In Praise of Baal Shem Tov

386 Pages·1976·16.08 MB·English

by  Jerome R. Mintz

IN PRAISE OF
THE BAAL SHEM TOV
[ Shivhei ha-Besht ]
The Earliest Collection of Legends about
the Founder of Hasidism
TRANSLATED & EDITED BY
Dan Ben-Amos & Jerome R. Mintz
A JASON ARONSON BOOK
ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD PUBLISHERS, INC.
Lanham • Boulder • New York • Toronto • Oxford
A JASON ARONSON BOOK
ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD PUBLISHERS, INC.
Published in the United States of America
by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
A wholly owned subsidiary of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706
www.rowmanlittlefield.com
PO Box 317, Oxford, OX2 9RU, UK
Copyright© I 993, 1970 Dan Ben-Amos and Jerome R. Mintz
First Rowman & Littlefield edition 2004
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,
without the prior permission of the publisher.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Shivhe ha-Besht. English.
In praise of the Baal Shem Tov = (Shivhei ha-Besht): the earliest
collection oflegends about the founder ofHasidism I translated &
edited by Dan Ben-Amos & Jerome R. Mintz.
p. em.
Legends compiled by Dov Baer ben Samuel ofLinits.
Previously published: Bloomington : Indiana University Press,
1970.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 1-56821-147-3
I. Ba' al Shem Tov, ca. 1700-1760-Legends. 2. Hasidim-Legends.
3. Legends, Jewish. I. Dov Baer ben Samuel, of Lin its. II. Ben
-Amos, Dan. Ill. Mintz, Jerome R. IV. Title. V. Title: Shivhei ha
-Besht.
BM755.18S4413 1994
296.8'332'092-dc20 93-43456
Printed in the United States of America
9"'
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American
National Standard for Information Sciences-Permanence of Paper for Printed Library
Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.
Contents
PREFACE I x#l
I
TRANSLATORS' NOTE XV
INTRODUCTION I xxi
I
THE PRINTER's PREFACE 1
THE WRITER's PREFACE I 3
1. Rabbi Eliezer 7
I a. Rabbi Eliezer: A Second Version '
2. Rabbi Eliezer and the Viceroys Daughter 10
3· The Birth of the Besht 11
4· The Besht's Education and Youth 11
5· Rabbi Adam and the King's Banquet 13
6. The New Coat of Rabbi Adam's Wife IJ
7· The Secret Manuscripts and Rabbi Adam's Son IJ
8. The Besht's Marriage 18
9· The Besht and the Robbers z2
10. The Vengeful Robber 23
11. The Besht's Journey to the Holy Land 23
12. The Besht and the Frog 24
13. The Besht Serves as Rabbi Gershorn's Coachman 26
14. The Besht Re-veals Himself 27
tv ·
CoNTENTS
15. The Besht Reveals Himself to the Sect of the Great
Hasidim .z8
16. The Besht Locks up the Secret Manuscripts 31
17. The Beginning of the Writer's Manuscript 32
18. Fingernails 33
19. The Besht's Seclusion 34
10. The Besht Exorcises a Madwoman 34
11. The Besht's Prayer Produces Rain 3J
11. The Besht Cures a Madman 36
13. The Besht Exorcises Demons from a House 37
14. The Innkeeper's Death 37
15. The Besht Attracts Followers 38
16. The Besht and the Physician 40
17. The Besht Predicts a Need for Bloodletting 41
18. Rabbi Gershon, the Besht, and the Zohar 42
19. Elijah the Prophet Reveals Himself to the Besht 42
30. The Stolen Horse 44
3 1. The Besht Reveals Himself to Rabbi David of
Kolomyya 45
31. The Melamed's Dream 46
33· The Delayed Homecoming 48
34· The Besht's Trembling in Prayer JO
35· The Besht's Trembling in Prayer: A Second Version 50
36. The Besht's Trembling in Prayer: A Third Version 51
37· The Besht's Trembling in Prayer: A Fourth Version 52
38. A Sincere Prayer 52
39· The Besht's Trembling in Prayer: A Fifth Version 53
40. The Dream of Rabbi 1o seph Ashkenazi 53
41. The Besht in the Messiah's Heavenly Palace 54
41. The Palace of the Bird's Nest 58
43· The Besht and His Guests 58
44· The Wailing of the Shekinah 59
45. The Destruction of Balta J9
46. Rabbi Gershon Imitates the Besht 6o
Contents • v
47· Rabbi Jacob Joseph Recognizes the Greatness of the
Besht 61
48. Rabbi Jacob Joseph Is Expelled from Shargorod 62
49· The Ascetic Fasting of Rabbi Jacob Joseph 63
so.
