Immersing in the Mikvah on Erev Yomtov:
During the last year of the life of the Baal Shem Tov zy”a (5520), Rav Pinchos of Koretz zy”a came to Mezhibuzh to spend the final days of Pesach with the Besht. Since it was very rainy and the roads were very muddy, it took longer than expected to get there. He arrived in Mezhibuzh right before Yomtov and did not even have time to immerse in a mikvah.
After Maariv, Rav Pinchos went to give shalom to the Baal Shem Tov, and the Besht said to him, “Did you go to the mikvah today?”
He answered that he did not.
The Besht let out a very sad sigh. At first, Rav Pinchos did not know the meaning of this sigh but after a few hours of introspection, it was revealed to him that it had been decreed that the Besht would leave this world, and if he had immersed in a mikvah, the decree could have been annulled through his tefillos.
After this incident, Rav Pinchos would always urge his children and grandchildren to make sure to go to the mikvah before the seventh day of Pesach. He would say, “The Besht’s life depended on this tevilah. Therefore, it is obviously very important and one must be very careful to do it.”
