Weekly Story by Rabbi Sholom DovBer Avtzon
I would like to share with you the following story and thought that I mentioned in a farbrengen on Thursday, in honor of Chai Elul, the birthday of both the Baal Shem Tov and the Alter Rebbe. The story is taken from my upcoming book, Sippurei Meir, The Stories of a Chossid [Stories that were said by my father, HaRav HaChossid Reb Meir a”h] and the thought is what I heard from mashpiim. Your feedback is always appreciated.
May everyone have a kesiva v’chasima tova, that your wife and children also say it is a good year.
When the Baal Shem Tov would lie down in his room to sleep, his gabbai would read selections of Mishnayos or Zohar at his side.
If the gabbai made a mistake, the Besht—although asleep—would awaken and motion that he should correct himself.
One wintry night, the Besht was very ill to the extent that he could barely move. In fact, his gabbai thought he would have to help him wash negel vasser when he woke up.
Shortly before midnight, the gabbai was startled as he heard footsteps in the Baal Shem Tov’s room. He wondered who can be in the Baal Shem Tov’s room. He didn’t realize that the Besht had suddenly arose from his bed, washed negel vasser, and before the gabbai could investigate, he came out and went over to the bimah that stood next to his room. Pounding on it, he declared three times: “I am healthy. I am healthy. I am healthy!”
He then turned to his gabbai and instructed him to bring him his heavy winter coat and to fetch an ax and torch. “I would like to go and immerse in the river,” he said.
The gabbai was horrified. It was so bitterly cold that the peasants wouldn’t even walk their animals outside. Yet the Besht wished to immerse in the freezing river, despite his present poor state of health!
The gabbai voiced his concern, but the Besht insisted that he was all right. Reluctantly, the gabbai did as he had been told; locating an ax and preparing a torch that wouldn’t blow out easily.
When they arrived at the outskirts of the town by the river, the gabbai began to break the ice with the ax so the Besht would be able to immerse in the frigid waters.
Chopping the ice took longer than expected, and the Besht remained in the mikvah longer than usual as well. As a result, the torch began to flicker and was in danger of extinguishing.
The gabbai was terrified. It was frigidly cold and he was trying to find an excuse to get the Baal Shem Tov out of the river, after all the Baal Shem Tov wasn’t feeling well. Furthermore, if the torch would burn out, the darkness might expose them to severe danger, such as a serious fall or an attack by wild animals. Once again, he voiced his concern to the Besht.
“Take an icicle from the tree and place it in the torch,” directed the Besht. “He who instructs oil to burn will instruct the icicle to burn!” And this is indeed what happened. The Baal Shem Tov remained in the river for a lengthy period of time.
Before the morning, the Besht said: “Know that a special neshamah, one that will illuminate the entire world, has just begun to descend. Just as the icicle’s fire is producing warmth, so will this neshamah warm up those who are presently ‘cold’ to Hashem.”
That night was Yud-Tes Kislev, the day the Alter Rebbe’s neshamah began its descent to this world.
A lesson/thought that can be learned from this story is as follows:
Not only can the warmth of Chassidus, overcome the frigid cold that is prevalent in some places, but furthermore; the icicle itself turns into a torch and lantern and illuminates and warms up those who are in dark and cold. This is seen by countless Shluchim, that with a word, saying or thought of Chassidus, they illuminated the lives of hundreds of thousands of Jews. Additionally, many of these Jews became ‘torches’ – Shluchim themselves. Illuminating and warming up other Jews. Thus the icicle became the torch.
