The 17th of Iyar is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Moshe Chaim Ephraim of Sadlikov, grandson of the Baal Shem Tov, author of Degel Machaneh Ephraim (1748-1800): There is an ebb and flow in man’s prayer life. It is not possible for him always to have the highest motives and conduct himself on the most elevated plane. The two versions are interpreted as referring to prayer but to two different stages, one higher than the other. Both referred to those who pray for the sake of God, not for themselves. One worshiper declares that God’s will, not his own, be done. While he acknowledges that tradition demands that he entreat God to satisfy his needs, he accepts in love that God may not answer his prayers. His service is with out conditioning for reward. It is simply his duty to pray, leaving the rest to God.

The second stage in the life of prayer is still higher. Here the worshiper conditions for no reward. He, too, praise for his own needs, since he is so obligated to do by the tradition, but he does not want his request to be granted. His true desire is always to be in a state of need so that he can come again and again before God to present his petition. The particular things he needs to form only the excuse he has for praying to God. What really matters for him and is the joy of approaching his Maker.

This parable can be given. A man is possessed of a powerful desire to commune with the king, his heart burning in longing for it to happen. The King decreed that who ever presents his requests to him will have them answered. This man, whose desire and longing it is to converse with the King, is apprehensive that, when he comes to present his request, the king will granted and he will then have no further excuse for conversing with the King. He prefers that the king should not grant his request so that he will have good reason for coming again to the king and having once again the joy of conversing with him. (Degel Machne Ephraim; Haftarah Ki Teitzei)

Author Info:
Learn & discover the Divine prophecies with Rabbi Simcha Weinberg from the holy Torah, Jewish Law, Mysticism, Kabbalah and Jewish Prophecies. The Foundation Stone™ is the ultimate resource for Jews, Judaism, Jewish Education, Jewish Spirituality & the holy Torah.

CHAI (18TH) ELUL: Presented by Bentzion of Medziboz:

The birth of the Baal Shem Tov in 5458 (1698). The day his holy teacher Achiya HaShiloni and master appeared to him in 5484 (1724).

The day the Baal Shem Tov became revealed to the world in 5494 (1734).

The birth of the Alter Rebbe (Rabbi Schneur Zalman) 5505 (1745).

HAYOM YOM compiled by Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson o.b.m.

And then there was the time, an a small shtetl in Poland, during the times of bloody pogroms and fierce anti-Semitism, there lived what appeared to be a simple Jew by the name of Reb Boruch, and his wife, Rivka. Actually, Reb Boruch was a Tzaddik nistar (a hidden Saint) and one of the members of a group of Tzaddik nistars that included the Baal Shem Tov. Reb Boruch and his wife Rivkah had been married for some years but had not been blessed with a child. At the prompting of his wife, Reb Boruch traveled many miles in the freezing, snowy winter to reach Medzibush and ask his Rebbe, the Baal Shem Tov, for a blessing. Without pause, the Baal Shem Tov blessed Reb Boruch and his wife that they merit to be blessed with a child, and added the words that the child “should reveal heavenly light hidden in this world.”

Soon thereafter Rivka became pregnant and on “Chai Ellul” – the eighteenth day of the month of Ellul, twelve days before Rosh Hashanah -the same birthday as that of the Holy Baal Shem Tov, Rivka gave birth to a baby boy whom they named Schneur Zalman. On that day, the Baal Shem Tov’s close followers noted the particularly jubilant mood of their Rebbe. He led the daily prayers with deep kavanah (intention), and afterwards a festive meal was held at which the Baal Shem Tov sang lively niggunim (chassidic melodies) and even danced with unusual joy. During the festive meal, the Baal Shem Tov said: “Today a Neshamah Chadasha (a new soul that had not previously occupied a physical body) has come into the world. This soul will illuminate the world by spreading Torah and Chassidus (mystical explanations of the Torah) to sustain the spiritual well being of the Jewish people and will bring closer coming of the Moshiach (Messiah).”

After Yom Kippur, as is the tradition of Chassidim, Reb Boruch visited his Rebbe and requested a blessing for his newly born son. The Baal Shem Tov asked Reb Boruch to keep the news of the birth of their new son secret, and also gave specific instructions for the care and education of their child. In the following weeks, the Chassidim noted that the Baal Shem Tov mentioned the name Schneur Zalman three times during his Torah discourses.

The following year, Reb Boruch again returned to visit his Rebbe for the Yom Tov holidays. The Baal Shem Tov was very interested in the development of young Schneur Zalman, and asked Reb Boruch specific questions about the child. Again the Baal Shem Tov warned Reb Boruch not to talk to others about their son, particularly regarding his apparent intelligence – as is the nature of parents.

The following year, Reb Boruch again came to the Rebbe for Yom Tov and the Baal Shem Tov again asked many questions about the welfare of the child. Before departing for home, Reb Boruch told the Rebbe that G·d willing, on his next visit, when the child would turn three years old, he would bring his Schneur Zalman with him.

On the following Chai Elul, Reb Boruch brought young Schneur Zalman along with mother and his aunt Devorah Leah to the Baal Shem Tov to celebrate little Schneur Zalman’s Upscherinish (the first cutting of a boys hair at three years old). The Baal Shem Tov appeared very pleased at the joyous event. He cut some of the boy’s locks, and then placing his holy hand son the boy’s head, and blessed little Schneur Zalman with the words of the Birchas Kohanim (Priestly blessing).

