How to become the Baal Shem Tov!

...I have received from my Master that the main point of {the study of} Torah and prayer (1)is for one to connect to the inner spiritual and infinite light (2)that is {to be found} within the letters (3) of Torah and prayer, for this is what is known as lishmoh (4), {“for Her sake”}, and its about this {kind of study} that R’ Meir said {Avot 6:1}: “Whoever studies Torah for Her sake, merits many things {vechulu} and the Torah's secrets are revealed to him vechulu” meaning to say (5) that he {who studies in the above manner} will know the future and all {about} his destiny from within the Torah and he will {also} know how to conduct himself in {the study of} Torah and in serving God asides for seeing worlds of the upper {realm}, and many like these {spiritual gifts bestowed upon the one who studies so} I have heard from my Master and the words of the righteous a charm

TYY 25a

This is the Besht’s formula for direct access to God! By animating the letters and connecting to their very essence and source, we can enter a world of magic and access the supernatural.

The Mishneh {ibid.}, that this teaching is based upon, has no short list of rewards for the one who studies Lishmoh:

he is worth the whole world: he is called friend, beloved: loves God, loves mankind: pleases God, pleases mankind. And it clothes him with meekness and fear, and fits him to become righteous, pious, upright and faithful: and removes him from sin, and brings him toward the side of merit. And they enjoy from him counsel, and sound wisdom, understanding, and strength...And it gives him kingdom, and dominion, and faculty of judgment. And they reveal to him the secrets of Torah; and he is made, as it were, a spring that ceases not, and as a river that flows on increasing. And he becomes modest, and long-suffering, and forgiving of insult. And it magnifies him and exalts him over all things

There is something new here, however, and it is of immense significance: in the traditional pre-Beshtian Judaic world where Torah Lishmoh was understood to be one’s studying for the right reasons/intentions, the whole concept was limited to Torah scholars, the ones who study.

The Besht who re-defined the term to mean ‘reciting words of Torah with the intention to connect to the divine force contained within the letters’- made Torah Lishmoh possible to even a common illiterate person, and with it its world of magic.

The actual meaning of the words, not only of prayer but also of Torah, have become irrelevant in a Beshtian world (7). It mattered not to understand what one utters- but the passion and intention with which he utters them. Study had become a recital to be be expected to carry its reciter to pure bliss. Both prayer and study are mantras to facilitate reaching ones inner core, God, the source of all life and bliss. To reach that core, all one needed to do is praying with intention to connect to God, with the understanding that God is to be found within the sound and shape of every letter uttered.

Here is how it goes down, in the words of the Master himself:

...yet this (8) I shall inform you : God will be at your aid , before God shall be your path, never depart from it especially in the Holy Land: At the time that you are praying or studying: with each word and uttering of your lips, you should intend to unify there for in each and every letter (9) there exists {1} Worlds {2} Souls and {3} Divinity and they rise, connect and unite with one another, and then the letters connect and unite and become a word and unite a complete a union within the Divine. And you should unite your soul with them, and with each and everyone of these aspects. And all the worlds shall unite as one and rise up causing happiness and great pleasure to no end. {you can understand this by} your understanding of the happiness of groom and bride {which is} in katnus and gashmiyus, all the more so when Union occurs on such an exalted level. Certainly God will be at your aid and wherever you turn you will be successful and wise. Offer advice to the wise and s/he will add to {this} wisdom {Prov. 9:9}

from the Letter {of the Besht to his brother in-law R’ Gershon of Kitev, printed at the end of BPY {100a}.


Mans relationship with the divine can be understood by observing its miniature mirror: man’s relationship with his mate. They are always married and constantly looking out for one another, but in addition there exists special moments. (The moments justify the trials and pains that always come hand in hand with any meaningful relationship).

So too, the Besht teaches, everything contains the divine and the divine is forever present in all and everything. This is true all of the time, but the times of prayer and study are set apart for actual union with the divine ( as mirrored in our earthly interpersonal unions).

