Episode 88: Opponents of Rabbi Eliyahu Baal Shem, and Chassidic Joy in Dubromisl

00:00 We continue with the life story of Rabbi Eliyahu Baal Shem of Worms, who began the movement of hidden tzaddikim, and we are focusing a little on those who opposed his movement. At that time, the great Torah scholar and tzaddik Rabbi Pinchas Zelig of Speyer also became well known. He was kindhearted and friendly, exceedingly humble and patient. At the same time, he had a powerful will that could not be swayed. When reports of Rabbi Eliyahu Baal Shem’s wonders reached him, he chose three of his finest students and sent them to Worms to meet him for themselves and find out what he was like, and whether the stories circulating about him were true. Rabbi Eliyahu Baal Shem welcomed these emissaries warmly and in a friendly manner. They stayed in his home for ten days. During that time, he discussed Torah with them, revealed secrets of Kabbalah to them, and taught them the holy Zohar. Rabbi Pinchas Zelig’s students were impressed by Rabbi Eliyahu Baal Shem’s learning and piety. They also watched him treat the many sick people who came to him from near and far, all of whom recovered. The remedies Rabbi Eliyahu Baal Shem gave the sick included various honey pastries or oil pastries, cloves dipped in honey, honey water with raisins, and beer [unclear]. The emissaries from the Torah scholar of Speyer could hardly believe their eyes when they saw people who could not stand on their feet recover completely within a day or two of taking the remedies Rabbi Eliyahu Baal Shem gave them. Many patients received no remedy at all. Rabbi Eliyahu brought them into a special room he had and spoke to them words of rebuke and encouragement to do teshuvah. These patients burst into tears from the depths of their hearts, did teshuvah, and within a few days they too recovered. Rabbi Pinchas Zelig’s emissaries returned to him and reported how deeply impressed they were by everything they had seen and heard at the home of Rabbi Eliyahu Baal

02:37 Shem in Worms. As far as they were concerned, there was no doubt that all the good stories told about him were true. They also told him about what they had studied with Rabbi Eliyahu, mentioning, among other things, Kabbalah and the holy Zohar, which Rabbi Eliyahu regarded as containing the secrets of the Torah. This particular detail greatly angered Rabbi Pinchas Zelig, the Torah scholar of Speyer, for he had long been waging a campaign against the study of Kabbalah in general and the Zohar in particular. From the first day the Zohar reached the rabbis of Germany after being printed in Italy, Rabbi Pinchas Zelig had spoken out sharply against it, although he was then a young man. As for the Zohar itself, it was first printed in 5318—that is, around 1558—so to speak, in the Italian cities of Mantua and Cremona. The renowned Torah scholars of Italy at the time, Rabbi Azriel Trevito [unclear], head of the yeshivah in Ascola [unclear], and Rabbi Yosef Itling [unclear], head of the yeshivah in Cremona, sent the book to the Torah scholar and kabbalist Rabbi Eliezer, rabbi of Frankfurt am Main. Through him, the leading Torah scholars of Germany at the time became acquainted with the book, and they actually endorsed it enthusiastically. Rabbi Pinchas Zelig, though still young as we said, initiated opposition to the Zohar and to the study of Kabbalah. Before long, he gained supporters who joined him in declaring war on the Zohar, on the study of Kabbalah, and on those who engaged in it. By this point, that campaign had already been going on for thirty years. Now Rabbi Pinchas Zelig heard from his emissaries that Rabbi Eliyahu Baal Shem was a kabbalist and regarded the Zohar as a principal source for the Torah’s secrets. This outraged him, and he immediately called a session of a special, expanded beis din to consider measures against the Baal Shem Tov of Worms. Well-known Torah scholars were invited to this gathering,

