Baal Shem Tov | |
|---|---|
| Personal | |
| Born | Yisroel ben Eliezer c. 1700 Okopy Świętej Trójcy, Kingdom of Poland (now Ukraine) |
| Died | 1760 Międzybóż, Kingdom of Poland (now Ukraine) |
| Religion | Judaism |
| Spouse | Ḥannah (only named in legends) |
| Children |
|
| Parents |
|
| Jewish leader | |
| Successor | Dov Ber of Mezeritch (1704–1772) |
Israel ben Eliezer[a] (c. 1700[1] –1760[2]), known as the Baal Shem Tov (/ˌbɑːl ˈʃɛm ˌtʊv, ˌtʊf/;[3] Hebrew: בעל שם טוב) or BeShT (בעש"ט), was a Jewish mystic and healer who is regarded as the founder of Hasidic Judaism. A baal shem tov is a "Master of the Good Name," that is, one able to work miracles using the secret name of God.[4][5] Other sources explain his sobriquet as arising from a reputation of being a saintly, or superior, miracle-worker, hence he was given the nickname Baal Shem Tov, that is, the "good Baal Shem".[6][7]
Biographical information about the Baal Shem Tov comes from contemporary Polish documents and from the largely legendary traditions about his life and behavior collected in Shivḥei haBesht.[8]
A central tenet of the teachings associated with the Baal Shem Tov is the direct connection with the divine, "dvekut", which is infused in every human activity and every waking hour. Prayer is of supreme importance, along with the mystical significance of Hebrew letters and words.[9]
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
- ^ According to a forged document from the "Kherson Geniza", accepted only by Habad Hasidim, he was born in October 1698. Some Hasidic traditions place his birth as early as 1690, while Simon Dubnow and other modern scholars argue for a date around 1700.
- ^ Hasidic sources give various dates around the year 1760. In his last documentary appearance, Israel was listed as a Medzhybizh resident in a 1760 census.
- ^ Jones, Daniel (2003) [1917], Peter Roach; James Hartmann; Jane Setter (eds.), English Pronouncing Dictionary, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, ISBN 3-12-539683-2
- ^
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Singer, Isidore; et al., eds. (1901–1906). "BA'AL SHEM-ṬOB, ISRAEL B. ELIEZER". The Jewish Encyclopedia. New York: Funk & Wagnalls.
- ^ Rosman, Moshe (2013-06-20). Founder of Hasidism: A Quest for the Historical Ba'al Shem Tov. Liverpool University Press. ISBN 978-1-909821-11-8.
- ^ Simon Dubnow (1916). History of the Jews in Russia and Poland, pgs 223-224. Jewish Publication Society of America.
- ^ H. Sperling (1913). "Jewish Sectaries III: Chassidim" (The Jewish Review) p.137. G. Routledge and Sons, Limited.
- ^ Shivḥei haBesht. Kopys: Israel Jaffe. 1815.
- ^ The brilliance of the Baal Shem Tov now in English, Haaretz.
