300th Anniversary of the Birth of Baal Shem Tov

Rabbi Melanie Aron

Friday, September 16, 2011

This Shabbat, the 19th of Elul, is the 300th anniversary of the birth of the Baal Shem Tov, the founder of the Hassidic movement. It is interesting to think that the Hassidic movement preceded Reform Judaism by just 50 years, yet we think of Hasidism’s origins in the distant past and Reform as very contemporary phenomenon. In part this is because of the profound historical developments at the end of the 18th century which changed not only Jewish life but world history, so that 1760, the year of the death of the Baal Shem Tov when his disciples founded a movement, and 1811, the year that the first Reform service was held, seem worlds apart. But actually Hasidism is more similar to Reform Judaism than one might think. Both movements were revolutionary, responding to changes that unsettled the traditional Judaism of their times. Both offered an alternative vision of what it meant to be Jewish and both encountered strong opposition and yet ended up transforming not only themselves, but also, ultimately, the movements that opposed them as well.

Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer, the founder of Hasidism, was born in the Ukraine and as a young boy was orphaned. A different kind of learner, he did not excel in school but preferred to spend time outside. For much of his young adult life he was thought of as a simple man and only at age 36 did he begin to receive any public recognition. At first he was viewed as a healer and miracle worker thus receiving the name Baal Shem Tov, master of the good name. The Baal Shem Tov, often called affectionately by his acronym the BeSHT did not write any books but his teachings are known through his stories and his students who established the Hassidic movement.

With the High Holidays approaching I thought I would take a few minutes to share some stories of the Baal Shem Tov that relate to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

The Baal Shem Tov was the champion of the poor and disregarded. He praised the simple piety that came from the heart and objected to any pretense or formalism.

The community leaders of the Besht’s home town decided to abolish the custom of placing charity plates at the entrance of the synagogue on the day before Yom Kippur. The noise caused by this giving of Tzedakah, they said, interfered with the decorum of the services. The Besht opposed the decision, saying: “The sound of audible tzedakah dispels all unholy thoughts.”

Though in later developments in Hassidism, the rebbe became a very important figure, almost an intermediary between his Hassidim and God, the Besht taught the power of personal prayer.

Said the Besht: “The lion became enraged at his subjects, the animals of the forest. They asked the fox to placate the King of Beasts by relating to him an appropriate fable. The fox replied, however, that fear had caused him to forget his fables. Hence the beasts were compelled to wait on the lion themselves. “In the same fashion on the Awesome days the people of the congregation should not depend upon their Rabbi to pray on their behalf. Each one should do so by and for himself.”

The Baal Shem Tov preached Judaism as a religion of Joy and urged that worship be filled with that spirit. Singing and dancing were a way that even the unlearned could serve their God.

The Baal Shem Tov once came to a certain city on Rosh Hashanah. He asked the inhabitants of the city “who is the reader of the prayers here during the days of awe?” They said to him:” The rabbi of the city”. The Baal Shem Tov asked “How does he conduct the prayers?” They said to him “He chants all the confessions of Yom Kippur with joyful melodies.”
I told another similar story at services a few years ago to explain the upbeat melodies which are customarily used for the confession of sins.

The Baal Shem Tov sent after the rabbi and asked him “Why do you sing the confessions joyfully?” Said the rabbi to him “Lo a servant who is cleaning the courtyard of the king, if he loves the king, is very happy cleaning the refuse from the courtyard and sings joyful melodies for he is giving pleasure to the king.” Said the Baal Shel Tov “May my lot be with yours!”

The Besht is also remembered for his teachings concerning sin and repentance. Unlike later generations where the rebbe was put up on a pedestal, he taught that everyone, even the most righteous, must be careful to inspect their soul as the holidays approach.

Said the Besht: “When a man squeezes wine grapes into a vessel, he must first use a sieve with large holes to strain it. Later he uses a cheese cloth. But no matter how many times he will strain it, some sediment will remain. It is the same with the Zaddik. He must rid himself of his evil inclination and continue to do so his entire life. But there are always a few dregs left over.”

Said the Besht: “One who sees faults in another and dislikes him for them is surely possessed of some of these very faults in his own person. The pure and good man can see only the goodness of others.

We read in Leviticus 19: 17: “You shall not hate your brother in your heart; you shall surely rebuke your neighbor and not bear sin because of him.“ This teaches us: Rebuke yourself first for seeing faults and thus being to a degree impure; then you will not hate your brother but feel love towards him. If you rebuke him it will be in the spirit of love. He will become attached to you, joining the goodness within him to your own goodness, and all his faults will disappear. If he should refuse to listen to you and to admit his fault and abuse you, he shall lose thereby his goodness to you and remain wholly evil.

“Thus through a loving rebuke, either of these two courses is open; both of you shall join in love and both of you shall attain improvement. Or if there is any hatred left, it shall be in his heart and not your own.”

Often the Baal Shem Tov asked riddles, or teased with his Hassidim to teach them some new lesson.

The Besht asked a man: “Why is a fast horse worth ten times as much as a slow one?”
“Because he runs ten times as fast, “ was the reply.

“Yes, but if he loses his way, he loses it ten times as fast.”
Yes, queried the man, not knowing what the Besht would say next.

“Well, but do not forget that when he finds the right road, he makes up for lost time ten times as quickly.”

“When a wise man repents, he attains his former state of righteousness, much faster than the foolish man.”

The most famous story about the Baal Shem Tov and the High Holidays, and perhaps the best known is the story about how one Day of Atonement when the Jews were gathered in the synagogue and all the Rabbis were there, among them the Besht, one ignorant farmer brought his son with him to the services. The son, who could not read a word of the prayers, had with him a whistle which he used ordinarily when watching the cattle. He was very fond of this whistle which he blew on frequently at home. During the Neilah prayer, which marks the climax of the Holy Day, the boy took out his whistle and blew it. The other rabbis were outraged but the Besht jumped up and congratulated the boy and his embarrassed father; God had opened the gates. The Rabbis with all their prayers and their learning could not prevail with God as had the young herdsman in his ignorance, by his simple desire to serve God.

Parallel to that well known story is one last story that I will share- a more complex story on a similar theme:

“In the time of the Besht in a small village with only one Jewish family, there died both parents of a Jewish male child. There was no one to claim the orphan and the village owner took pity on him and reared him. He did not conceal from the boy the fact of his Jewish birth and the lad became interested in Jews and their customs. Once he saw passing through the village a company of Jews with their families traveling towards the city. He was told that it was near the Judgment Day and they were going to pray for a good year. Since he felt no lack of anything this made no impression on him.

When however he saw the Jews again pass through the village a week later and they told him that it was near the Day of Forgiveness when every Jew’s status for life or for death was sealed, the boy thought of the wrongs he had committed that year and wished to pray.

“The boy unpacked the few belongings that he had inherited from his deceased parents, and found among them a thick prayer book. This he took with him, begged for a ride, and arrived in the city. In the synagogue he heard everyone praying tearfully. He was the only person who knew not how to pray. The boy’s sorrowful face caught the attention of the Besht. Knowing something of the boy’s story, the Besht appreciated his plight, and he prayed to God that the boy might receive an inspiration how to act. The boy took the heavy prayer book in his hand, and placed in on the worshipper’s stand, and cried out: “Oh I wish I could pray but I know not what to say. But see I bring to you the entire Prayer Book.” He thereupon bent his head on the stand over the book and wept copiously. His penitence was accepted, and the Besht began to recite the “borechu” with a joyful countenance.

As the holidays approach, may we find the way to pray from our hearts.