05:19 and Rabbi Pinchas Zelig stirred those assembled with a speech in which he declared that Rabbi Eliyahu Baal Shem, however great his Torah learning, had taken a dangerous path by teaching Kabbalah and explaining the Zohar in his own way. After a lengthy discussion, the beis din decided to select a new delegation made up of leading Torah scholars of the generation. The delegation would travel to Worms to warn Rabbi Eliyahu Baal Shem that he must abandon his new approach. He must refrain from using holy names to heal the sick and help childless women conceive. He must refrain from teaching Kabbalah and offering interpretations of the Zohar. The warning would conclude that if he did not change his ways, he would be required to leave Germany, since this new approach would not be allowed to gain a foothold there. Well, the emissaries of the beis din in Speyer came to Rabbi Eliyahu Baal Shem in Worms and conveyed the demands that he stop spreading Kabbalah and using adjurations to heal the sick. Rabbi Eliyahu Baal Shem received the emissaries in a friendly manner and listened calmly to their demands, which came with the warning that if he did not comply, he would have to leave the country. He said to them, “Let us address the first matter first, and the last matter last.” Regarding the teaching and spread of Kabbalah, our Sages of blessed memory had already said: “When the words of the teacher conflict with the words of the student, whose words does one heed?” Therefore, he, Rabbi Eliyahu Baal Shem, had to heed the words of the Teacher, Hakadosh Boruch Hu, rather than those of the students—the scholars of Speyer. As for healing the sick, he told them he had never used adjurations. Rabbi Eliyahu expressed his wish to travel to Speyer to speak with Rabbi Pinchas Zelig and show him that he was wrong to wage war against those who spread Kabbalah. Rabbi Eliyahu Baal Shem did indeed travel to Speyer, but Rabbi Pinchas Zelig would not even listen to what he had to say. He decreed that Rabbi Eliyahu must change his ways and announce

07:30 this publicly, before the entire community. And because Rabbi Eliyahu Baal Shem refused to accept the decree, Rabbi Pinchas Zelig declared it forbidden to associate with Rabbi Eliyahu Baal Shem or his followers. None of this, of course, affected Rabbi Eliyahu Baal Shem. He returned to Worms and continued, as before, to engage in Kabbalah and heal the sick. Rabbi Pinchas Zelig and his followers now launched an open, systematic campaign against the Baal Shem of Worms. He sent his eldest son, Rabbi Shammai Zundel [unclear], on a journey from city to city and country to country to smear the Baal Shem of Worms. He also sent emissaries to distant lands to publicize the claim that the Baal Shem of Worms wrapped himself in the mantle of the deepest mysteries, but in truth practiced sorcery. Following Rabbi Pinchas Zelig, the other Torah scholars of Germany also raised an outcry against the Baal Shem of Worms. The campaign of the German Torah scholars against Rabbi Eliyahu Baal Shem and the other kabbalists continued for a long time. Later, when Shabbetai Tzvi declared himself Moshiach but was eventually exposed as a false messiah—and even converted to another religion, G-d forbid—Rabbi Pinchas Zelig’s followers claimed that he had been one of his people, that Sh-Sh-Shabbetai Tzvi had been one of the followers of the Baal Shem of Worms. On that basis, they intensified their campaign even further. In other words, it was all lies and false accusations. As a result of all this, when other kabbalists arose in later generations, and also when a different kind of hidden tzaddikim appeared—the students of Rabbi Yisroel Baal Shem Tov—there were always people who waged war against them, relying on the same claims that had previously fueled the campaign against the kabbalists and hidden tzaddikim of that time. And it was Reb Moshe Leib who conveyed these details to Baruch. Yes, we didn’t... we... said that Yitzchak Shaul had conveyed them, but apparently here we see that Moshe Leib was the one who told Baruch these details. He presented

