CHASSIDUS BS'D
DERECH HaBAAL SHEM TOV
Ahavas HaShem, Ahavas Yisroel, Ahavas HaTorah
THE WAY OF THE BAAL SHEM TOV
Love of G-d, Love of fellow Jews, Love of the Torah
Note: A '*' next to a word indicates that it is translated/explained
in the glossary at the end. Three '*' (* * *) in the text indicates a
break between two sections. A single '*' (*) indicates a separation
between different teachings on the same subject. Anything found
between '[' and ']' are my comments and do not appear in the source
material. Everything else is from the original as is cited at the end
of the article.
Acherei Mos/Kedoshim
I. Actions matter
1. 'Do not turn to the fortune tellers and mediums.' (V'yikra* 18.5)
I heard [the following teaching] in the name of the holy man of G-d,
Rebbe* Yakov Yitzchok Z'L* of Lublin. The word 'fortune tellers'
[Heb. Ovos] is similar to the word meaning 'desire.' As it says '[And
HaShem*] did not desire...'[Heb. avo] This is a remez* for those
people who are satisfied with themselves because they have a desire
to serve HaShem.
[The word] 'medium' [{Heb. Yidonim} is similar to the word meaning to
know.] These are the people who know the way [to serve] HaShem. But
this is only with their thoughts and not with actions. However it is
not sufficient to just have the desire, or the knowledge of how to
serve HaShem. One needs to do the actions. He should be on the level
of 'His actions are more then his understanding.' (p. 98 sefer Avnei
Zichoron teachings of Rebbe Yakov Yitzchok, the Chozeh of Lublin.)
* * *
II. The heart matters
2. 'You shall observe My decrees and My judgments...' (V'yikra 18.26)
You should see what I have said [elsewhere] with regards to the
ending verse of the Torah*. The verse ends with the letter 'lamed',
[the last words being] 'In the eyes of all Israel.' And [the Torah]
starts with the letter 'beis', [with the word] 'In the beginning.'
[Heb. Bereishis] This [spells out the word] 'heart.' [Heb. lev As
Chazal* teach] 'The Merciful One desires the heart.'
The main thing [in the service of HaShem] are the thoughts in ones
heart and not the actions alone. As Chazal teach us, 'Two people are
eating their Passover offering. One is eating it to fulfil the
mitzvah* of eating the Passover sacrifice, and the other eats it to
stuff himself. The one who eats it to fulfil the mitzvah of eating
the Passover sacrifice the verse says, "The tzaddikim* follow them."
The one who eats it to stuff himself the verse says, "The wicked
stumble in them." Even though they are both doing the same action.
They are both eating the Passover sacrifice after they are already
satisfied from their meal. However, their thoughts are not the same,
and the main thing is the thoughts of the heart.
It says in the fourth chapter of Pirkei Avos*, 'Rabbi Eliezer ben
Yakov said, 'He who does one mitzvah acquires one defender.' The
Bartenura* explains that it means he gets an angel who relates good
things about him.
The meaning is that an angel is created from the mitzvah that he has
done according to the greatness of the enthusiasm he had when he did
the mitzvah. This is the life that the angel, who was created from
his doing the mitzvah, has. If he does the mitzvah without any
kavanos* and intentions in his heart, then the angel is a body
without a soul. (p. 245 sefer Orach l'Chaim teachings of Rebbe
Avraham Chaim of Zlotchov.)
* * *
III. Source of holiness
3. 'You shall be holy because I, Hashem your G-d, am holy.' (V'yikra
19.2)
We can explain this verse according to the teaching that appears in
the Talmud*, 'There are three partners in [the birth] of a person,
The Holy One Blessed is He, his father and his mother.' It is
explained there that the portion of HaShem is the nashamah* that He
has placed in him. The portion of the father and mother is the
physical body of the person.
This is what HaShem says: 'You should be holy because I am holy.' The
meaning is that [your holiness comes] from the portion that you have
which is from Me. You nashamos were stored under the Throne of Glory,
and it is pure with all manner of purity. Because of my portion you
should have no fear [that you will not be able to be holy.]
Only, 'Each person should fear his mother and his father.' [This
means that] each person should have fear because of the portion that
comes from his father and mother. That is his physical body, which
draws him to all kinds of evil desires. With this portion you need to
serve [HaShem] and watch [over it, so that you will not come to sin.]
(p. 116 sefer Ner Yisroel. Teachings of Rebbe Yisroel of Rizhin and
his descendants. This is from Rebbe Yisroel of Rizhin.)
* * *
IV. Being prepared for holiness
4. 'You shall be holy because I, Hashem your G-d, am holy.' (V'yikra
19.2)
[The word] 'Holy' [Heb. kedoshim] is a word which implies [a need
for] preparation. (As Tosephos* explains with regards to the word
'mekadeshos', where he explains that the word means to prepare.)
This means that a person always needs to be prepared to be a vessel
to receive holiness from HaShem. [This is] 'Because I, Hashem, am
holy. The meaning of this is that HaShem [is saying that] he is
prepared and waiting all the time to bestow holiness and all types of
good things. However what is holding this back is [that] the one who
will receive [it is not prepared.]
This is similar to what we learn from the story of the Rebbe Reb*
Elimeilech ZY'A*. He asked in heaven, why it was that they did not
answer [our prayers?] They sent him to go to the Maggid* of Mezritch
(who at that time was already in the world of truth.) [He went and
asked] why it was that they did not answer [our prayers all the time.
The Maggid] answered that from above no evil descends into this
world, G-d forbid. Only all types of good things descend to Israel.
[The problem is that] when it comes down below [to this world] the
one receiving it turns it into evil.
