Shoshannah Brombacher

“Reb Yosef is risking his very life for our sake,” said the innkeeper’s daughter. “But there is no other way. We have no time to lose . . .”

"I've been running away from greatness all my life," the man insisted, "yet greatness is not running after me!"

"If you are truly a Rebbe," said the chassid, "then no harm will befall you. And if you are not--you deserve it!"

The Baal Shem Tov passed his handkerchief over the boy's face and commanded, "Give us a word of Torah..."

There once lived a certain pious, young scholar, G‑d-fearing and pure of heart, who invested all his time and energy in Torah learning . . .

“Fire consumes fire,” said the Rebbe. “The ‘fiery law’ of Torah will consume the fever induced by the frost . . .”

“By the sanction of the Almighty,” Rabbi Leib intoned, “and by the sanction of the congregation, . . . we declare it permissible to pray together with those who have sinned . . .”

The Baal Shem Tov saw Rabbi Yaakov Koppel dancing in ecstasy before his Shabbat table, which was laden with good food . . .

Said Rabbi Eliezer: "If the law is as I say, then may the walls of the house of study prove it!" The walls began to fall in. Rabbi Joshua rebuked them. "If Torah scholars are debating a point of Jewish law, what are your qualifications to intervene...?"

“It is true,” announced R. Leib, “that according to the law the plaintiff must take his suit to the defendant’s locale; but since in this case ‘there is no place devoid of His presence,’ we will try the case here in Shpoli . . .”