WHEN THE BAAL SHEM TOV SAID TORAH IN GAN EDEN AND IN MEZHIBUZH

Presented for Chai Elul, the birthday of the Baal Shem Tov.

PART I

Even after the great light of Rabbi Yisroel Baal Shem Tov began to shine forth, not many received him favorably. He started out by dealing primarily with the masses, with many of them going to him and asking him to heal them and save them from their plights. It was only afterward that his tremendous stature in Torah and service of Hashem were revealed and he became known as a spiritual leader of immense greatness. It was recently discovered that in the record books of the town of Mezhibuzh the tzaddik appears as the “Doctor Baal Shem Tov.”

Not surprisingly then, when he went to Mezhibuzh upon being invited by the heads of the community, there were those who did not receive him nicely. Not only the scholars opposed him, but even men of stature who were known members of the society of devout mystics and referred to as Chassidim. Their welcome was not friendly. Among those members of the Chassidic fraternity in Mezhibuzh were R’ Zev Wolf Kitzes and R’ Dovid Furkas.

In general, that period of time following the Sabbatean debacle was extremely sensitive because of charlatans who took the title of “Baal Shem” and fooled the masses. Some of them brazenly used the holy names and so managed to draw the people after them. Aside from that, even if the person was truly righteous, they thought it wasn’t befitting for a tzaddik to use such a lofty title as “Baal Shem.”

One day, an awesome event occurred, upon which they themselves became followers and embraced the great light.

PART II

Isaac was a fine young man, one of the outstanding young men in Mezhibuzh. He always sat in the beis midrash, studying Torah. His avodas Hashem was serious and outstanding. His gentle demeanor endeared him to people too.

Isaac fell sick. His illness grew more serious by the day. He suffered and tossed and turned in his bed. His teachers went to his house to visit him. They sat at his bedside and engaged him in conversation. But since he was in pain, his mind and heart were unable to get involved in the scholarly discussion.

Isaac groaned and coughed deeply. “If only the Baal Shem could visit me …”

They all knew he meant the famous Baal Shem who had come to Mezhibuzh recently and was known to be able to heal the sick and do wonders. His teachers were not pleased with his desire, for they believed in the power of prayer and the segula of a chapter of T’hillim said sincerely, not in strange segulos provided by a Baal Shem who may be a fraud.

Isaac tried to convince them and it was only when they saw that he felt deeply about this and realized that his condition was terminal that they unwillingly agreed to a meeting between their sick student and the Baal Shem. “However,” they stipulated, “whatever he tells you, you must tell us.”

PART III

The Baal Shem Tov’s face lit up when he kissed the mezuza on Isaac’s doorpost. His impressive appearance immediately made an impact on Isaac. The tzaddik entered his room and began to talk to him. Just moments before, one of the boys in the house had managed to hide himself under the bed where he could eavesdrop on what was said.

The gravity in the tzaddik’s expression did not take away from the majesty of his appearance. As they spoke, Isaac realized that his days were numbered and the tzaddik did not have a remedy for his disease. The tzaddik’s talk was very deep and profound. He did not speak of death but of the general rectification of the life of the ill man.

“Although you have many fine qualities, a certain matter (and the Besht specified what it was) still has not been corrected by you.”

Isaac’s face turned pale. Only he knew about this matter that was between him and Hashem which required a tikkun. Isaac realized that his entire life was known to the tzaddik and nothing was hidden from him.

“It has been a long time since I have been waiting for an opportunity to rectify it,” admitted Isaac, “and now, on the threshold of this world, what shall I do?”

The tzaddik considered the matter and then said, “Don’t worry Isaac’l. I will work on your behalf so that this matter won’t hold you back. I promise that you will enter Gan Eden.”

Isaac was at peace. He accepted his judgment with love.

Before the Baal Shem Tov left, he ordered him not to reveal anything to anyone, even with a hint. Then he walked out.

A few hours later, his teachers returned to hear about the visit of the wonder worker. They wanted to know whether the rumors about his segulos were true and what they were like.

Isaac refused to say anything. “I promised to keep it a secret,” he said. They became more suspicious.

Then the mischievous lad who had hidden under the bed appeared. He reported what had transpired and left out nothing. The rabbis looked at the patient in astonishment. They had never heard such “heavenly” talk.

“Is this true?” they asked.

Isaac nodded.

Confusion filled their hearts. True, they were impressed by what the Baal Shem had said, someone before whom all the paths of heaven are revealed. What person has knowledge as to who will live and who will die, who will enter Gan Eden and who won’t? They asked for an oath that after Isaac passed away, he would tell them what happened to him so they could know whether the Baal Shem had been correct.

PART IV

Not long after, the people of Mezhibuzh attended the funeral of Isaac who had died in his prime. The cries of his widow were heartrending and the young voices of his children the orphans were heard when they said Kaddish.

A few days went by before Isaac appeared in a dream to the rabbis of the beis midrash. His face shone. He said that when he had risen above, they had judged him fit to enter Gan Eden, for all his life he had spent in learning Torah and in prayer and in fear of G-d. Two angels led him to the gates of Gan Eden and ushered him in.

“Since the angels did not show me to my place, I wandered from place to place in Gan Eden. I looked for an empty seat and sat down but I was soon asked to vacate it since it belonged to some tzaddik. I kept moving and for a long time I was lacking tranquility. I was very upset for I did not understand why I wasn’t given a seat.

“I then saw that the heavenly retinue was heading toward one chamber. I followed them. Since I was distracted and exhausted, as soon as I entered the new chamber, I went ahead and sat down at a big table. But here too, I was pushed out of my place. I was grief-stricken.

“Then I saw the Baal Shem Tov sitting among everyone and saying deep divrei Torah. He asked a difficult question and asked the heavenly yeshiva to answer it. They tried but could not provide a good response. He finally gave a wonderful answer” – as he told this, Isaac repeated the question and the answer that were taught in Gan Eden.

“Then everyone went back to their original places and I remained with the Baal Shem Tov. I bitterly asked him why I had been allowed to enter Gan Eden when I did not have a place. The tzaddik told me, ‘Because you made an agreement and did not abide by it.’

“I immediately remembered my promise to you that I would come and tell you what happened to me in the supernal realms. So I am here in a dream and this is what happened to me.”

PART V

That Shabbos, two new guests attended the third Shabbos meal that took place in the Baal Shem Tov’s shul. The tzaddik sat at the head of the table with his face aglow with holiness. Around him sat his ardent disciples, the members of the holy brotherhood. There were also many “ordinary” people present.

During the meal, the tzaddik asked a difficult scholarly question and asked his disciples to provide an answer. Since the two guests already knew the question, the same question that had been asked in Gan Eden as the deceased Isaac had told them, they also knew the answer which they repeated.

The tzaddik looked at them and said somberly, “I know that Isaac the deceased told you what happened.”

From then on, R’ Zev Wolf Kitzes and R’ Dovid Furkas joined the Baal Shem Tov’s other disciples and became his Chassidim.

(Sources: HaBesht HaIsh V’Soraso; Shivchei HaBesht; Yachid B’Doros of R’ Y Alfasi)