BS’D
Today’s daily dose is dedicated L’iluy nishmat my dear Step-Father Shlomo ben Joya and Micha-El z’l. We miss him so much. May his neshama bask in the Divine radiance among all of the righteous souls who have departed from this world, Amen.
This week we will tell stories. Praising tsaddikim with stories is like praising Hashem. Stories of the tsaddikim are stories describing Hashem’s personal intervention with this world; a meeting between Shamayim v’Aretz (Heaven and Earth). Tales of tsaddikim awaken our soul driving us to seek a closer relationship with Hashem. After hearing stories of the righteous men and women of Ahm Yisrael, our hearts yearn with a fiery flame to devote ourselves to be a more perfect Eved Hashem (loyal Jew). These stories are likened to a prayer.
The Ba’al Shem Tov HaKadosh himself promised that reading stories about him showers us with yeshuot (spiritual assistance and help) in every area of life. Each story stirs our hearts with a desire to do teshuva and this alone helps atone for our transgressions. Here is a simple story to start our week of storytelling:
It happened once that the Ba’al Shem Tov ztk’l became aware of a Heavenly decree that a certain Jewish settlement would be destroyed. He made a soul-ascent and saw that the decree was final and could not be changed. On his return descent he was stopped by the brilliant light emanating from one of the different Heavenly palaces.
After investigating the source of this dazzling illumination he learned that it was a reward for a certain Jewish tailor who had memorized the entire sefer Tehillim and recited it five times a day as he worked. The sparkling came from the letters of his Tehillim.
The Ba’al Shem Tov quickly made his way to the tailor and asked, “If you knew that by using your merit in the World-to Come you could save a Jewish community, would you do so?” The tailor replied, “If I have a portion in the World-to-Come, I willingly give it as a gift to save that community.” That moment the decree was nullified. The humble goodness of ordinary man is highly valuable in Shamayim.
