Joyful Coercion

Joyful Coercion

Regarding the Baba Sali, the expression “to conquer with a strong hand” opens a door to an interesting fact: In the modern world, the concept of religious coercion has become a negative term, far removed from the freedom preached and educated in the West. In contrast, among Baba Sali's followers, there wasn't much concern about coercion or any reticence at the use of the fear of punishment. Baba Sali’s kinsmen recognized that coercion is necessary for dealing with undesirable disturbances originating either with society at large or with the evil inclination, as the individual level (and thus we ask God every day, “subjugate our inclination to serve You”).

For those who follow the pathway of Chasidut, even coercion should ultimately be exercised with joy. On the way to this goal, there are three stages, as our teacher the Ba’al Shem Tov divides rectification into submission, separation, and sweetening.

The Submission, Separation, and Sweetening of Coercion

In Halachic terms, there are two possibilities of coercion, corresponding to the stages of submission and separation. The first is physical coercion—using a physical instrument to coerce behavior. This is coercion in its most literal sense. But there is also coercion with words, which employs different types of verbal persuasion: commands, criticism, or requests.

Physical coercion corresponds to submission. It operates on the assumption that a person's will is inwardly good, but it the evil inclination itself employs coercion to force him to misbehave; the evil inclination needs to be subdued with its own medicine—a strong hand.

Coercion with words is based on persuasion and corresponds to separation—helping the individual intellectually realize the distinction between good and evil, and why life should be spent pursuing the good. The third form of coercion is in line with the Chassidic interpretation of the Talmudic statement “He held the mountain over them like a barrel.” When giving them the Torah, God revealed to the people of Israel such a power of love, that despite themselves, they responded to Him with a loving commitment to accept the yoke of the commandments.

This is coercion that is entirely sweetening.

In the story, Baba Sali uses all three methods: he forces the young man to promise to improve his ways, rebukes him powerfully, and awakens his heart, and it is all infused with sweetness in the end, as he gives him his hand and raises him to his feet.

Thanks to the sweet tzaddikim who know how to sweeten the difficulties of life, the captains of our hearts who walk in the way of the Ba’al Shem Tov, we will soon merit the fulfillment of the creation's purpose “fill the earth and subdue it,” with the immediate arrival of the Mashiach.