Rabbi Jacob Joseph Observes the Sabbath in Shar-
gorod 66
51. The Protective Prayers 67
52· The Asceticism of Rabbi Jacob Joseph 69
53· The Voyage of Rabbi Gershon 70
54· Rabbi Gershon's Sin 71
SS· Prayers for Rain in Jerusalem 72
56. A Quarrel in Sated 73
57· Rabbi Lipeh Quarrels with Rabbi Gedaliah 7>
58. The Mocking Song 76
59· The Sick Girl 76
6o. The Blood Libel 78
61. The Dance of the Hasidim 8o
6z. The Great Maggid and the Besht 81
63. The Death of Rabbi Eliezer Rokeal; 84
64. The Book I:Jemdat ha-Y amim 8f
65. The Dream of Rabbi Jacob Joseph 86
66. The Besht and Sbabbetai Tsevi 86
67. Rabbi Isaac Drabiz:ner 87
68. Perjury 88
69. The Oxen of Rabbi Barukh 89
70. The Stolen Halter 90
71. The Shohet Who Was a Drunkard 90
71. The Death of Rabbi Abraham the "Angel" 91
73· Rabbi Abraham as a Sandek 93
74· Rabbi Abraham as a Mohel 94
s.
7 The Wife of Rabbi Abraham 94
76. The City of Adultery 99
77· The Advice of the Great Maggid 101
78. The Prayers of the Hasidim 103
vt ·
CoNTENTS
79· The Two Brothers 104
So. Sounding Out the Nature of the Besht 105
Sr. The Lithuanian Jew and the Besht 105
81. The Besht and Rabbi Sa'adyah Gaon 106
83. The Besht's Sermon 107
84. The Besht Banishes Demons 107
8s. The Rabbi's Wife in Labor 108
86. The Church That Caught Fire 110
87. The Hose-Maker 110
88. The Sin of Pride 112
89. Two H asidim Visit Hell 113
90. The Court in Heaven 114
91. The Besht and the Angel of Death 116
91. The Repentant Rich Man 116
93· The Defective Tefillin 118
94· The Tefillin Written by Rabbi Isaac II!)