For this reason the Torah commands, 'You shall be holy.' You should
attempt to be prepared to receive the good that comes down below and
not cause damage to it by making it turn evil, G-d forbid. (p. 116
sefer Ner Yisroel. Teachings of Rebbe Yisroel of Rizhin and his
descendants. This is from Rebbe Avraham Yakov of Sadagura.)
* * *
V. No one will be lost
5. 'Don't let the land spit you out for having made it impure, as it
spit out the nation that was there before you.' (V'yikra 19.2)
My grandfather [Rebbe Mordechai Yosef of Izbitza] said from this
verse there is a promise from HaShem to Israel that not a single soul
from the Jewish people will be lost G-d forbid.
The explanation is as follows. [The word] 'land' is a remez for the
midah* of 'the kingdom of heaven', that, as the Zohar* says, 'has no
eyes.' This [concept] teaches us the idea that appears in the Talmud,
'The one who steals a measure of wheat and plants it in the earth, it
is proper that it should not sprout.'
The meaning is that the main point behind the 'sprouting' is the
trust that a person has in the Eternal. [Because of this] he plants
his seeds. This is the meaning of what Chazal teach. The one who
steals a measure of wheat and plants it, shows that he does not have
trust [in HaShem.] If he would have had trust in HaShem he would
understand that one person cannot touch what has been prepared for
his fellow. He would not have stolen. From his stealing, we see that
in truth, he did not have faith. For that reason it should not have
sprouted.
[The only reason why it grows is because] the world goes according to
the nature it was created with. This means that because the land
'does not have any eyes' to observe what goes on in it's depths it
[allows the seeds] to sprout well. For if it had eyes to see what
occurred in it's depths it would see that this [planting] did not
come from trust in HaShem. Even though it might appear that it was
done with faith in HaShem, that is not the case.
Similarly we find [it was the case] with the Kittim*. The verse says,
'They did not know the decrees of the god of the land, and he sent
among them lions and they are killing them.' Because they didn't have
a trace of service [to HaShem] the land was not able to bear them and
the lions came to bring destruction among them. Afterwards when one
of the kohanim (priests) went among them and taught them the decrees
of the god of the land then the lions stopped destroying them. [This
was the case] even though they were not sincere. [As Chazal said]
they found a figure of a dove on Mount Gerazim [where they
worshipped.] They continued worshipping idols even after they
outwardly changed. Even with this the land was able to bear them
because they were serving, even in an insincere manner. Even though
they were still serving idols the land did not feel this, since the
land had no eyes.
This is the meaning of the verse, 'Don't let the land spit you out
for having made it impure, as it spit out the nation that was there
before you.' HaShem is promising to the Jewish people that if they
would go to the land and they would bring 'eyes' to the land, then it
would be called, 'The land that HaShem your G-d watches over
continually, the eyes of HaShem are on it...' This means that also
the land will feel in it's depths [what is going on] and it would
have eyes [to see] who is serving HaShem in truth. Not a single soul
of the Jewish people will be lost because in the depths of the heart
of a Jewish person it is filled with desire and service [to HaShem.]
Even though we see from time to time that this [desire] is hidden in
the Jewish people. It is only a garment. [It appears that way] but
in the depths of their hearts they are called 'Israel' and they are
pure.
This the land also understands, so that even if we see occasionally
in the Jewish people impurity and hiddenness. This is only a garment.
In their depths they are bound to the light of the desire of HaShem.
That is the meaning of 'Don't let the land spit you out...' Not a
single soul of the Jewish people will be lost. (p. 117 sefer Tepheres
Mordechai, teachings of Rebbe Mordechai Yosef Eluzer of Radzyn.)
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Glossary:
Bartenura: Jewish commentator on the Mishnah.
Chazal: Hebrew initials for: Chochmenu Zichrona Levaracha (Our sages
of Blessed memory) Used to refer to Rabbis of the Talmud
HaShem: Noun used in place of G-d. Lit. The Name
Kavanah(Kavanos): Hebrew word for 'intention'.
Kittim: Name used by the Rabbis for the Samaritans.
Maggid: In Europe this was a person who would give sermons on moral
subjects. Many of the first Rebbes was Maggidim (pl. of Maggid).
midah(midos): A character trait, either good or bad.
mitzvah(mitzvos): One of the commandments of the Torah.
Moshe Rabbeinu: Hebrew for Moses our teacher. A common Jewish way of
referring to Moses.
nashama(nashamos): Hebrew word for soul.
Pirkei Avos: A Tractate of the Mishnah
Rebbe: Leader of a Chassidic group or a teacher
Rebbe Reb: A title added to a few special Rebbes as a sign of their
higher spiritual stature.
remez: A method of Biblical interpretation based on finding hints
in the Torah for various concepts.
Talmud: An ancient work of Jewish law.
Torah: a. First 5 books of the Jewish Bible
b. Also refers to the whole of Jewish law
c. also common term for a chassidic teaching
Tosephos: commentary on the talmud by the talmidim of Rashi
Tzaddik (Tzaddikim): lit. Righteous. Another name for a Chassidic
Rebbe.
V'yikra: Hebrew for the book of Leviticus
Yetzer: lit. Inclination. It is Jewish belief that every Jew has both
an evil and good inclination within him, that are at 'war' to see
which of them the person will follow.
Z'L: Hebrew initials of the words: Zechorono LeVaracha (His memory is
a blessing.)
Zohar: Hebrew/Aramaic Rabbinical Kabbalistical work that is one of
the most important sources for Kabbalah, and was very influential
with Chasidim
ZY'A: Hebrew initials for Zechiso Yugan Aleini, His merit should
protect us
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Copyright (c) 1997 by Moshe Shulman (mshulman@pobox.com)
All rights reserved.
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