Va’eira: The Secret Meeting
On that particular night, there was a secret meeting of select people at the beit medrash (study hall) of the “Chachmeigh Kloiz of Brody.” In this same study hall...
Parshat Va'eira
"When Pharaoh speaks to you, he will tell you to prove yourself with a miraculous sign". (Shemot 7:9)
The Baal Shem Tov typically celebrated the third meal of the Sabbath late into Saturday night. One particular Sabbath, he immediately made Havdalah (the ceremony separating the Sabbath from the weekday) and asked his wagon driver, Alexei, to immediately prepare the wagon and horses for a long trip.
Soon after, The Baal Shem Tov and Alexei were on their way. The wagon and horses seemed to fly across the night sky to the holy community of Brody (normally at least a one day journey) and arrived soon thereafter.
On that particular night, there was a secret meeting of select people at the beit medrash (study hall) of the “Chachmeigh Kloiz of Brody.” In this same study hall, Kabbalah was studied under the renowned Rabbi Moshe Ostrer. Each of the invited, select people was sworn to secrecy about the purpose of the meeting. In fact, the purpose was to discuss placing a cherem (excommunication) on The Baal Shem Tov.
When The Baal Shem Tov arrived at the Kloiz, the doors to the beit medrash were closed and a husky doorman stood by to prevent any uninvited person from entering. The Baal Shem Tov asked the doorman to allow him to enter. But when The Baal Shem Tov was unable to show a written invitation, he was refused entry.
In an agitated voice, The Baal Shem Tov told the doorman, “Go inside and tell those assembled that a stranger has arrived who wants to speak with them. And further, if they refuse to let me enter, they are risking their lives.”
The doorman rushed in and told the assembly exactly what The Baal Shem Tov had said. He was sent back to ask, “They want to know who you are.”
“Tell them that I am Rabbi Yisrael Baal Shem Tov and that I have come to Brody from Mezibuz just this very evening to present myself so that they can judge me in person.”
When the doorman repeated The Baal Shem Tov’s words, the assembled men were stunned by his reply. They immediately opened the doors and invited him into the study hall.
“I see there are exactly two hundred and fifty men meeting here,” The Baal Shem Tov announced to the group.
They looked at each other in surprise. But before anyone said a word, The Baal Shem Tov continued, “Your plan to excommunicate me has caused the poison of Korach’s congregation to fall upon you. You have been judged in Heaven for your unjust plans and sentenced to be swallowed up into the bowels of the earth (as what happened to Korach and his followers, see Devorim 16:31-33).”
Several of the men stood up and began to count those present. The number present was exactly two hundred and fifty as The Baal Shem Tov had stated.
A silence fell over the group. They realized that The Baal Shem Tov was a holy tzaddik (righteous man) and that he had just condemned them to their death. In their hearts, they each knew that they were wrong in their judgment of him and must ask his forgiveness for only he could save them from the hand of death. In complete submission, they each begged him to forgive their sin.
The Baal Shem Tov accepted their repentance and forgave each of them.
Rabbi Moshe Ostrer now stood up and presented The Baal Shem Tov with his freshly printed book, “Arugat Habosem.” The book, which was an explanation of Shir Hashirim written by Shlomo HaMelech (King Solomon), had just been released but not yet placed on the market. This was Reb Moshe’s way of begging The Baal Shem Tov’s forgiveness.
The Baal Shem Tov took the book, leafed through its pages and then closed it with a kiss. “I just learned this entire book,” he said, “and I see that it is pure truth from beginning to end. This should not be surprising, however, since during the time you were writing it your soul was enclothed with the spirit of Shlomo HaMelech. This is why your book is so accurate and true to the source.”
Reb Moshe, the author, could not contain his amazement. “No one can absorb an entire volume by just leafing through its pages!”
“Nevertheless,” replied The Baal Shem Tov, “I have absorbed the entire book and I can prove it to you. Each word of Shir Hashirim is explained in this book except for two — those are the words ‘Arugat Habosem’ which remained unexplained.”
Reb Moshe had a look of disbelief on his face. “I don’t think you are correct because I specifically did explain all of the words in Shir Hashirim, including these two words.”
“Very well,” said The Baal Shem Tov as he handed Reb Moshe back his book, “show me what you wrote about those two words.”
Reb Moshe took back the volume and unsuccessfully searched for the explanation of the two words. When he couldn’t find it he admitted, “The explanation of the two words must have been lost in the printing.” With this, he was convinced of The Baal Shem Tov’s miraculous powers.
In fact, there was no doubt to any of the two hundred and fifty people present at the secret meeting that The Baal Shem Tov was a Godly man. They all accompanied The Baal Shem Tov to his wagon where Alexei was waiting for him to return. As the wagon drove away, all of the people thanked The Baal Shem Tov profusely for forgiving them.
And so it was.
***
Tzvi Meir Cohn attended Yeshiva Hadar Hatorah in Crown Heights, Brooklyn after completing his university studies in Engineering and Law. While studying at the Yeshiva, he discovered a deep connection to the stories and teachings of the Baal Shem Tov. His many books about the Baal Shem Tov can be found in the Breslev Store. He can be contacted at howard@cohnpatents.com.
