1 year ago

The Flawless Magid

The heavens filled with clouds and the blessed rains poured down upon the fields and gardens. The village was filled with joy and gratitude to Hashem • Full Story

The Baal Shem Tov once came to a small village whose inhabitants were mainly simple Jews, craftsmen and farmers, but also faithful men who heeded G-d’s holy will. They worked hard all week long, but they prayed three times daily and recited the entire tehilim early each morning. On Shabbos they got together and recited the entire Book of Psalms twice, once in the morning and again in the afternoon. Someone would occasionally teach these people a verse of Chumash or a mishna in Pirkei Ovos. The Baal Shem Tov derived much pleasure from these simple Jews, from the recitation of their tehilim, from their simple and guileless prayers, and from their wonderful family life.
In those days the Baal Shem Tov still dressed himself like a workingman, a tailor or shoemaker, thus enabling him to mix freely among these Jews. The Baal Shem Tov loved to meet the little children and taught them to say Shema Yisroel, Modeh Ani, Torah Tziva, Beyodcho Afkid, and other such verses. With the benevolent eye of a leader and counselor he enjoyed observing the pure, lovely lives these families led.

The Baal Shem Tov once arrived in this town during the hot summer days. He stayed there for several days and heard the deep sighs of the villagers about the sad state of their livelihood. This exceptionally hot summer affected their wheat fields and their vegetable gardens. It was a great pity to look upon them. The Baal Shem Tov was prepared to leave the village but took pity upon its inhabitants and decided to bring some of his friends, the tzadikim nistorim, that they might arouse Heavenly mercy upon these unfortunate people. The following day, several members of his holy sect of tzadikim arrived and prayed for the village.

Hashem, who desires the pleading of saintly men and fulfills their requests, answered their prayers. The heavens filled with clouds and the blessed rains poured down upon the fields and gardens. The village was filled with joy and gratitude to Hashem.

The people gathered and told of the wonders of the Creator, of how the rains had revived their crops.

The village rejoiced. Young and old discussed the miracles and the mercies that Hashem had shown them by sending them his welcome messenger — the blessed rain.

On this Thursday evening, the heads of the community, together with its other important members, decided that the following Shabbos should be celebrated as a great day. The tehilim should be recited three times in public, everyone being required to attend the third recital. They also decided to prepare a special sweet pastry to be distributed among the children, telling them of G-d’s mercy.
When the Baal Shem Tov and his companions saw the great rejoicing and the sanctification of G-d’s name as everyone praised Him, and when they heard of the decree concerning the coming Shabbos, they were overjoyed and remained in the village in order to witness the community’s gladness and the Kiddush Hashem.

On Friday, just before morning, a maggid arrived in the village and went to the head of the community to request permission to speak before the public the following day. His letters of recommendation assured that he was an exceptional scholar and a maggid of such rare powers that he was able to reduce his audience to tears in a matter of moments. His sermons were guaranteed to cause instant repentance. The head of the community was a simple but G-d fearing man. He welcomed the maggid graciously and explained to him that this Shabbos had been ordained as one of thanks-giving, and the time that might have been suitable for his lecture had already been designated for the additional saying of tehillim.
When the maggid heard this he cursed the president for shaming the Holy Torah by not showing proper respect for such a scholar as he.
“What kind of a retort is it to tell a Talmid Chochom such as I that there is no time to hear my sermon! For sleeping and eating you can find enough time but to hear words of Torah and mussar, you cannot? Gehennom will be too small to contain you all!” He continued pouring out a stream of curses upon the president and the members of the community.

When the president heard these harsh words he became completely confused and immediately begged the maggid’s pardon. He asked him to come along to the rabbi’s house to set a time for his sermon.

The maggid told the president that ancient custom dictated that when a maggid comes to a town he must go to the president for permission to speak. But he is not required to go to the rabbi. A regular maggid waits until the rov sends important messengers to fetch him, but a maggid talmid chochom such as he need not go to the rabbi, but waits for the rabbi himself to come and invite him to speak.

The president went to the rabbi and told him what had transpired. The rabbi, a modest, humble man, answered that the honor of the Holy Torah and of the talmid chochom was greater than his own, especially if the scholar was a man capable of moving multitudes and one who went to such great lengths to improve them. He would gladly go to the maggid himself.

The maggid had decided when he had arrived in town, to situate himself by the shamohs, who was the most expedient person for running his errands and serving him in various ways.

When he now saw the president and the rabbi arriving he began to calm down. He engaged the rabbi in a scholarly discussion and convinced the latter that he was truly a learned man.

The president stood on the side, listening to the discussion, respectfully impressed, though not understanding much of what was said. When they had finished talking they set the time of the lecture for the period between the Seudo Shlishis on Shabbos and the evening services. This matter concluded, the rabbi invited the maggid to breakfast, at which he discussed with him various Torah subjects intensively and ex-pertly.

The news spread quickly through the village that a famous maggid had arrived, a tzadik and a scholar who elevated the masses and who would speak after Sholosh Seudos in the synagogue.

The women were very exact in following the special rules for this festive Shabbos. They lit an additional candle in the Beis Medrosh, and baked fancy pastry. The great rejoicing that resulted from the additional challos, the festive Shabbos meals accompanied by singing, the recital of the Tehilim at dawn, the Shabbos services, the additional Tehilim, and the distribution of the sweet pastry to the children as they were told of the wonders of G-d, all these factors combined to form an indelible impression upon everyone.

The Baal Shem Tov and his companions, the nistorim, rejoiced greatly at this glorification of G-d’s name and were glad that they had remained for this Shabbos.

When the time came for the maggid’s sermon, all the townspeople assembled in the Beis Medrosh. The maggid went up to the pulpit and began with the words, “There are seven kinds of punishment”, translating it into a Yiddish which everyone could under-stand. The entire congregation burst into tears. The maggid spoke in a dry angry tone, reproving all those who were not G-d fearing, threatening them with hunger. The crops of the fields, the fruits and the vegetables, would all wither, he warned, after which G-D would punish their families.

The audience let out a remorseful wailing. Men and women, old and young, wept with bitter tears. The maggid continued saying that G-d was liable to punish them with blood too; at first their children and then the parents, leaving orphans and widows, as he had done, Heaven spare us, during the terrible years of 5408-09. When they heard these harsh words a pained cry escaped from all those assembled. Many of them fainted and the panic mounted by the minute.

The Baal Shem Tov entered the Beis Medrosh in the midst of this commotion. Seeing the weeping and self recrimination, he inquired what the maggid had told them and was deeply touched by the pain of the townspeople. He stood by one of the tables, turned to the maggid and spoke in a loud clear voice.

“Rabbi, it is stated in the Midrash that Hakodosh Boruch Hu told Moshe Rabbenu to reprove Him, as it were. Who are you then to say harsh words to these townspeople who serve their Creator so faithfully ! You should instead reprove Hakodosh Boruch Hu, as it were, for not having shown mercy upon His children. And now, that he had indeed shown them Divine compassion by sending them the blessed rains, let them continue to worship Him faithfully !”

“Amen!” shouted the entire congregation.

Kaddish Derabonon was said after the Drosho and the congregation began saying the Psalms of Shir HaMaalos with joyous fervor.

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Tags: Baal Shem Tov