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Baal Shem Tov

Israel ben Eliezer or Yisroel ben Eliezer (1698[2] – 22 May 1760), known as the Baal Shem Tov (/ˌbɑːl ˈʃɛm ˌtʊv, ˌtʊf/;[3] Hebrew: בעל שם טוב) or as the BeShT, was a Jewish mystic and healer who is regarded as the founder of Hasidic Judaism.[4] "Besht" is the acronym for Baal Shem Tov, which means "Master of the Good Name," a term for a holy man who wields the secret name of God.[5]

For other uses, see Baal Shem.

Baal Shem Tov

Yisroel ben Eliezer

1698

22 May 1760 (6 Sivan 5520)

Międzybóż, Kingdom of Poland (now Ukraine)

Ḥanah[1]

  • Tsvi of Pinsk (1729–1779)
  • Udel (1720–1787)

  • Eliezer (father)
  • Sara (mother)

Dov Ber of Mezeritch (1704–1772)

The little biographical information about the Baal Shem Tov comes from oral traditions handed down by his students (Jacob Joseph of Polonne and others) and from the legendary tales about his life and behavior collected in Shivḥei ha-Besht (In Praise of the Ba'al Shem Tov; Kapust and Berdychiv, 1814–15).[6]


A central tenet in the Baal Shem Tov's teaching is the direct connection with the divine, "dvekut", which is infused in every human activity and every waking hour. Prayer is of supreme importance, along with the mystical significance of Hebrew letters and words. His innovation lies in "encouraging worshippers to follow their distracting thoughts to their roots in the divine."[7]

Practices[edit]

The Besht was a mystic who claimed to have achieved devekut ("adhesion"), meaning that his soul had reached the high level where he could "ascend" to heaven and speak with any soul in heaven that he wished to speak to (though his only recorded choice was of the Messiah, and only once), and intervene between humans and God. He had the ability to protect the Jewish community from plague and persecution.[22] He did this through prayer.


According to a letter from the Besht's brother-in-law to the Besht himself—as interpreted by Moshe Rosman— the latter was a practitioner of prophecy, being able to see a messianic figure arrive in Jerusalem despite living far from the city; the brother-in-law claims to have inquired into the figure and discovered the Besht's vision to be true. This claim also supports the supposed belief that the Besht had the ability to see the souls of men, divining the messianic quality of the man despite only seeing him through a vision. Rosman also describes another letter written by the brother-in-law which claims that the Besht could travel to heaven and commune with God. This view is derived from a series of titles given to the Besht, attributing various religious achievements to him such as understanding the mysteries of God. Similarly, Rosman—though now citing the writings of a Polish rabbi—says that it was believed the Besht was a great medical practitioner with vast knowledge regarding salves, balms, and similar medicants. Some aspects of his medical practice are said to have been mystic in nature, though the degree to which this is the case is not agreed upon. Some claim that the Besht could only heal others through prayer and similar acts: recitation of holy words. In other works, he is said to have fewer limitations on his supposed ability, allowing for more mystic methods to be practised.[23]


He ate farfel every Friday night because the word was similar to the world farfalen which means "wiped out, over and finished". He considered the noodles a symbol marking the beginning of a new week.[24]

Baal Shem Tov’s shul reconstructed (as a museum); August 4, 2008

Baal Shem Tov’s shul reconstructed (as a museum); August 4, 2008

Ohel of Baal Shem Tov; August 4, 2008

Ohel of Baal Shem Tov; August 4, 2008

New guesthouse and synagogue next to Ohel of Baal Shem Tov (work in progress); August 4, 2008

New guesthouse and synagogue next to Ohel of Baal Shem Tov (work in progress); August 4, 2008

In Hasidic tradition, there's a saying, "Someone who believes in all the stories of the Baal Shem Tov and the other mystics and holy men is a fool; someone who looks at any single story and says, 'That one could not be true' is a heretic."[26]


According to the Encyclopaedia Judaica the number of legends that are told relating to the Ba'al Shem Tov have 'distorted his historical character.'[25] An anthology of legends about him was first compiled by Dov Baer b. Samuel of Linits, who was the son-in-law of Alexander Shoḥat, who had acted for several years as the Besht's scribe. The collection was copied many times and over time it became filled with errors. It was printed with the title, Shivḥei ha-Besht after Dov Baer's death. It was published by Israel Jaffe who rewrote the first chapter and removed what he considered to be the distortions caused by copyists.


This edition, printed in Kopys (Kapust) in 1814, contains 230 stories grouped by common themes, characters, and motifs. Two editions also appeared in Yiddish that differ markedly from the Hebrew edition.