In the only other surviving authentic letter of the Besht, he prescribed this specific type of study for depression and it is addressed to none other than our R’ Yakov Yosef, the author of TYY:

To my beloved, beloved of my soul, the Rav, the great light, Ayin”Hei Pei”Hei (10), famous in piety, complete sage, the wonderful who does wonders (11), who is attached to the inner walls of my heart, closer than a brother he is to me, our teacher Yosef the Kohen. I have recieved your letter (12) and I took one look on the two upper rows and there it said that your highness speaks as if he must fast and my insides angered at the calling voice and I {now} add by decree of the angles {Dan. 4:17} accompanied by the Holy One Blessed Be He and His Shechina that should not enter into such danger, for this {i.e. fasting} is a thing of depression and sadness and the Shechina does not appear not through sadness {but} only through the happiness of good deeds {B. Talmud Shabbat 30b}, as is known to you the things that I have taught him many times, and they should be close to your heart. And regarding {the} flow {? “se’eefei”} of your thoughts that bring you to this, i shall advise you, and God will be with you, mighty man of valor {Judges 6:12}: each morning during his studies he should connect to the letters in complete connection to the service of his creator blessed be he and blessed be his name and then the “judgements” will be sweetened at their roots and the judgements will lighten from him (13). And from thine own flesh hide not thyself {Isaiah 58:7} God-forbid to fast more than is obligated {by Halacha} and from what is needed and if you shall heed to my voice than God will be with you and with this I will shorten {my letter} and say farewell. from me who looks out for your wellbeing always, signed Yisroel Baal Shem Tov

First printed in ShHB 6c (PBST 49)

Many reasons were given, throughout the ages, as to how the Besht got to such amazing spiritual heights(14), but here- it appears to humble me- the Besht gives us his secret. This teaching is all what one needs follow in order to be a Besht.

The following is from the will and testament of R’ Meir Margolis, respected author of Meir Netivim, friend and disciple of the Besht:

when one merits to understand and to cleave to the holy letters, he is able to understand- from the letters, literally- even the future...and from my youth, from the day that I have known- with attachment of love with- my Master the Rav our teacher HR”R Yisroel May his soul be bound in the bond of {everlasting} life {I Samuel 25:29}- I have known with certainty that this was his ways in holiness, purity, continence and wisdom. a Zaddik lives by his faith {Habakkuk 2:4} those who are hidden you reveal to them, the honor of God is hiding things

SYB 6b

Generally speaking, the Besht wishes us to do at least as good as he did:

I have heard from my Master ZLHH...that from the point of being an eye it would have been appropriate to see from one end of the earth to another, and an ear would have been appropriate to hear the announcements up above. It is only that our sins separate {us from tuning in} since the soul is in exile of the evil inclinations and three {layers} of ORLEH Husk surround {ones} sight and hearing {abilities}. And {one} must break {through} these husks and then he will be able to hear and see. And my Master ZLHH will prove the case who saw from far away and heard the {heavenly} announcements as was confirmed to be true {or, ‘exact’} and if so {that the Besht could see and hear} we see that it is entirely possible to listen and to hear as mentioned above

ZP 18D (15)



Bibliography:
TTY = Toldot Ya’akov Yosef Rabbi Yakov Yoseph of Polnoye (Koretz, 1780?).

ZP = Tzofnat Pane’ah. Rabbi Yakov Yoseph of Polnoye (Koretz, 1782).

BPY = Ben Porat Yosef Rabbi Yakov Yoseph of Polnoye (Koretz, 1781).

KP = Ketonet Pasim. Rabbi Yakov Yoseph of Polnoye (Lvov, 1866).

DM = Divrei Moshe, Moshe Shoham of Dolina. (publication place lacking, 1801).

SYB = Sod Yochin U’Boaz,

OT = Or Torah, Dov Ber of Mezrich (Brooklyn, 1973).

LY = Likutim Yekorim, Dov Ber of Mezrich (2nd edition, Lemberg, 1792).

SBST = Sefer Baal Shem Tov. Compiled by Shimon Menahem Mendel of Goverchov. (Lodz, 1938).

ShHB = Shivhei ha-Besht. (Kopys {Kapust}, 1815)

PBST = In Praise of the Baal Shem Tov, translated and edited by Dan Ben-Amos and Jerome R. Mintz (IUP, 1970)

Notes:
(1) BPY 46b “The concept of cleaving {“deveikus”} to Him, may He be blessed, is {to do it} through the letters of Torah and prayer. One should connect ones thoughts and inner experiential dimension to the inner spiritual realm of the letters, {in the spirit of} the secret {meaning of the verse Cant. 1:2} Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth – the cleaving of ones breath to the Divine Breath - as I heard from my Master {regarding the verse [Psalms 68:14]} 'When you lay yourself down between the lips {the Besht changes its meaning from ‘wool-cloths’ to ‘lips,’ both ‘Sefatayim’ in Hebrew} vechulu {you will shine}’ I have written about this elsewhere” See Also DME 4c and 73c
(2) See TYY 25a and BPY 46c, in the name of the Besht, on the evolution of letters


(3) As to how the light arrived in the letters, see TYY 88d

(4) Also mentioned in TYY 3d; 151c.

