Rabbi Yisroel Baal Shem Tov, the founder of Chassidism, was born on the 18th day of Elul (this coming Monday) in the year 1698 in a little town in the Ukraine. His father, Rabbi Eliezer, who was a member of the secret society of hidden tzaddikim, passed away when young Yisroel was only five years old; his last words to his son were, "Fear nothing, but G-d alone. Love every Jew with all your heart and all your soul."
The young orphan would spend much of his time wandering and meditating in the forests that surrounded his hometown; there, watching the great miracles of nature, and seeing the divine hand in every little flower and blade of grass left a profound impression upon him, and later on, in one of his lectures to his disciples, he said: "When you see a leaf blown from a tree and whirled along the pathway, don't think it's an accident, for it's moved by the will of G-d!"
Drawing from the mystical "soul of Torah" the Baal Shem Tov, "Master of the Good Name," as he came to be known, taught about the spark of G-dliness that is to be found in every creation and about the great love that G-d has for each and every one of His children, scholars and simple folk alike. He emphasized the importance of joy and simple faith in serving G-d.
Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov instilled new life and new hope into the scattered and shattered flocks of Israel in all lands, and fortified them with faith and courage.
He passed away on Shovuot, at the age of 62, but his teachings are still studied and followed. The movement he founded has become a vital force in Jewish life.
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