The Yeshuos Moshe of Vizhnitz related how the Zaslover Chazzan who served as the chazzan for the holy Baal Shem Tov, arrived one erev Shabbos in Lizensk to spend Shabbos with the author of the Noam Elimelech.
Reb Melech’s talmidim were unsure of what to do: Should they honor the chazzan with the amud, allowing him to daven kabbalas Shabbos, or would this upset the holy rebbe’s kavannos and disrupt his devotions? Their hesitation was soon to become irrelevant when the rebbe, Reb Melech himself, honored the chazzan to lead the tefillos and begin kabbalos Shabbos.
“Please for the sake of the Baal Shem’s honor, would you be our chazzan?” asked the Rebbe Elimelech.
Rav Mordechai agreed.
The chazzan stepped up to the amud flanked by a choir that would accompany his melodious tefillos. As soon as the tefillah commenced, however, Rebbe Elimelech could not hold back. With great reluctance, the rebbe interrupted the chazzan and choir, “Please, I am sorry—it’s just too much!” complained Rebbe Elimelech. “I cannot contain the dveykus this brings on!”
The Yeshuos Moshe of Vizhnitz paused in telling of the tale to explain that the rebbe, Reb Melech couldn’t withstand it because “it opened up for him new vistas in the supernal realms, so much so, that the great light that came from it was too strong to absorb!”
“After kabbalos Shabbos,” continued the Yeshuos Moshe, “Rebbe Elimelech drew the Zaslover chazzan close but asked him to please not daven for the amud in Lizensk anymore.
“On Motzaei Shabbos as the Zaslover chazzan took his leave, the rebbe, Reb Melech asked him to relate some story about the holy Baal Shem Tov. The chazzan spoke of the Baal Shem’s love and awe in serving Hashem and specifically how his soul would experience an aliyas neshama – a state in which he would wander around supernal realms just we move around here below!”
“The Zaslover continued, ‘Another aspect of the Baal Shem Tov’s purity in avodas Hashem is his recitation of Hallel. We know that ordinarily, when we recite the Hallel HaGadol, each verse is recited by a specific angel. When the Holy Baal Shem Tov recited Hallel HaGadol, he waited first to hear how each malach recited each pasuk; only then would he himself repeat each pasuk after the angels had said them! ‘”
