The Ba’al Shem Tov initiated a revolution in Judaism: a spiritual renewal movement that breathed new life into the worship of God. It can be said that we, all of us, constitute the tenth generation of Chasidut. The notion that we are the tenth generation invites us to transcend the boundaries between the different Chasidic streams and return to the source of the Ba’al Shem Tov’s spirit.
It is said that in the era when Rabbi Yisrael Baal Shem Tov was born, the exile’s hardships were so severe that the entire Jewish people seemed to be in a state of stupor. Decrees, persecutions, and pogroms weakened the Jewish people, making their lives difficult, painful, and poverty-stricken. If these were only physical afflictions, it would be bearable; but the hardships of exile penetrated deep into the hearts of the Jews, manifesting as a spiritual exile—a disconnect between intellect and emotion and soul. People still studied Torah and performed mitzvot (commandments), but the service of God largely became a matter of “by rote”—a routine habit dictated by the mind but lacking inner vitality and emotion. This internal disconnect between the intellect and the heart was reflected outwardly and manifested in Jewish society as well. A social gap was created between the learned scholars who felt superior to the simple Jews, alienated from them, and disparaged them. They saw the simple Jews as those who could not enter the gates of Torah.
Yet, even in a state of stupor, the famous verse from the Song of Songs “I am asleep, but my heart is awake” holds true: The soul’s root is not asleep but merely imprisoned, waiting to be discovered and set free. And how do you awaken someone from their stupor? A known remedy is to whisper their first name in their ear, directly touching their essence. This is why the soul of the Baal Shem Tov, whose first name was Yisrael, was sent down from heaven; his very birth was akin to whispering the name “Israel” into the people’s ear, to awaken them from their stupor.
