Yahrzeit of Tzaddikim: The Ba’al Shem Tov, zy”a
(Niftar 6 Sivan, Shavuos 5520 (1760))
The Yom Tov of Shavuos marks the yahrzeit of the holy Ba’al Shem Tov, the founder of the derech haChasssidus. We must preface our delving into the teachings of the Rebbe by stating that we have no inkling of the greatness of such a lofty neshamah, and we can only do our part in repeating what the holy tzaddikim said, and thus warm our neshamos by the glow of these teachings, which continue to illuminate our lives centuries after his passing.
Escaping Before the עץ הדעת
In the sefer Beis Aharon (p. 99), it is brought that Rebbe Asher of Stolin (the father of the Beis Aharon of Karlin) said in the name of earlier tzaddikim, “The neshamah of the Ba’al Shem Tov escaped prior to the חטא הדעת עץ, never partaking of the forbidden fruit, his soul never stained by this episode.”
Rebbe Yitzchok of Radvil repeated in the name of his father, Rebbe Yechiel Michel of Zlochev, that the Ba’al Shem Tov learned from the Torah that was given together with the first Luchos.
Since the Kadmonim, There Was No One Like Him
Rebbe Mendele of Vitebsk, a talmid of the Ba’al Shem Tov, wrote to a chassid who implored him for a berachah for children: Your primary request is for children.... The Word of Hashem was in the hands of the Ba’al Shem Tov; he was able to command, and Hashem would fulfill it. He was singular, and since the Kadmonim, there was no one like him.
The Heiliger Ruziner was once asked, “We know that many tzaddikim had the power to give berachos in many areas, and their blessings were fulfilled. Why, then, does Rebbe Mendele attribute this power solely to the Ba’al Shem Tov?” To this, the Ruziner answered:
There are two categories of people in need of a yeshuah. The first are people who, according to their נשמה שורש, are able to have the shefah, but, for whatever reason, there is a blockage in the way of that שפע. In such a case, there were many tzaddikim who could bring a yeshuah.
Then there are instances in which a person is unable—according to his נשמה שורש—to have the shefah, as in the case of Avraham Avinu, whose neshamah was unable to bear children until HaKadosh Baruch Hu altered creation for him.
In such cases, it was only the Ba’al Shem Tov who was able to alter the order of creation and bring yeshuos for Yidden even when they could never attain it through the natural order, ‘because the Word of Hashem was in his hands.’”
Tzaddikim Had Difficulty Believing That He Was Flesh and Blood...
The sefer Siach Zekeinim notes in the name of the Skverer Rebbe zt”l, that one of the talmidim of the Ba’al Shem Tov (presumably Rebbe Pinchos of Koretz) once encountered Rebbe Tzvi, the son of the Besh”t. Upon seeing him, the talmid said, “When I see you, I have no choice but to believe that the Rebbe was a man of flesh and blood. Otherwise, I would believe that he was a Malach who descended to this world to accomplish his mission, and then ascended back up to upper realms.”
A similar remark is brought from the Toldos Yaakov Yosef of Polna’ah (another student of the Ba’al Shem Tov), who said, “If I hadn’t seen the mother of the Rebbe, I would not believe that he is a אשה ילוד, a mortal man....
The sefer Imrei No’am by Rebbe Meir’l of Dzikov states that the Ba’al Shem Tov was born to his father, Rav Eliezer, when the latter was one hundred years of age. This was because the neshamah of the child was so lofty that it was nearly unable to descend to this world. Only after his father had reached the age that he had no connection to Olam Hazeh was this lofty neshamah able to come down through him.
The Holiness Persists to This Day
Many tzaddikim said that the reason such a lofty neshamah was sent down in this era in history was to illuminate the tremendous darkness that prevails in the days of דמשיחא עקבתא, the darkness before the light of Mashiach (Agra d’Kallah, Parashas Eikev; Me’or VaShemesh, Parashas Emor, and others).
One may think that this great light influenced only those who were worthy of receiving it, such as the illustrious talmidim and tzaddikim. But the tzaddikim taught us otherwise: The holy light is relevant to each and every one of us, until the coming of Mashiach—as the Chernobyler Maggid said:
Until the coming of Mashiach, when even the most distant Yid will give a krechtz, a sigh, towards his Creator, [the holy light] will be from the power and the influence of the Ba’al Shem Tov, who illuminated Yiddishe neshamos with the הקדושה כח until the arrival of Mashiach.
Transmitting Torah as at Har Sinai
Rebbe Aizik’l of Komarna repeated in the name of Rebbe Mordechai of Zaslav (a prime talmid of the Ba’al Shem Tov, and his designated chazzan) who testified before the Rebbe Reb Elimelech of Lizensk, that when the Ba’al Shem Tov learned Torah with his holy talmidim, there was thunder, lightning, and the sounds of the shofar—just as at Mattan Torah. These sounds were directly from HaKadosh Baruch Hu and can never cease—however, we must be worthy of hearing it.
When the Rebbe Reb Elimelech heard this, he said: Although I myself did not reach this madreigah, it is no surprise to hear this, because the avodah and the kedushah of the Ba’al Shem Tov was so great, and he learned Torah with the Navi Achiya HaShiloni. Fortunate is a mere mortal who merited this!
Learning with Achiya HaShiloni
That the Ba’al Shem Tov learned with the Navi Achiya Hashiloni is brought in the sefer Toldos Yaakov Yosef (Parashas Balak). We can put this together with what we learn in Talmud Yerushalmi:
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai said that Avraham Avinu will rectify the neshamos from his generation until mine, and I will repair all the neshamos from my time until the end of time. If I alone will not suffice, I will enlist the help of Achiya HaShiloni (Yerushalmi Berachos 9:2).
We see from here that Achiya HaShiloni works together with Rabbi Shimon to elevate the neshamos of Klal Yisrael, and we know that the entire Torah of the Ba’al Shem Tov is based upon the Torah of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, illuminating Yiddishe neshamos and elevating them. In this sense, we can understand how Achiya HaShiloni is the Rebbe of the Ba’al Shem Tov HaKadosh.
�אמן ישראל כל ועל עלינו יגן זכותו