9S· The Righteous Woman 120
96. The Righteous Woman and Her Sons 121
97· The Blessing of Rabbi Pinlpas 122
98. The Besht's Combat with a Witch 123
99· A Choice of Punishment 124
roo. The Revenant 124
ror. The Redemption of Sparks 126
101. The Reader's Stand of Rabbi Samson 127
I03• The Dismissed Arrendator 128
104. The Besht's Devekut 12!)
ros. The Besht Resuscitates a Child 129
ro6. The Magical Enkindling of a Tree 131
107. The Choice 132
108. The Fish and the Dog 133
109. The Dance of Rabbi Yudel 134
uo. Rabbi Nalpman's Sigh 134
ru. Rabbi Nalpman's Prayer 135
r u. Rabbi Jacob Joseph's Prayer 136
Contents • vit
113. Pure Prayers 136
114. The Interruption of the Besht's Vision 136
115. Rabbi Leib's Death 137
116. Rabbi Aaron in Heaven 137
117. The Sick Woman 13~
118. The Adulterer 140
119. The Besht Cures by Bloodletting 140
no. The Death of Rabbi I oseph the Meltlmed 141
111. The Parable of the Dog 142
x:zz. The Present Generation 144
113. A Dowry 144
124. Rabbi Abrahtlm and the Besht 146
us. A Combat in Magic 14~
u6. A Combat in Magic: A Second Version 14~
117. The Jewish Thief 150
118. The Besht's Funeral IJ.Z
119. Rabbi Nal;man Travels to the Holy Land IJ.Z
IJO. Rabbi Mendele Visits with Rabbi Jacob Joseph 153
131. The Prayers of Rabbi Mendele and Rabbi Fridel 155
132. TheHeavyLoadofHonor 155
133. Rabbi Nalpnan's Cold Mikveh 156
134- Iniquities and Prayers 156
35. The Preacher's Sermon 156
1
136. A Madman Feigns Death 160
137. The Martyrs 161
138. The Adulterous Woman 163
139. The Delayed Homecoming: A Second Version 164
140. The Besht, the Merchant, and the Robbers 16)
141. The Besht Discharges a Shohet 166
142. The Optimism of Rabbi Nalpnan 167
143. Rabbi Nal;man Prays Minhah 168
144. Feeling the Tefillin 168
•45· The Height of Prayer 16~
146. Ascension to Heaven 16~
viii · CoNTENTS
147. The Besht's Second Coming 16!}
148. The Perpetual E"or 170
149. The Ring 170
150. Rabbi Motil 171
rsr. Rabbi Gershon's Enemies 173
152. The Wandering Soul 173
153. Dream Teaching 175
IS+ The Forbidden City 176
ISS· The Hunchback 176
rs6. The Forbidden Country 177
IS1· The Spiritual Cure 177
rs8. The Stolen Stockings 178
IS9· Writing Down the Besht's Torah '7!J
r6o. The Besht and his Son 11!}
161. The Generosity of the Besht 17!J
162. The Demons 180
163. The Guest Who Snored 181
164. The Impure House 18z
r6s. The Preacher Who Spoke Evil of the Jews 18z
166. The Dead Man in Hell 183
167. The Se'f'lJant's Evil Thoughts 184
r68. "Streams of Wisdom" 185
169. Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Nal;man 185
I 70. The Contaminated Bed 18 5
171. Rabbi Tsevi's Dream 186
172. The Protective Tefillin 187
173. Rabbi Jehiel Mikhel 188
174. The War Between the Greeks and the Ishmaelites I!JO
I7S· The Flickering Candle 1!JO
176. The Poverty and Generosity of the Besht I!JO
177. The Shabbetian Shohet 1!}2
178. The Hen Shohet 1!}2
179. The Melamed's Death 1!}2
r8o. The Invisibility of the Besht 1 !J3
Contents · tx
''3
181. Rabbi Moses' Dea't3h
181. Rabbi Zusman 1
183. The Death of the Arrendator's Wife 1'4
184. The Bastard 1' J
185. Praying Word for Word with the Besht 195
''6
186. The Defective Mezuzah
187. The Amulet 196
In
188. The Devoted weaver
189. The Turnip 1n
190. Two Rabbis David 1n, ,a
191. The Angel Hadamiel
192. The Young Martyr 198 1"
193. Rabbi Gershon in the Holy Land 1"
194. Storytelling and Ma'a1se"h Merkavah
195· Man in the World
196. The Demon 200
197. Competing for the Arrendeh 200
198. The Imprisonment of Israel Shafir 201
199. The Preacher Cancels Charges Agaimt a Rabbi 202
:too. The Sermon of Rabbi Moses 203
201. The Angels' Request 203
zoz. Rabbi Moses the Mohel 204
203. The Besht Chokes on his Food 204
204. A Charm for Easy Delivery 205
205. Heavenly Garments 206
206. The Besht in the Mikveh 206
107. The Kind Boy 206
108. Gematria 207
109. Rabbi Naltman of Kosov 208
110. The Flight of the Besht 210
111. The Chief Arrendators 211
212. A Tenth for a Minyan 213
113. The Fall of the Chief Arrendators 21)
114. The Bear 217