The hailiger Baal Shem Tov, zechusoi yagain alainu, was born ח"י אלול in the year נח"ת (1698 -- some say in the year 1700), in the city of Ukop. His father was the tzaddik Rebbi Eliezer ztzuk’l, and his mother was the tzadaikess Sarah, ע"ה.
The Baal Shem Tov revealed himself to the world as a tzaddik on ח"י אלול, when he became 36 years old. He lit up the world with the light of chassidus. He attracted many talmidim גדולי עולם to this light, lions of the generation. Many of these talmidim later branched off and started individual chassidic groups, many of which still exist today.
The Baal Shem Tov learned Torah from Achiyah Hashiloni, the Rebbi of Eliyahu HaNavi. Achiyah Hashiloni [according to the Rambam] came out of Mitzrayim with Bnai Yisroel and learned Torah directly from Moshe Rabbeinu. He was in Dovid Hamelech’s Bais Din. So it is taught in the sefer Toldos Yaakov Yosef, written by one of the Baal Shem Tov’s greatest talmidim.
The Baal Shem Tov knew all the wisdom of the world, as well as the language of animals and birds [and trees]. The sefer Maggid Devorov LiYaakov from Harav Hakadosh Reb Shlomoh Loitzker ztzuk’l writes that the Baal Shem Tov had gilui Eliyahu (Eliyahu HaNavi came to learn Torah with him, as the Gemara says happens to the Gedolai HaDor), and taught his talmid the Maggid of Mezritch the language of birds, trees, malochim, and the Maaseh Merkava (the deepest Kabbalah).
He achieved התפשטות הגשמיות many times (he would remove from himself all (גשמיות, through his יחודים, which means he unified Hashem’s name in the universe. [Meaning that he removed the things that detached some of Hashem’s Influence on this world.] He did this through his דביקות, his attaching himself to Hashem exclusively (as much as a human can in this world).
Tzaddikim spoke of the Baal Shem Tov’s greatness, each one choosing a different aspect of his worship. [The derech taught by the Baal Shem Tov was very complex, and each of his talmidim took at least one aspect or more of it and built up a chassidus with that מדה.]
Reb Mendeleh Vitebsker wrote about him in a letter, “The word of Hashem was in the hand of the Baal Shem Tov, he would decree and Hashem would fulfill it. He was one alone, from earlier generations there were none like him, and in later generations who could compare?”
In Kisvai HaRim of Kozhnitz, we find: “Our tzaddikim of Karlin zechusom yagain alainu say that such a neshomoh like the one the Baal Shem Tov had comes down to live in this world only once in a thousand years.”
In the sefer Bais Aharon (Pirkei Avos, Perek 6) it quotes the Yunger Rebbe as saying in the name of tzaddikim that the Baal Shem Tov had one of the neshomos that left and escaped before the sin of the Eitz Hadaas, and they did not receive any benefit from the Eitz Hadaas at all. [This can also be found in the sefer Shivchei HaBaal Shem Tov.]
The sefer “Lashon Chassidim” writes in the Hakdamah: “Praised is Hashem, who sent us, the lower people of this generation of עקבתא דמשיחא (the times before Moshiach’s arrival), such a great and hailiger neshomoh, a light to all of Klal Yisroel, Moreh Moreinu Harav Reb Yisroel Baal Shem Tov, to bring light to the world and the people who live here (etc.). He brought light to the eyes of Klal Yisroel and to the darkness of the world. Even our Navi’im wondered how Klal Yisroel will be able to hold out during these times. And I give praise to Hashem Who had rachmanus on us and sent us the רפואה through this messenger, our holy and awesome savior, who came down to us from himmel, Harav HaBaal Shem Tov, zechusoi yagain alainu.”
