Weekly Chasidic Story #756 (s5772-35 / 1 Sivan 5772)

Thunder and Lightning

A few days before the festival of Shavuot, Rabbi Baruch of Medzibush went to pray at the resting place of his holy grandfather, the Baal Shem Tov.

 

Thunder and Lightning

One year, as was his custom, just a few days before the holy festival of Shavuot - the time of the receiving of the holy Torah - the Rebbe Reb Baruch, then living in Tulchin, traveled to Medzibush to pray at the holy resting place of his grandfather, the holy Baal Shem Tov, whose yahrzeit was on the holiday. Reb Baruch completed his prayers at the Baal Shem Tov's gravesite, but he did not also pay a visit as he usually did to his brother, Rabbi Moshe Chaim Ephraim, the rabbi of Sudylkov for several decades and famous as the author of the Degel Machaneh Ephraim, who then, at the end of his life, lived in Medzibuz. Instead, he returned directly home to spend Shavuot with his chasidim and his family.

Immediately after Shavuot, Reb Baruch again traveled to pray at the grave of the Baal Shem Tov. But this time, he did stop to visit his brother, Reb Moshe Chaim Ephraim.

During their conversation, the Baal HaDegel asked his brother: "Tulchiner Rebbe, when you came to our grandfather's holy gravesite before the festival, why did you not call on me as usual? And why did you return again so soon after Yom Tov?"

Reb Baruch answered: "I was told from Above that if I so desired, I could receive the revelation of Torah on Shavuot with thunder and lightning, just as Moshe Rabbeinu (Moses our teacher) and the whole Jewish nation received the Torah at Mt. Sinai. This lightning and thunder was a physical revelation of G-dliness, and I wished to also experience it."

"And so," he continued, "before Shavuot, I went to the graveside and asked our holy grandfather to intercede in heaven so that I be granted the merit and the strength to receive the Torah in such a manner. When I returned to Tulchin, I did indeed receive the Torah on Shavuot with thunder and lightning. But afterwards, I soon found to my sorrow that I did not have the strength to bear such a revelation. Each Jew has his own unique strengths and abilities, unlike any other individual's, and mine, it seems, are in other areas, where I can serve the Creator to the best of my potential."

"So I returned and asked our grandfather to intercede again and have the revelation removed!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Source: Adapted and supplemented by Yerachmiel Tilles from the rendition of Tzvi-Meir Cohn posted on //baalshemtov.com, based on a story in "A Treasury of Chassidic Tales On the Festivals" by Rabbi S. Y. Zevin.
Biographical notes:
Rabbi Boruch of Mezhibuz [1753 - 18 Kislev, 1811] was the son of R. Yechiel Ashkenazi and Adel, the daughter of the Baal Shem Tov. He moved from Tulchin to assume the Chasidic leadership in Mezhibuz, the town of his holy grandfather. He was one of the pre-eminent Rebbes in the generation of the disciples of the Maggid of Mezritch and had thousands of Chassidim.

Rabbi Moshe Chaim Ephraim of Sudylkov [1748 - 17 Iyar 1800 was the son of R. Yechiel Ashkenazi and Adel, the daughter of the Baal Shem Tov. He authored one of the first primers of Chasidic thought, Degel Machaneh Ephraim ("Banner of the Camp of Ephraim"), and thereafter was popularly known as "the Degel." His holy grandfather testified about him that he was a Talmudic genius. He served as the rabbi of Sudylkov for several decades, but then retired to Medzibuz, the town of the Besht, at the end of his life, where he passed away and is buried.

Rabbi Yisrael, the Baal Shem Tov ["master of the good Name"], a unique and seminal figure in Jewish history, revealed the Chassidic movement and his own identity as an exceptionally holy person, on his 36th birthday, 18 Elul 1734. He passed away on the festival of Shavuot in 1760. He wrote no books, although many claim to contain his teachings. One available in English is the excellent annotated translation of Tzava'at Harivash, published by Kehos. Also, translations from Sefer Baal Shem Tov and Kesser Shem Tov can be found on //baalshemtov.com.
Editor's note:
Another version of this story reverses the roles of the two brothers.


 

~~~~~~~~~~~


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.

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.


back to Top   back to this year's Story Index   Stories home page   Stories Archives
Redesign and implementation - By WEB-ACTION