(5) So, the Besht besides for explaining the concept of ‘lishmoh’ also seems to be explaining the meaning of “the Torah's secrets are revealed to him” by a broader definition of “the Torah's secrets” one that would include knowledge of the future, destiny and of how to live in the present “besides of seeing worlds of the upper {realm}.”

(7) See DME 89b who heard from the Besht “that the letters are without commentary”; MDL 2a; Nefesh HaChaim {R’ Chaim of Vilozin} 2:13, 2:16 (on a side note: though R’ Chaim was considered to be the principle disciple of the Gaon of Vilneh- he was strongly (and secretly) influenced by Chassidism. Introducing Beshtian style prayer to the Lithuanian Jewish world- is proof of that: the Gaon in his letter against chassidim and chassidism points out "and their prayer too is an abomination, {the chassidim are} saying "godforbid {for one} to focus {“lechaven”} on the meaning of the words, and {that} to focus on the words is {as one who has} foreign thoughts" {wilensky, I 39}).

(8) This follows the Besht mentioning that he “heard there” ({in the Chamber of Moshiach}) other teachings, and says that he asked but was refused permission to share that knowledge with his brother in law R’ Gershon. It is entirely unclear whether the gist of the letter is that the Besht heard this “there,” but unlike the other teachings, this he was permitted to share with his brother-in-law; or, since he was denied permission he wanted to impart some knowledge {not “heard there”} that might be helpful. It would reasonable to say that it was something new the Besht picked up “there” in 1747 ({the The letter mentions that these teachings took place on Rosh Hashoneh 5507, within months of R’ Gershon’s arrival in Israel}), as this would explain how R’ Gershon was not aware of this basic teaching of the Besht?! R’ Gershon must have already been en route to Israel by the time the Besht received this new teaching.


(9) even if it is not words of prayer see ZP 60B “I have heard from my Master ZLH”H that there are unifications in speech, whether in speech of Torah {study} and prayer or speaking with his friend in the market, and one could unite and raise {i.e. transform} everyone according to his level. One through holy speech and one through common talk that contains the 22 letters vechulu”
Also, the Besht’s words at beginning of this letter, “before God shall be your path and never depart,” seem to imply that this method applies to more than just prayer and study time.
I do not recall if the Besht speaks about whether its possible to do the above even if it is not in the Hebrew language. It is implied, however.

(10) possibly “amud HaTorah” {pillar of Torah} and “Pe’er HaDor” {The beauty of the generation}.

(11) PBST 49 translates it as “performer of miracles”

(12) GY”H {“Gushpankat Yodoy HaKedosheh,” the writing of your holy hand}

(13) “judgements” is a Beshtian term for all that is not seemingly great. For using this method for “annihilating judgements” see also TYY 201b “I have also heard from my Master that when one sees that he has judgements against him, than he should study in the morning with unifications and passion, that he should unify himself to the inner infinite light that is within the letters”; TYY 24b “ his thoughts should be connected to Him blessed be with unifications and passion in the light of the face of the Living King, the light that is within the letters, and understand that this is a major principle in Torah {study} according to what I have received from my Master. It is also helpful to do so to annihilate judgements as I have heard from him”
(14) See ZRV 4d “Our teacher was told by his soul that the merit enabling him to have supernal matters revealed to him was due not to his having diligently studied the Talmud and Codes, but because his prayers were always with great concentrated-intention [Kavvanah]. It is this that brought about his sublime level” {See SBST 64b who takes “our teacher” to be the Besht, I for one would argue that the Great Maggid of Medzirich is intended- but about that on another occasion}; LY 15b “they said about R’ Yisroel Bal Shem that he merited all the revelations and {high} levels that he had, everything was {given to him} because he consistent in Mikveh {“teviles”}”

(15) Another account of this thought is given by the Besht’s grandson, the Degel {DME 48b}: “it says {B. Talmud, Chagiga 12a} {with} the light that was created in the six days of creation Adam was able to see from one end of the earth to the other but God set it aside for the righteous of every generation. and I have heard from my Master, my grandfather ZLLH”H {“}where did God set it aside in the Torah{“ Zohar 1:264a}, that through the Torah one could see from one end of the earth to the other” and 1d “as I have witnessed many stories... and many more like these that the page is too small to contain- that he saw from one end of the earth to the other and everything was through that light that is hidden in the Torah”
one cannot help but notice a major difference in tone between the versions: the Toldos is trying to get us to do do the same, so he explains that since the Besht could do it, so could we. The Degels’s version, however, is aimed at glorifying the zaddik, and is presenting it (almost as a reward from god for good behavior)
Also, there is an account of this story in ShHB 25d (PBST: 193) a little more elaborate than DME.