Before his passing, Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov said to his disciples: "You must seek a new master and mentor, for soon I shall pass on from this world."
"To whom shall we turn for guidance?" they asked.
"I shall give you a sign," said Rabbi Israel. "He who knows the answer to the question, 'How can one overcome the pride in one's heart?' — he is the man who can guide you in your service of the Almighty."
"And what is the answer? How does one vanquish pride?"
"The answer is that there is no way in which to vanquish pride. One must simply pray to the Almighty that He humble our hearts before Him."
Is this still the way to find a real rabbi or was it solely for the one person who the Besht was telling this to, and was not for us in future generations to use as a test?
While it was technically a one-time instruction, it can certainly still be applied today.