During their visit, young Schneur Zalman asked his mother who was the “old” man that had been the first to cut his hair. His mother told him he was his Zaide (Jewish for grandfather and the term used until this day by Chassidim when speaking of the Baal Shem Tov). Following the joyous event, the Baal Shem Tov asked the child’s mother and aunt to return home and not to reveal the events of the day.

Later that day of Chai Elul, there was a special gathering of the chassidim in celebration of the Baal Shem Tov’s birthday. The Baal Shem Tov mentioned that the Torah tells us that at three years of age, Avraham Avinu (The Patriarch Abraham, our father) recognized that there was one G·d. The Baal Shem Tov continued, “There is a great Neshamah (soul) in Poland that today reached the age of three years old and has recognized the Creator. He too will undergo Mesirus Nefesh (great self sacrifice) to reveal a new teaching of the holy Torah that will touch the souls of all Jews.

At that time there, was a great Torah scholar named Rabbi Yissochar Dov of Kalbink. The Baal Shem Tov arranged for him to be young Schneur Zalman’s teacher, but asked Reb Yissochar Dov not to tell Schneur Zalman that the Baal Shem Tov had sent him.

Under the watchful eye of the Baal Shem Tov, the young Schneur Zalman flourished in his studies. He later became one of the ‘Chevraya Kadisha’ – The Holy Brotherhood of disciples of the Baal Shem Tov, who would spread the teachings of Chassidus through Eastern Europe, and who would later become known as ‘The Alter Rebbe-the first Rebbe of the Chabad-Lubavitch.

And so it was.

Freely adapted by Tzvi Meir HaCohane (Howard M. Cohn, Patent Attorney) from a story found in Sefer HaToldos and reprinted with the kind permission of the Baal Shem Tov Foundation. Please visit www.baalshemtov.com

Also, write to Bentzion@besht-yomi.org to receive the Teachings of the Baal Shem Tov in your email inbox

Publicize the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov to help

bring Moshiach right NOW!

The following is a summary of the principles that the Baal Shem Tov taught his holy students. This precious text was found in the possession of a grandson of the Baal Shem Tov in Hamburg (copied from the holy handwriting of the Admor Moharash).

1. The entire Torah and the entire world contain nothing but the light of the Infinite One (blessed be He) concealed within them. All the verses that speak of this, such as “there is no other than He” and “I fill the heavens and the earth,” are to be taken literally.

There is no act, word or thought in which the essence of divinity is not constricted and hiding.

And so when you look and see with your mind’s eye, you will see the inner, life-force aspect of everything, not just its outer, superficial layer. You will see nothing but the divine power inside all things that is giving them life, being and existence at every moment.

And when you listen carefully to the inner voice within any physical sound that you hear, you will hear only the voice of God as, at that moment, it is literally giving life and existence to the sound that you are hearing.

2. The “exile of God’s Presence” refers to the life-force and divine power that gives a person life and existence even at the moment that he is transgressing God’s will.

3. The evil inclination and lust are agents of God. They carry out God’s will to mislead a person in order that he will overcome them.

From them, you can learn to be as mighty as they are. Just as they never slacken in their work but are trying to destroy you day and night (because a person always desires what his eyes see and what his ears hear), just as they are happy and delighted to carry out God’s will, it should be as clear to you that God wants you to overcome them until you will conquer yourself and all your desires will be under your control–until you transform them to good.

This idea is alluded to in the verse, “we will take from it [from the flock] to serve God” (Shmot 10:26), meaning that we will take a lesson from the evil inclination to act just as it acts to fulfill God’s will. And a word to the wise is sufficient.

4. Having no [divine] source, evil does not come down from heaven. Nevertheless, evil that exists has an inner power giving it life. And this [inner power] is total goodness. So if you look at the inner aspect of evil, you will only see the good in it.

5. A person has to cling to the words that he speaks. Because each word contains a soul and divinity, when you cling to them, you are connected to divinity.

6. Everything that happens in the world, no matter how insignificant, comes from God. And so do not concern yourself with whether or not what has occurred is in accordance with your will.

7. Neither thinking about the day of one’s death nor the fear of punishment in hell will arouse a person’s heart to serve God. But yearning to cling to the source of life and goodness will do so. And neither fasting nor afflicting oneself will be of any help. But forgetting oneself out of the depth of one’s yearning will do so.

8. Every person in his own right is [essentially] a complete spiritual Torah. If he goes in God’s path, that [Torah] is absorbed into his being, according to his level.

9. When a person prays for something that he needs, he should pray for the divine life-force hiding within that thing and giving it life, which is now suffering because of whatever it is lacking. And so one should ask God to have pity on His life force that is hidden in that thing.

10. God’s Providence extends to all created beings, even to inanimate objects and plants. There is nothing that is not viewed from above in every detail. Everything was made with a particular intent. And a word to the wise is sufficient.
 Kovetz Eliyahu, p. 14

Yaacov Dovid Shulman’s Writings can be found at ravkook.net and jewishlights.blogspot.com

Every letter contains worlds and souls and Godliness. They rise and are connected and join with each other, with Godliness, and then the letters join and are connected together and a word is formed, and they truly unite in Godliness.

And a person must enclose his soul in every one of these levels. Then all the worlds join as one and they rise, causing an infinite joy and pleasure.

Tzavaas Harivash 75

Yaacov Dovid Shulman’s Writings can be found at ravkook.net and jewishlights.blogspot.com