Yehoshua in Lemberg. Whenever the Besht came up in conversation, the Magid would speak disparagingly about him. One day, the Pnei Yehoshua was learning with his students in his yeshiva when the Besht arrived in town. He sent his attendant to tell the Pnei Yehoshua that there was a man sitting outside his bais medrash in a wagon who wanted to speak to him about an important, private matter. The Pnei Yehoshua told the attendant, “I can’t be mevatel the Torah of the rabbim. I can’t go out right now. Tell him to come inside and wait until we finish learning.”
The Besht sent back a message that the matter was so important that he even needed to be mevatel Torah b’rabbim for it. The Pnei Yehoshua went outside and greeted the Besht, and asked what was so important. The Besht told him, “Your shochet is feeding treif meat to the entire city and has been doing so for over 20 years. When you finish learning with your students, send for the shochet and he will admit.”
The Besht then left immediately, before the Pnei Yehoshua could even ask who he was. The Pnei Yehoshua was greatly perturbed by this message. Right after the shiur ended, he called for the shochet, who admitted to everything. The Pnei Yehoshua now realized that the man he had spoken to was the Besht.
A few months later, the Besht returned and again asked for the Pnei Yehoshua to come outside. The Pnei Yehoshua went out immediately and the Besht told him, “The next time R’ Duber (the Magid of Mezheritz) comes to you, tell him in my name that his feet will never be healed unless he comes to see me.”
He again left quickly, before the Pnei Yehoshua could ask his name, and he now knew for sure that this was the Besht. A few months later, the Magid came to visit the Pnei Yehoshua, as he did every year on his way to Karlsbad, and the Pnei Yehoshua gave him the message, advising him to go see the Besht. The Magid made the trip and became a student of the Besht, learning the secrets of the Torah from him.
The Besht told him, “You must go back to Karlsbad one more time.” A year later, he made the trip to Karlsbad, stopping on the way to see the Pnei Yehoshua. He extolled the greatness of the Besht to him, saying that he was like one of the Tannaim. The Pnei Yehoshua asked him, “What happened to all the questions you had on him?”
The Magid answered, “Until now, I thought he was a man, and it is possible to ask questions about a man. Now I know that he is more similar to an angel than a man, and it is impossible to comprehend his essence. Therefore, I have no right to ask any questions about him.”
Reaching Greatness Through Immersion in the Mikvah:
Rav Meshulim Feivish of Zabritch zy”a (Sefer Yosher Divrei Emes, Ois 42) writes that the Besht would say that he merited all his madreigos because he always made sure to immerse in a mikvah every day. This is because a mikvah purifies the body and soul.
Going to the Mikvah is Like a Taanis:
Rav Moshe of Zhvil zy”a said in the name of his father, the Magid of Zlotchov zy”a, that he heard the Besht say: “I succeeded in getting Hashem to agree that when a person immerses in the mikvah in the morning, it is considered by Him to be like fasting for an entire day.”
Fulfilling “El Afar Tashuv”:
The Baal Hatanya zy”a said that the Besht could have ascended to Shomayim while still alive, like Eliyahu Hanavi did, but he chose not to do so because he wanted to fulfill the pasuk (Bereishis 3:19) of “v’el afar tashuv” (you shall return to the dirt).
The Niggun of “Rachamim Rabim”:
The Rashab of Lubavitch zy”a related that he had a tradition that the niggun of the Rav Michel of Zlotchov zy”a was referred to by the Besht as “Niggun Hisorerus Rachamim Rabim.” He said that his grandfather, the Baal Hatanya zy”a, heard from the Magid of Mezheritz zy”a, who was present at the time of the petirah of the Besht, that the Besht asked for this niggun to be sung at that time. When they finished singing, the Besht said, “I give my guarantee that if anyone sings this song anywhere and at any time with a hisorerus of teshuva, I will join them in Shomayim and arouse rachamim rabim.”
Everyone Can Hear Hashem:
Sefer Keser Torah (Parshas Yisro) writes: “I heard in the name of the Besht that if Yidden sanctify themselves to learn Torah and do mitzvos, they can always hear Hashem speaking, just like at Har Sinai.
The Mishnah in Avos (6:2) states that a Heavenly voice rings out every day from Har Chorev and announces, “Woe to the creations because of the disgrace of the Torah.” Sefer Toldos Yaakov Yosef (Parshas Vayikroh) quotes the Besht as asking what the point of this bas kol is if no one can hear it?
He answers that this bas kol does, in fact, affect people. When one is struck with thoughts of teshuva, it is because he “hears” this Heavenly voice. A wise man recognizes that these thoughts come from his neshama hearing the bas kol, and he strains his ears to hear what Hashem wants from him. A fool, however, fails to realize this, and he goes to the bar to drink away these depressing thoughts, rather than acting on them.
In this vein, the Kamarna Rov zy”a (Sefer Heichal Bracha, Parshas Va’eschonon) writes that when the Besht learned Torah with his students, and they would engage in fiery discussions, they would be surrounded by a Divine fire and the Heavenly angels would gather around them. At this time, thunderous Divine voices could be heard declaring, “Anochi Hashem Elokecha!”
May his memory be a blessing for all of Klal Yisroel.
