|
Weekly Chasidic Story #982 (s5776-54 / 16 Elul 5776) Greater than Resurrection I saw the Baal Shem Tov perform wonders, but that ability did not interest me; I sought to see remarkable levels of sanctity. Connection:Seaonal - Chai Elul: 318th anniversary of the birth of Israel Baal Shem Tov
Greater than Resurrection
Once,the chasidic masterknown as "the Baal HaToldos," Rabbi Yaakov Yosef HaKohain of Polnoye (one of the three main disciples of the Baal Shem Tov), told his son-in-law, Rabbi Avrohom Dov of Chmelnik, "As you well know, I was not always a follower of Rabbi Yisrael, the Baal Shem Tov. I'd like to tell you the story of how I became a chasid of the man I once so strongly opposed. "For many years, I had heard much about the Baal Shem Tov. I heard that he could perform miracles, heal the sick and interpret dreams. Honestly, these reports did not surprise me. After all, if the Al-mighty wishes to heal one who is sick, or enlighten one with spiritual insight, He can do so to any person, for no reason whatsoever. But I wanted to learn more about the great piety that his followers spoke, and of his scholarship in all areas of Torah knowledge -- the revealed and the hidden. Perhaps this was a man of great spirituality, and so I decided to find out for myself if that was true. "I traveled to Mezhibuz, the home of the Baal Shem Tov, and stayed for several weeks. During that time, I actually did see the Baal Shem Tov perform wonders, but as I said, that ability did not interest me and I never expected to deny his supernatural powers. In truth, I had come to see remarkable levels of sanctity. So throughout that time, I carefully observed his daily behavior -- in prayer and Torah study -- but I saw nothing that could be considered extraordinary. "I therefore assumed that he concealed his piety. So I resolved to remain in Mezhibuz longer, hoping to somehow observe the Baal Shem Tov during times when no one else had. "One day, a villager came to the Baal Shem Tov weeping bitterly. His son was critically ill and had been bedridden for the past week. Could the Rebbe please come and visit him? The Baal Shem Tov agreed and immediately asked that his carriage be prepared for the trip. Then, to my surprise, the Baal Shem Tov invited me to accompany him. "When we arrived at the villager's home, we were offered some refreshments after our long trip. Suddenly, the villager's wife rushed in screaming that her son was in the throes of death. I looked expectantly at the Rebbe but he did not seem disturbed by the situation. He had not even yet seen the boy. Seeing that the Baal Shem Tov was unmoved, she returned to the boy's room crying. "Soon thereafter, the boy's mother returned to the dining room sobbing bitterly - her son had died. As I am a Kohen, I quickly stepped out of the house, since it was forbidden for me to remain under the same roof with a corpse. While I stood outside, I looked through the window and saw the Baal Shem Tov rise from his chair and enter the boy's room. After several minutes of silence, he opened the door and said to the boy's mother: 'Bring some soup for your son.' Then the Baal Shem Tov returned to his seat to finish his meal. "Since it appeared the boy was alive and there was no longer any reason for me to remain outside, I returned to the dining room. I was greatly impressed by this exhibition of reviving the dead, but this was still not what I sought from this man who was reported to be such a holy person. I had yet to see an indication of the Baal Shem Tov's piety that might induce me to accept him as my Master. "By the time we left the village, it was dark. Our carriage drove into the night along a path that led through a forest. The trip should have taken no more than an hour but after two hours of traveling with no civilization in sight, we realized that we were lost. It was past midnight of a Thursday evening. The Baal Shem Tov knew that if he did not soon find the way to Mezibush, he would be forced to transgress an extra strictness he had taken upon himself of not traveling on a Friday, not even in the morning, in order not to chance desecrating the Shabbos. The Baal Shem Tov stopped the carriage, stepped down, and wandered off into the dense forest. I quietly followed at a short distance. The Baal Shem Tov wandered in a circle for a few minutes and then prostrated himself on the ground. "'Ribono Shel Olam (L-rd of the world),' he cried, 'You know that all that I do is for Your sake and to glorify Your Name on earth. You know that I have made a personal oath not to travel on Fridays to not to risk profaning the holy Shabbos. If I am forced to break this pledge, it would be for me as if I profaned the Shabbos itself, G-d forbid. Please, beloved G-d of mercy, have pity on me and save me from violating my promise. Direct me on the right path home and enable me to return before daybreak ....' The Baal Shem Tov then cried bitterly for some time, pouring his heart out in devotion. "It was then that I saw that this man was truly a tzadik - a perfectly
righteous man who feared G-d from the depths of his being. At that moment, I
no longer doubted that his piety was genuine. "After I had had time to contemplate what I had seen and heard, a deep remorse took hold of me. How had I dared doubt the greatness of such a man? I was so overcome with a desire to beg forgiveness; I rushed to the Baal Shem Tov's study. Before I opened my mouth, the holy Baal Shem Tov smiled and said, 'I know what you have come for. Let me answer you in the words spoken by the Almighty to Moshe Rabbeinu - 'Solachti Kidvorecha' - You are forgiven according to your word.'" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To receive the Story by e-mail every Wednesday--sign up here! A 48 page soft-covered booklet containing eleven of his most popular stories may be ordered on our store site.
FLASH! "Saturday Night, Full Moon" by the first of 3 books by Yerachmiel Tilles, the Ascent storyteller, featuring 33 of his best stories, is now
available for purchase--through ASCENT-in-Safed
or the publishers
|
|
Yerachmiel
Tilles is co-founder and associate director of Ascent-of-Safed, and chief editor
of this website (and of KabbalaOnline.org). He has hundreds of published stories
to his credit, and many have been translated into other languages. He tells
them live at Ascent nearly every Saturday night.