(כְּבוֹד קְדוּשַׁת אַדְמוּ"ר שְׁלִיטָ"א פָּגַע בְּנוֹשֵׂא דְּלָיִים מְלֵאִים מַיִם. וַיֹאמַר:) אַז מ'בּאַגעֶגעֶנט וואַסעֶר זאָגט דעֶר בַּעַל שֵׁם טוֹב: אַז מ'בּאַגעֶגעֶנט וואַסעֶר זאָל מעֶן זאָגעֶן, אַז דעֶר בַּעַל שֵׁם זאָגט, אַז דאָס אִיז אַ סִימָן בְּרָכָה.

(The Rebbe [Rayatz]once met a watercarrier with buckets full of water1 and said:) “When one encounters water, [he should quote the Baal Shem Tov, as follows]: ‘When one encounters water, he should say [in the name of] the Baal Shem Tov: When one encounters water, this is a sign of blessing.’ “2

Delving Deeply

Water is a manifestation of the Divine attribute of Chessed, lovingkindness. It is possible, however, that the kindness and bounty destined for a person will remain in the spiritual realm, without descending into our material world.3 Through his spiritual work, the Baal Shem Tov strove to bridge the gap between the spiritual and the physical, enabling the higher reality to be brought down and manifested on this lower plane. Hence, when a person who encounters water mentions the Baal Shem Tov, this helps to draw down his destined blessings into this material realm.4