10:05 He placed Rabbi Avraham Ze’ev of Bishenkovitch and Rabbi Simcha Zelig of Vitebsk on the same level as the opponents of the hidden tzaddikim in earlier times. As far as Reb Moshe Leib was concerned, there was no difference between Rabbi Yisroel Baal Shem Tov, the founder of the Chassidic movement, and the baal shem of Worms, just as, in his view, there was no difference between the opponents of old and those of his own generation. These remarks stirred certain thoughts in Baruch. He knew and felt how mistaken this was: there was no place at all for the opposition of the past, especially toward the Baal Shem Tov and his students, who were spreading their distinctive teachings, which had been entirely unknown until then. Baruch therefore longed to investigate the matter thoroughly and gain a clearer understanding of the differences between the approaches of the chassidim and their opponents. As he thought about it, he began to feel a warm inclination toward Chassidus. What he had heard about this approach resonated in his heart, and he certainly did not want to be in the same camp as those who had waged war against the Baal Shem Tov of Mezhibuzh and his chassidim. For all these reasons, Baruch was deeply troubled by what he had learned from Moshe Leib: that Rabbi Avraham Ze’ev of Bishenkovitch had been one of the Baal Shem Tov’s fiercest and most bitter opponents, and an opponent of the hidden tzaddikim as well. Why did this trouble him so much? Because that same Rabbi Avraham Ze’ev had also been the teacher of Rabbi Avraham, the gaon of Liozna, whose son-in-law Baruch was soon to become. From all the stories he had heard, it followed that his prospective father-in-law was a devoted student of the gaon of Bishenkovitch and might therefore be as fierce an opponent of Chassidus as his teacher. Baruch found this thought deeply unwelcome. He had dreamed of a new life. He had imagined that after his marriage he would be able to live as his heart desired. Rabbi Baruch had agreed to marry Rabbi Avraham’s daughter only after

12:38 Rabbi Avraham promised to meet all his conditions. Under those terms, Rabbi Avraham was to provide him with a house surrounded by a garden outside the town, so that he could support himself through the work of his own hands. His true, inner intention, though, was to use the house to welcome guests. In this way, Baruch hoped to make contact with the hidden tzaddikim who were spreading the new teachings of Chassidus revealed by the Baal Shem Tov. Now, with what he had just learned, he suddenly saw a danger that all his plans would come to nothing. If his future father-in-law opposed Chassidus, surely this would have influenced his daughter, who would also oppose the hidden tzaddikim and the chassidim. Who could assure him, then, that she would not stand in the way of his drawing close to the hidden tzaddikim he so longed to meet? Baruch remembered well the wonderful harmony that had prevailed between his father and mother. They spoke to each other about every little thing and never had any differences of opinion. Everything his father said was sacred to them. All his life, Baruch had hoped for that same harmony in his own home, and he had always been certain that it would be so. Now, however, he began to fear that things might turn out differently from what he had expected. It caused him great distress. He could find no peace of mind, nor could he find anyone to whom he could pour out his heart. Baruch felt alone and forsaken. As was his custom at such difficult times, he went out to the nearby forest, stretched out on the grass, and became absorbed in his thoughts. He lay there for a long time, until suddenly he heard a familiar voice calling his name. It was Yitzchak Shaul, the blacksmith’s young son-in-law. Yitzchak Shaul came over and began sharing a teaching of the Baal Shem Tov with him. He said: “Avraham our forefather, peace be upon him, was generous with his money, his body, and his soul. With his money, he fed and gave drink to every passerby. With his body, he served those who came to his home. With his soul, he set aside his deep studies into G-dliness. As it says in Sefer Yetzirah, Avraham our forefather, peace be upon him, possessed extraordinary wisdom in the study of G-dliness, and surely every moment was as precious to him as his own soul. Yet he was generous with his soul: he set himself aside to study with simple people who were not at all on his level. For the essence of generosity with one’s soul is to set oneself aside for another’s benefit.” With these words, Yitzchak Shaul meant to tell Baruch that he was ready to devote his time to him and help him however he could. Baruch, however, remained unmoved. Seeing that his words had had no effect—Baruch stayed silent, lost in thought, his face gloomy—Yitzchak Shaul tried a different approach. He told Baruch, “We students of the Baal Shem Tov cannot bear sadness. For us, joy is the main thing. We regard sadness as idolatry. That is why I feel like a stranger here in Dobromysl: people here do not know what joy is, the way we did in Horki.” Ah! This interested Baruch, and he listened closely. He wanted to understand exactly what was meant by chassidic joy and the sadness of the opponents of Chassidus. Encouraged by Baruch’s attention, Yitzchak Shaul went on to describe the difference between the two ways. He said, “Take, for example, drawing mayim shelanu before baking matzos on Erev Pesach. In Dobromysl, people pay it very little attention. In Horki, there was tremendous joy. Rabbi Nachman Yitzchak, the rabbi of Horki, was ninety-six years old and extremely frail. Yet that did not keep him from taking part in the joyous drawing of mayim shelanu from the river. Since he could not walk there, he was brought by carriage. A wooden

