The Ba’al Shem Tov returned his soul to his Creator on the holiday of Shavu’ot 5520 (1760) in the town of Mezhibuzh in Ukraine, where he is buried. He was 62 at the time of his passing, and it is told that his last words were the verse from Psalms: “Let not the foot of pride come against me.”
However, the departure of the Ba’al Shem Tov only marked the beginning of the flourishing of Chasidut. Students gathered from all neighboring lands to the study hall of the Ba’al Shem Tov’s student and main successor, Rabbi Dov Ber of Mezritch, known as “the Maggid of Mezritch.” There they soaked in the unique spirit of Chasidut and cultivated it. After the Maggid’s departure, each of his senior students was sent to a different region in the lands of Ukraine, Russia, and Poland, and established his own Chasidic court. Each of the students developed the doctrine of Chasidut in his own way and added a hue according to his character and soul’s root. Among the Maggid’s prominent students were Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of Chabad; Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk and his brother, Rabbi Zusha of Anipoli (known as "the Holy Brothers"); Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev; Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak Horowitz, known as "the Seer of Lublin"; Rabbi Aharon the Great of Karlin; and many more. Another notable stream in Chasidut sprang from one of the Ba’al Shem Tov’s descendants, namely Rabbi Nachman of Breslov. Each Hasidic branch has its own character and emphasis, but all of them express the spirit of the Ba’al Shem Tov.
The spirit of the Ba’al Shem Tov also made its mark outside the official Chasidic streams and is noticeable today in Jewish culture as a whole. The recognition that Jewish Divine service is joyful, characterized by much singing and dancing, is a clear mark of Chasidut’s influence on the character of Judaism. The understanding that alongside the observance of halachic commandments, one must do “inner work” also inspired movements outside of Chasidut. Another example is the Ba’al Shem Tov’s approach that one should judge every Jew favorably, even if their actions are externally not “kosher,” which spread beyond the realms of Chasidut (such as to the teachings of Rav Kook).
Chasidut was a revolution that did not break the vessel of tradition but rather filled it with new light, consciousness, and experience. This balance between innovation and conservatism is what has allowed Chasidut to continue and exist to this day and God-willing will enable it to move into the future while other revolutions have dissipated and passed from the world.
