דעֶר בַּעַל שֵׁם טוֹב פלעֶגט לעֶרנעֶן מִיט זַיינעֶ תַּלְמִידִים אַ שִׁעוּר גְּמָרָא. דעֶר אוֹפֶן פוּן דעֶם לעֶרנעֶן אִיז געֶוועֶן מִיט גרוֹיס חֲרִיפוּת אוּן גְּאוֹנוּת, אוּן מ'האָט געֶלעֶרעֶנט דעֶם רַמְבַּ"ם אַלְפַס רָא"שׁ אוּן אַנדעֶרעֶ מְפָרְשִׁים פוּן דִי רִאשׁוֹנִים וועֶלכעֶ זַיינעֶן שַׁיָּךְ געֶוועֶן צוּ דעֶר גְּמָרָא וואָס מ'האָט געֶלעֶרעֶנט. דעֶר בַּעַל שֵׁם טוֹב פלעֶגט אָפטַייטשׁעֶן דִי וועֶרטעֶר אִין אִידִישׁ. אַז מ'האָט געֶלעֶרעֶנט עֲרָכִין אוּן געֶקוּמעֶן צוּם מַאֲמַר רַזַ"ל (טו ב) לָשׁוֹן תְּלִיתָאי קָטִיל תְּלִיתָאי, האָט דעֶר בַּעַל שֵׁם טוֹב דאָס אוֹיסגעֶטַייטשׁט: לָשׁוֹן הָרָע הַרג'ט אַלעֶ דְרַיי: דעֶם אוֹיסטראַכטעֶר דעֶם דעֶרצֵיילעֶר אוּן דעֶם צוּהעֶרעֶר, נאָר דאָס אִיז אִין לְבוּשִׁים רוּחָנִים, וואָס דאָס אִיז שׁוועֶרעֶר וִוי רְצִיחָה אִין גַּשְׁמִיּוּת.

The Baal Shem Tov conducted a regular study session in Gemara with his disciples, combining acumen and erudition. It embraced the writings of Rambam, R. Yitzchak Alfasi, and Rabbeinu Asher, and other commentaries of the Rishonim1 that were relevant to the passage under discussion.

The Baal Shem Tov, [to introduce his explanation of each passage of the Gemara,] would translate its words into Yiddish. When they were studying Tractate Arachin, they reached the statement of the Sages (on p.15b) that “threefold speech kills three people.”2 The Baal Shem Tov explained: “Evil speech3 kills all three people — the person who first invented the story, the [present] speaker,4 and the listener. However, this happens to their spiritual garments, which is more severe than killing someone physically.”5

Delving Deeply

Every one of our actions affects two planes simultaneously — this material world and the spiritual worlds above. Furthermore, the spiritual repercussions are more intense and more significant than the material ones.6

For most of us, however, our perception is limited to what can be grasped by our five senses; we are simply not aware of what goes on above. A tzaddik like the Baal Shem Tov sees what transpires in those higher realms and, in his kindness, shares his perception with us so that we can attune our conduct to the true and higher reality.