Although the Baal Shem Tov lived long after the terrors of the Spanish Inquisition, there were still Marranos in his day, and the punishment for their observance of mitzvot (commandments) remained death.
One Jew of Marrano descent, who succeeded in concealing his Torah observance for many years, was nevertheless discovered and brought to trial. Neither his high government position and connections nor the king's favor were able to free him from the deathly clutches of the Church. He was sentenced to public burning, the infamous auto-da-fe.
Many people, including the king himself, flocked to witness the execution. They crowded around the platform upon which the cruel sentence was about to be carried out.
Suddenly, a loud rumble drowned the voice reading the sentence, and the earth began to tremble. Chaos spread as an unsuspected earthquake sent the people fleeing for their lives. The accused man also fled, and the commotion that followed was great enough to allow him to elude his pursuers until, finally, he was able to cross the Spanish border.
He took up residence in another country and began to practice Torah and mitzvot openly, unafraid. The great miracle that saved his life, however, was a constant source of wonder and contemplation for the man.
"What is the nature of Divine Providence?" he asked many scholars. "Had the earthquake been scheduled from the time of creation to occur precisely at that moment to allow for my escape? Or, was the earthquake a natural phenomenon - and the miracle, that my execution was scheduled at precisely that time?"
Unsatisfied with the responses he received, the man sought out the Baal Shem Tov's opinion on the matter. He traveled to Mezibush and arrived at the tzadik's home just as he was preparing to leave for his morning prayers.
"Come, and we'll go to shul together," the Baal Shem Tov offered. As they walked, they came across a villager leading a wagon of hay toward the marketplace. Shortly afterward, they noticed a man trudging down the road, moaning and groaning about a toothache.
As the man passed them, he neared the hay wagon and eagerly thrust his hand into the stack. Grabbing a straw, he quickly put it into his mouth and picked at the painful tooth. Almost immediately, he expressed relief.
The Baal Shem Tov turned to the man accompanying him, "Now here is an act of Divine Providence! There is a particular straw-like herb called root which is a natural remedy for toothaches. As the man thrust his hand into the straw, he 'chanced' precisely upon that herb.
"It is not that the villager happened to be on the way to the market this day, and today the Alm-ghty planted the root among the hay to benefit the man in pain. Actually, from the beginning of Creation, He foresaw the events to come and planned all the details to coincide with each other.
"In your case as well, from the very beginning of creation, the Alm-ghty designated the earthquake to occur in precisely that place and hour, to save your life."
Reprinted from From My Father's Shabbos Table by Rabbi Yehuda Chitrik.