15:12 to every passerby—with his body, by serving those who came to his home, and with his soul, by setting aside his studies of the Divine. As Sefer Yetzirah says, our forefather Avraham, peace be upon him, was extraordinarily wise in the study of the Divine. Surely every moment was as precious to him as his own life, and yet he was generous enough to set aside his own pursuits to teach simple people who were not at all on his level. For the essence of generosity of soul is setting oneself aside for the good of another.” In saying this, Yitzchak Shaul meant to tell Baruch that he was willing to devote his time to him and help him however he could. But Baruch remained unmoved. Seeing that his words had not reached Baruch, who sat silent, lost in thought, with a gloomy expression, Yitzchak Shaul tried another approach. He told Baruch, “We students of the Baal Shem Tov cannot bear sadness. For us, the main thing is joy. We regard sadness as a form of idolatry. That is why I feel like a stranger here in Dobromysl: people here do not know what joy is, the way we did in Horki.” Ah! This interested Baruch, and he listened closely. He wanted to understand precisely what Chassidic joy and the sadness of the misnagdim meant. Seeing that Baruch was listening, Yitzchak Shaul was encouraged by his attention and continued describing the difference between the two ways. He said, “Take, for example, drawing the water for matzos on the eve of Pesach, before the baking. In Dobromysl, very little attention is paid to it. In Horki, there was great joy. In Horki, Rabbi Nachman Yitzchak, the rabbi of Horki, was ninety-six years old and extremely frail. Yet that did not stop him from taking part in the joyous drawing of the water from the river. Since he could not walk to the river, he was brought there in a carriage. A beam was placed

18:00 plank was put in place, and the elderly rabbi stepped onto it, supported by the shamash, so that he could draw the water. Reb Pesach, known as ‘the Frenchman,’ one of the well-known figures in Horki, waded into the water beside the rabbi in his high boots. The rabbi could then lean on his shoulders and bend down to draw the mayim shelanu. When the drawing was finished, the rabbi thanked Pesach and, in a melodious voice, blessed him that he should merit the complete Geulah. Then he began a niggun, with the entire crowd joining in. Joy filled their hearts and overflowed.” “But here in Dobromysl,” Yitzchak Shaul said, “they do not even know how to rejoice on Simchas Torah. A cloud of worry always hangs over everyone’s faces. The first time I had to spend Sukkos here, I did not know what to do with myself. The people plunged me into gloom, rachmana litzlan!” Half in jest and half in earnest, Yitzchak Shaul began telling Baruch how he could not bear the people’s tension and excessive solemnity during the hakafos on Simchas Torah. He began to sing and dance, pulling people into the celebration. This sparked a debate among the scholars, including the dayan. They asked whether a Torah scholar was permitted to go so far in his rejoicing. Would it not dishonor the Torah? As for ordinary craftsmen, the dayanim said, “They are allowed to rejoice. Joy is permitted for them.” Yitzchak Shaul introduced something new to the hakafos in Dobromysl, something they had not known before: he organized singing and dancing. As the procession circled the bimah, the crowd danced. This prompted another discussion between the dayan and the rabbi, especially when it became clear that the singing would be accompanied by clapping. After lengthy, lengthy deliberation, the rabbi ruled that singing was permitted. Clapping, however, had to be done in an unusual way, rather than in the normal manner. So Rabbi Yitzchak Shaul began a niggun. At first no one joined him,

20:54 but by the second and third hakafos, people began to join in, and eventually dozens of worshippers were singing. The crowd grew enthusiastic: singing, after all, brings inspiration and purification. People took one another by the hand, and a circle of dancers formed. At this point the rabbi intervened, warning the crowd in a stern voice to stop, since it might dishonor the Torah. But the dayan reassured him, explaining that only unlearned people were dancing, so there was no such concern. As Yitzchak Shaul recounted all this, Baruch listened with a heavy heart. “And that is not all,” he continued. “That Simchas Torah, I discovered something that completely astonished me.”