STORY
THE BA’AL SHEM TOV: SOMETHING ENTIRELY DIFFERENT
I heard from my father-in-law, the Gaon Rabbi Aharon Bernstein of blessed memory, who heard from the holy Rabbi Mordechai Tzvi Shmerler of blessed memory, who heard from the holy mouth of Rabbi David Tzvi Chen (the Radatz) of Chernigov of blessed memory:
The holy Mitteler Rebbe once asked his holy father, the Alter Rebbe, to tell him something wondrous about his holy teacher, the Maggid of Mezritch. He replied that the Maggid was truly a chariot for the Infinite—a Divine chariot. When he would move his right arm, he would raise the right arm, which is the attribute of chesed (loving-kindness) above, and when he would raise his left arm, he would raise the left arm, the attribute of gevurah (might) above!
He asked further: And what, then, was the Ba’al Shem Tov? “Something else entirely!” the Alter Rebbe replied.
[Zichronam Livrachah]
The level of the Maggid, related at the beginning of the story, is no small matter. In fact, the title "Divine chariot" is attributed to the holy Patriarchs themselves! This expression reflects their immense self-nullification to the Almighty. They had no self-will other than God's will, and this will operated in them automatically, without need for conscious thought or any mediation: “If this is the level of the student,” the Mitteler Rebbe wondered, “what is the level of the teacher?”
Indeed, the Alter Rebbe has no words to describe the Ba’al Shem Tov. This is a level that cannot be grasped or comprehended, and one can only perceive sparks of it. Many stories have been told by tzaddikim, and in all of them, the same principle is interwoven: no one has the power to truly comprehend who and what the Ba’al Shem Tov was.
For example, it is told that,
Once on Simchat Torah, the Tzemach Tzedek and his chasidim sat on the synagogue floor and held a farbrengen, drinking vodka in cups. The Tzemach Tzedek spoke about the events that would occur with the coming of Mashiach. The Tzemach Tzedek said: "When Mashiach comes, every homeowner will be like Reb Wolf of Zhitomir (a disciple of the Maggid). What was the level that made Reb Wolf of Zhitomir a homeowner? Every evening he would sweep his courtyard and then close the courtyard gate and stuff paper underneath so that pigs couldn't enter." The chasidim asked the Tzemach Tzedek: "And what will Reb Wolf of Zhitomir be when Mashiach comes?" The Tzemach Tzedek replied: "He will be like the Ba’al Shem Tov." They asked him: "And what will the Ba’al Shem Tov be?" The Tzemach Tzedek said: "Ah, the Ba’al Shem Tov...." And he gestured with his hand as if marveling at his wonder.
The Ba’al Shem Tov’s grandson Rabbi Baruch, who was known for the authority and royalty he conducted, completely nullified himself before the greatness of his grandfather. One of the disciples of Rabbi Baruch of Mezhibuzh was a young man, a Torah scholar and a God-fearing person, who came to Rabbi Baruch to learn Torah and Divine service according to the chasidic ways of his holy grandfather, the Ba’al Shem Tov. He would cling to the dust of his Rebbe's feet and travel with him on all his journeys. Once, when traveling back to Mezhibuzh with his holy rebbe, a thought arose in his mind: How much greater and more wondrous could the marvels and awesomeness of his grandfather, the Ba’al Shem Tov have been, that the whole world praises and extols him? His found it difficult to believe that there could be a man who surpasses his holy rebbe.
As they traveled near the city, the young man needed to relieve himself and descended from the wagon, entering the nearby forest. Rabbi Baruch ordered the wagon to continue traveling. When the young man came out of the forest and didn't find the wagon, he walked to the city on foot. Meanwhile, it began to rain and all his clothes were soaked. When the young man arrived at the city, he entered a house to rest a bit and warm up, and saw an old man sitting and learning Talmud diligently, not noticing the young man's entrance. The young man didn't dare approach him until the old man paused his learning and saw the young man. He asked him, "Where are you from?" He said, "I'm from Mezhibuzh and I was traveling with Rabbi Baruch." The old man asked, "Who is this Rabbi? I don't know him and have never heard of him." The young man said, "Why, he's the grandson of the holy Ba’al Shem Tov." The old man replied, "Indeed, I knew the holy Ba’al Shem Tov well. But his grandson I don't know. Let me tell you how great the power of the Ba’al Shem Tov was. When the Ba’al Shem Tov came to live in Mezhibuzh and everyone rushed to him, I wasn't eager to go because I didn't want to interrupt my Torah learning. Even when I heard people greatly praising his wonders, I didn't want to postpone my learning to go to him.
"Once, on a Saturday night, the heat was very intense, and after I sat and learned, I couldn't bear the heat. I got up and went outside to breathe fresh air. As I walked, lost in my thoughts, my feet brought me near the Ba’al Shem Tov's house. I said to myself, 'Let me go and see this man whose fame is known among the people.' I entered and saw the Ba’al Shem Tov sitting on his chair, surrounded by a group of women telling him their troubles, and he was answering each one.
I said to myself: Now, when a person should be engaged in the midnight prayers and rectifications and Torah study, he's busy with women's talk and vanities?! I left there and passed through his study hall, and entered. I saw a man standing before the ark, lamenting from the depths of his heart in the midnight prayer, the words coming from deep within, with a holy melody and great sweetness. I wanted to see who this man was and looked at his face, and saw it was the Ba’al Shem Tov. I ran back to the Ba’al Shem Tov and found him sitting and engaging with the women as before.
I couldn't believe my eyes, and I ran back and forth from the Ba’al Shem Tov to the study hall. From the study hall to the Ba’al Shem Tov and found him here sitting and dealing with the women, and there standing in the study hall saying the midnight prayers with tears. I was greatly amazed at this sight. And I realized that it is not for naught that they call him the Ba’al Shem Tov.
“After this,” the man continued, “a bad incident happened to me. Every time I said the Shema, an impure image stood before my eyes. This caused me great distress. I took upon myself fasts and abstinences, but they didn't help at all. Against my will, I went to the Ba’al Shem Tov and told him everything that had happened to me. He said to me: ‘If so, take upon yourself one complete fast from Sabbath to Sabbath.’ I went home and did as he said. On Saturday night, I didn't eat anything. In the morning of the first day, when I woke up, the desire for food overwhelmed me greatly. I felt very weak. I thought that there was no way I could keep the fast because the hunger grew stronger from moment to moment. I decided in my mind that I was ready to die. And as soon as I agreed to this in my heart, immediately the hunger left me and I felt satiated as if I had eaten a good meal. And so it was every day. In the morning I was very hungry to the point of death. And when I held back and overcame my hunger, the hunger left me after I agreed to die of hunger. On Friday night I ate the Sabbath meal, and immediately the impure image left me and since then my thoughts have been pure and clean. And I understood that all this was the work of the holy Ba’al Shem Tov and I became very attached to him.”
When the old man finished speaking, the young man understood that his holy rebbe had arranged this situation, so that he would hear from the old man about the greatness of the holiness and wonders of the Ba’al Shem Tov. Rabbi Baruch wanted him to understand that all the wonders he had seen with him did not reach the deeds of the holy Ba’al Shem Tov.
