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The Baal Shem Tov1698-1760

Context and Teachings

Dr Tali LoewenthalUniversity College Londonn.loewenthal@ucl.ac.uk

Context

•The Mystical Tradition•The divisions in Jewish Society

BOOK OF CREATION

“In thirty two wondrous paths of Wisdom,

G-d, L-rd of Hosts, G-d of Israel… engraved.. and

created His world..”

THE ZOHAR

Moses Nachmanides’ (13th cent Barcelona) Commentary on the Torah

Popularising kabbalistic

teachings by including them in a popular

commentary on the Torah

“Book of the Pious”

Sefer Hasidim – by Rabbi Judah

Hasid and mystical pietists

of medieval Franco-Germany

THE TSFAT CENTRE IN THE 16TH CENTURY

R. Moshe Cordovero

“The Pomegranate

Garden”, Pardes

Rimonim

a comprehensive

anthology of Kabbalah

R. Joseph Karo

Maggid Mesharim

- A fascinating mystical diary

by the author of the Code of Law

R. Isaac Luria (Ari zal) and

R. Haim Vital

The “Tree of Life”

Also author(s) of “Eight Gates”

“It is permitted and a duty to reveal this wisdom…”

Rabbi Yitzhak Luria

Popularising the Kabbalah and applying it to daily Jewish Life

• Reshit Hokhmah “The Beginning of Wisdom” – R. Elijah di Vidas (16th cent).

“The Two Tablets of the Covenant” – R. Isaiah Halevi Horovitz (17 Cent)

The Baal Shem Tov (1698-1760)

• “and I asked the Messiah.. When will you come? And he answered: when your fountains burst forth to the outside”

The Baal Shem Tov’s spiritual teachings

should burst out beyond the enclave mystic

circle, to the ‘outside’

Toledot Yakov Yosefby Rabbi Yakov Yosef of Polonoye

Printed in Koretz in 1780

This is the first Chassidic book to be published. It includes numerous quotations of sayings of the

Baal Shem Tov, generally beginning with the words “as I heard from my Teacher” – but the

name of the Baal Shem Tov is never mentioned

Tzava’at HaRivashTESTAMENT OF RABBI ISRAEL BAAL SHEM TOV

AND RULES OF UPRIGHT CONDUCT CONSISTING OF INSTRUCTIONS, RULES OF PROPER CONDUCT,GREAT AND WONDROUS COUNSELS FOR THE SERVICE OF THECREATOR, RELATING TO TORAH, PRAYER AND OTHER TRAITS,

HEARD FROM THE HOLY MOUTH OF THE MAN OF G-D, THE HOLY LIGHT, OUR MASTERRABBI ISRAEL BAAL SHEM TOV

HIS MEMORY IS FOR A BLESSING, FOR THE LIFE OF THE WORLD TO COME

From the First Edition – 1792-3

Keter Shem TovZolkiev 1794-5

• This contains teachings of the Baal Shem Tov collected from the books of Rabbi Yakov Yosef.

• At the beginning of the book is the famous Iggeret HaKodesh of the Baal Shem Tov describing his Ascent of the Soul – aliyat haNeshamah.

The Baal Shem Tov’s view of:

• Creation• Tzimtzum• Divine Providence• The Individual and G-d• The Jewish People

Continuous Creation

• This teaching is explained in Tanya, Part 2, Chapter 1.

• G-d created the world 5770 years ago. However, G-d continuously keeps the world in existence, through a constant stream of Divine energy.

The Baal Shem Tov’s teaching about the

Tzimtzum

The boundless Radiance of the Infinite before Creation

The “Tzimtzum” – ‘contracting’ the Radiance so as to give room

for the worlds

The realm “after the Tzimtzum”

where all levels of world can be

created

Rabbi Yisrael Baal Shem Tov’s Teaching: the Tzimtzum is part of G-d

“like a snail, whose shell is part of itself..”

In effect, this idea deconstructs the Tzimtzum

Divine Providence

Earlier Jewish philosophical concepts of the relationship of G-d with the world:

a) Hashgachah Kelalit – General Supervisionb) Hashgachah Peratit – Particular SupervisionThe Baal Shem Tov paskened that Hashgacha

Peratit applies in all situations.G-d controls every detail in existence, and,

further, that detail is significant for the ultimate purpose of Creation

The Individual and G-d

• Feeling continual closeness to the Divine, in every situation

The Jewish People and G-d

• The need for unity among the different sectors of Jewish society

• The paramount importance of Ahavat Yisrael

Toledot Yakov Yosef

(Koretz, 1780)

byRabbi Yakov

Yosef of Polonoye

First Chassidic Book Published

The central social teaching of the Toledot is the awareness of the rift

between the scholars (‘men of form’) and the masses (‘men of matter’). Only when this rift is

healed and the Jewish people will be unified can it achieve closeness

to the Divine.

Hence the scholars must turn to the masses and recognize their spiritual worth. This means a fundamental

change within the scholar.

Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi (1745-1812)founder of Habad and author of Tanya (1796)

Painting by E.K.Tiefenbrun

Manuscript of Tanya (Likkutei Amarim) in the British Library

Tanya and Chabad Chassidism: Communicating the teachings

of the Baal Shem Tov• Every Jew has a Divine spark within, which prompts

him or her towards observance of Jewish teaching (I:18)

• The essence of the Torah is Ahavat Yisrael, love of one’s fellow (1:32).

• One should love the sinner, perhaps this will help him repent. And if he doesn’t [repent], one has not lost the reward of the command to love one’s fellow. (I:32)

• Through this love, the Jewish people can be unified (I:32)

• This unity will help to bring the Messiah