In the 19th century several further collections of legends about the Ba’al Shem Tov, and his followers appeared, in Hebrew and Yiddish, some of which repeated stories found in Shivḥei ha-Besht and some of which contained new stories. According to the Encyclopaedia Judaica only a few of these stories can actually be regarded as true.[27]


One legend tells that his father, Eliezer, was seized during an attack, carried from his home in Wallachia, and sold as a slave to a prince. On account of his wisdom, he found favor with the prince, who gave him to the king to be his minister. During an expedition undertaken by the king, when other counsel failed, and all were disheartened, Eliezer's advice was accepted; and the result was a successful battle of decisive importance. Eliezer was made a general and afterward prime minister, and the king gave him the daughter of the viceroy in marriage. But being mindful of his duty as a Jew and as he was already married, he married the princess only in name. After being questioned for a long time as to his strange conduct, he confessed to the princess that he was a Jew, who loaded him with costly presents and helped him escape to his own country.[4]


On the way, the prophet Elijah is said to have appeared to Eliezer and said: "On account of thy piety and steadfastness, thou wilt have a son who will lighten the eyes of all Israel; and Israel shall be his name because in him shall be fulfilled the verse (Isaiah 49:3): 'Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.'" Eliezer and his wife Sarah, however, reached old age childless and had given up all hope of ever having a child. But when they were nearly a hundred years old, the promised son (Besht) was born.[4]

(1710–1784)

Yaakov Yosef of Polonoy

of Medzhybizh (~1685–1788)

Ze'ev Wolf Kitzes

Yechiel Michel of (1721–1786)

Zlotchov

(1704–1772) traced to King David by way of Rabbi Yohanan, the sandal-maker and master in the Talmud

Dov Ber of Mezeritch

Pinchas of (1728–1790)

Korets

of Chernobyl (1730–1797) founder of the Chernobyl Hasidic dynasty

Nachum Twerski

Leib of (1725–1812)

Shpola

Rabbi (Kuty), brother-in-law of The Baal Shem Tov (1701–1761); descendant (possibly the grandson) of Shabbatai ha-Kohen ("the ShACh") (1625–1663)

Abraham Gershon of Kitov

(1748–1800) (his grandson)

Moshe Chaim Ephraim of Sudilkov

(1753–1811) (his grandson)

Boruch of Medzhybizh

Meir Hagadol of (1703–1773)

Premishlan

(d. 1765)

Nachman of Horodenka

The Baal Shem Tov directly imparted his teachings to his students, some of whom founded their own Hasidic dynasties.

In popular culture[edit]

In 2019, the American funk quartet The Fearless Flyers released an instrumental single named "The Baal Shem Tov" in honor of the rabbi.[29][30]


Singer Matisyahu's song Baal Shem Tov on the album Spark Seeker is named after him.


He was portrayed by Luzer Twersky in the Ukrainian film Dovbush (2023).

List of Hasidic dynasties

Hasidim and Mitnagdim

Tzavaat HaRivash

Baal Shem Tov family tree

Toldot Yaakov Yosef

Jacob Joseph ha-Kohen

Likutim Yekarim (Likut) — a collection of Hasidic doctrines

The works of Rabbi Dov Ber of Mezeritch

guidelines, doctrines and instructions for religio-ethical conduct

Tzava’at HaRivash

Keter Shem Tov, an anthology of his teachings, compiled mainly from the works of and Likutim Yekarim.

Jacob Joseph of Polonne

Sefer Baal Shem Tov, a two-volume anthology of his teachings compiled from over 200 Hasidic texts, and constituting the most comprehensive collection.

The chief source for the Besht's biography is Ber (Dov) ben Shmuel’s Shivchei ha-Besht, Kopys, 1814, and frequently republished, and traditions recorded in the works of various Hasidic dynasties — especially by the leaders of the Chabad movement.


Tzava’at HaRivash and Keter Shem Tov are anthologies and have been reprinted numerous times. Both texts have now appeared in annotated editions with corrections of the texts. (Tzva’at HaRivash 1975, fifth revised edition 1998; Keter Shem Tov - Hashalem 2004, second print 2008.) These new editions were edited by Rabbi Jacob Immanuel Schochet who also added analytical introductions, notes of sources and cross-references, commentaries, supplements and indices, and were published by the Chabad publishing house Kehot in Brooklyn NY.

The Baal Shem Tov Foundation

Brief biography

— The Testament of Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov translated to English

Tzava’at Harivash

on chabad.org

Baal Shem Tov minisite

Archived 2009-09-26 at the Wayback Machine from Routledge Publishing

Map of the Baal Shem Tov and his disciple’s travels

Thirty Six Aphorisms of the Baal Shem Tov

Jewish Encyclopedia article

on YouTube by Dr. Henry Abramson

Video Lecture on the Ba'al Shem Tov

History of Jewish Community in Medzhibozh

Grave of the Baal Shem Tov in Medzhibozh (video)

Archived 2019-11-17 at the Wayback Machine

Beit Hatfutsot: Heroes - Trailblazers of the Jewish People