Baal Shem Tov, R. Israel

In 1734, Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov ("BeSHT", 1698-1760), who up until that time had lived as a hidden tzaddik, began to publicly disseminate his teachings. While adding nothing "new" to Judaism, he re-emphasized truths and doctrines that had been buried ...

After many years as a member of the society of "hidden tzaddikim", living under the guise of an ignorant clay-digger, Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov was instructed by his masters to reveal himself and begin to publicly disseminate his teachings. This he did o...

Elul 18 is the birthday of Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov, the founder of Chassidism Rabbi Israel was born in a small town in Ukraine in 1698. His father, Rabbi Eliezer, who was a member of the secret society of "hidden tzaddikim," passed away when ...

In a letter to his brother-in-law, Rabbi Gershon Kitover, the Baal Shem Tov relates: "On Rosh Hashanah of the year 5507 [from creation] I made an 'ascent of soul' in the manner known to you... I ascended level after level until I reached the chamber of Mo...

After the passing of the Baal Shem Tov on Shavuot 1760, R. Tzvi succeeded him as leader of the Chassidic movement. Exactly one year later, R. Tzvi announced to his disciples that his father had appeared to him in a vision and instructed him to transfer th...