments. |
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| 23. "Moses
said, "Let me move from 'here,' to come close to 'there.'' Even a completely
righteous an individual like Moses is not to be content with his past spiritual
achievements; he, too, must constantly ascend from "here" to
"there." |
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| 24. "For all
iniquities" - How does a Jew, with an intrinsically holy soul, come to throw
off the Divine Yoke? For he has an inclination for evil as well. It cools his
ardor for holiness; it makes him desire and covet all things; and it soils his
garments of thought, speech and action. Giving the evil inclination free reign
can ultimately result in losing everything - even one's natural spiritual
inclination and standing. |
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| 25. "Do not
hate your brother in your heart." - He who hates a Jew, if only in his heart -
even if his hatred does not bring about any harm to the fellow, and even if he
doesn't speak ill of him - transgresses a negative command. |
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| 26. "The earth
shall rest as a Sabbath to the L-rd." - Give 'earthiness' a rest; permeate it
with the Sabbath of spirituality and holiness. |
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| 27. "These are
the journeys of the Jewish people upon their departure from Egypt." Just as the
Jewish people went through forty-two journeys in the desert after leaving
Egypt, every Jew goes through forty-two personal journeys in their life. They
begin with the "exodus" at birth, then continue through the many way-stations
through life, and conclude upon reaching the promised celestial "Land of Life."
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| 28. "You shall
establish three 'Cities of Refuge.'" - We all possess three personal "Cities of
Refuge": our sacred thoughts, speech, and deeds. |
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| 29. There are
two degrees in the study of Torah, Torah of the mind and Torah of the heart.
The mind cogitates, comprehends and understands; the heart feels. … I have
come to reveal Torah as it extends to the heart as well. |
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| 30. "Hear among
your brethren." - He who has sensitive spiritual "hearing," and consequently is
able hear how greatly G-d loves each and every Jew and how they are all
precious to him, understands the true greatness of the Jewish
people. |
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| 31. "Hear among
your brethren." He who has sensitive spiritual "hearing," is "among your
brethren" - he is connected and bound up with each and every Jew and delights
in them all. |
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| 32. "You shall
love the L-rd your G-d, with all your heart, soul and might." The critical
point of this commandment it to consider with one's thought and intellect on
those matters that lead to love of G-d; the results are not the root of the
commandment. |
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| 33. "You shall
speak in them, while sitting at home, while going along the way, when you lie
down, and when you shall awake." Speak in a manner that the words permeate "in
them." This will be efficacious to your "sitting at home" - refining and
elevating your personal sparks of holiness; "going along the way" - refining
and elevating others and the world as a whole. This is of major import "when
you lie down" - at the time of one's demise; "and when you shall awake" - at
the time of the "Revival of the Dead." |
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| 34. Tishrei,
first month of the Hebrew year, is blessed by G-d Himself, on the Shabbat of
Blessing, the last Shabbat in the month of Elul. With this power, Israel
blesses the other months eleven times a year. |
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| 35. It is
written, "You stand this day." This day refers to Rosh HaShanah which is the
day of judgment (as it is written, "The day came," which Targum renders, "The
day of great judment came)." Yet you remain standing firmly upright, meaning
you will be vindicated in judgment. |
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| 36. Tishrei,
the first month of the Hebrew year, is itself sated - and in turn satiates all
Israel - with an abundance of good for the duration of the coming
year. |
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| 37. "Conceal
shall I conceal My face on that day." A twofold concealment, wherein the
concealment itself is concealed. So great is this concealment, that one is not
even aware of the concealment; one may even come to think of the darkness as
light. |
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| 38. The love
G-d has for every Jew extends not only to the Jew's soul but also to his body.
G-d loves all Jews without distinction; the greatest Torah genius and scholar
and the most simple Jew are loved equally by G-d. |
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| 39. G-d loves
the greatest Torah scholar no more than he loves the most simple
Jew. |
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| 40. "G-d,
remember what has happened to us; observe and behold our shame." "Enable us to
behold our shame," by removing our blinders of self-love and conceit that
prevent us from seeing ourselves as we truly are. |
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| 41. "And when
you spread forth your hands I will conceal My eyes from you … - your hands
are filled with blood." - Even when you spread forth your hands and give
charity unstintingly to a pauper, if you are lacking total empathy for that
person's plight, G-d considers it "spilling of blood." One must have sympathy
for his fellow's predicament. |
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| 42. "Blessed is
the man who trusts in G-d, for G-d will be his security." The first part of the
verse refers to man's trust that his sustenance truly emanates from G-d; he
places his trust not in the "vessel" (the means to receive the blessing) but in
G-d's blessing. "G-d will be his security" refers to man's trust that the means
for his sustenance is also provided from above. |
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| 43. "Shall a
man conceal himself in hidden places and I will fail to see him?" Should "a man
conceal himself in hidden places and I," i.e., he retains his ego, his "I,"
then, says G-d: "I will fail to see him," G-d, as it were, will not see
him. |
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| 44. Jews exist
by virtue of G-d's sustenance. What sustains Him? David responds in Psalms: "He
'sits'" - that is to say, He is sustained - "by the praises of Israel." G-d is
sustained by the words of praise that Jews extol Him for their health and
sustenance. For these words of praise, G-d recompenses us with children,
health, and ample sustenance. |
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| 45. "Do not
forsake me in my old age." Prevent me from ever allowing the T5rah to be
thought of as aging and becoming old. Torah should always be felt to be
entirely fresh and new. |
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| 46. "Fortunate
are the people who know the sound of the shofar blast; G-d, they walk in the
light of Your countenance." Praise G-d that the entire nation Israel knows the
shofar blast that sounds their engaging the evil inclination in battle. Indeed,
this is why the Jews all "walk in the light of Your countenance." |
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| 47. "Man goes
out to his work; his labor [to be done] by evening." Every soul sent down by
G-d into this world has a mission to accomplish - "his work.". This mission is
considered the soul's work and labor, for it was for the purpose of
accomplishing this task that the soul was sent to this world. "His labor [to be
done] by evening "- the task must be accomplished before it is too
late. |
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| 48. "Those who
go down to the sea in ships." This refers to the soul that descends in order to
be clothed in a physical body, which is likened to the sea. For just as the
waters of the sea conceal all that is within it, so does the corporeal body
conceal the G-dliness of the soul. |
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| 49. "G-d is
your shadow." Just as a person's shadow entirely mimics his actions, so does
G-d, as it were, entirely reciprocate our deeds. |
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| 50. "Though
your beginning was insignificant, your end will flourish exceedingly."
Insignificant and inauspicious beginnings are often crucial for the person to
"flourish exceedingly" in the end. |
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| 51. "Who alone
performs great wonders." All that G-d does can be classified as "great
wonders." Most wondrous of all these wonders that He alone is cognizant of
this. |
