Baal Shem Tov (בעל שם טוב) — Founder of Chassidism

Core definition

The Baal Shem Tov (Rabbi Yisrael ben Eliezer, 1698–1760) is the founder of the Chassidic movement — in the corpus, the one "sent to this world to reveal the Torah's inwardness" and whose soul "descended to this world to awaken Klal Yisrael from their sleep." The maamarim treat him not only as a historical figure but as a cosmic event: the dawn of the sixth millennium's "morning," the revelation that woke the Jewish people from spiritual fainting [15911/maamar_018 :: Overview; 15911/maamar_018 :: phr. 97, 166–169].

How the Rebbeim develop it

The corpus gives a precise cosmic timetable for his coming. The sixth millennium's first 500 years are "night"; with the year 5500 begins the "morning" — tasting the Shabbos foods before the seventh millennium's feast. The Arizal's revelation (5333) was "nursing" — the third watch of the night. The Baal Shem Tov came to wake Klal Yisrael from fainting: the four sleep-levels are mapped to history — after the Churban, slumber; then deeper sleep; then fainting — and the strong medicines, the devarim chamurim, and the whispered name "Yisrael" [15911/maamar_018 :: Overview]. Before his revelation, Klal Yisrael was in the aspect of fainting; therefore he descended to this world — to give strong medicines [15911/maamar_018 :: phr. 244]. The four rising-times follow the Shulchan Aruch's order of dawn: dawn = 5500 (the Baal Shem Tov — only select individuals woke); sunrise = 5590 (the Alter Rebbe — even low souls woke through Chassidus); and onward [15911/maamar_018 :: Overview].

His mission is stated plainly: "the Baal Shem Tov, of blessed memory, was sent to this world — to reveal the Torah's inwardness" — for "if the Baal Shem Tov's Torah is true, without this they cannot stand" [15911/maamar_018 :: phr. 16, 97]. A sealed saying of Rabbi Pinchas of Karitz, of his students, is quoted: "the Baal Shem Tov's soul descended to this world to awaken Klal Yisrael from their sleep — in the aspect of fainting" [15911/maamar_018 :: phr. 166–169]. In heaven, he is specifically "Baal Shem Tov" — the Master of the Good Name [15911/maamar_018 :: phr. 271].

His teachings are woven through the corpus as living doctrine. The makif of Chayah — which touches the enclothed NaRa"N — is "the secret of sudden teshuvah (the Baal Shem Tov on the supernal proclamations)": unprepared love and awe, prayerful fervor in an eis ratzon, the "mazal" that makes wise and makes rich — the supernal strike that says "Grow" [15911/maamar_003 :: Overview]. His reading of "kol ha'ezrach beYisrael yeishvu baSukkos" (via the Rebbe's father) is a promise: when "in sukkos you shall dwell seven days" in the avodah of naran (nefesh, ruach, neshamah — the inner levels), then the makifim (chayah, the close encompassing; yechidah, the distant encompassing) will dwell in sukkos in inner settledness [15720/maamar_006 :: Overview]. And in the name of the Baal Shem Tov and the Maggid: Lavan chased after Yackov because Yackov left behind him letters of the Torah he had not refined [15911/maamar_010 :: phr. 43].

Of his own spiritual stature the maamarim record: place did not conceal from him at all — what was distant in place he saw in actual sight, not in prophecy — for he purified and rectified place until it was truly nullified, concealing nothing, since it was not in the aspect of yesh at all [15911/maamar_007 :: עב׳ 326–332].

Key distinctions

Related concepts

The Maggid of Mezritch, the Alter Rebbe, Chassidus, the Makif of Chayah, Teshuvah, Sukkos.

Sources