In his early years, before he went public with his teachings and disciples
came from far and wide to learn from him, the founder of Chassidic movement,
Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov, was an incessant traveler.
Dressed in the clothes of
a simple villager, he would travel from town to town and from hamlet to hamlet,
asking questions. "How are things?" he would inquire of the water-carrier
yoked to his pails, of the market-woman minding her stall, of the child playing
in the doorway of his home. "Is there enough to eat? Is everyone healthy?" "Baruch
Hashem, blessed be the Almighty, all is fine" or "Thanks to the Almighty,
things are improving," these simple, G-d-fearing and G-d-trusting Jews would
reply, and the traveler would depart with the gratified step of one who has
found what he was seeking.
One day, Rabbi Israel arrived in a village and made his way to the study
hall. There, in a corner, sat an ancient Torah scholar over his books, wrapped
in tallit and tefillin. This was the village porush
("ascetic"), who led a life of holy seclusion. From sunrise to sunset, not a
morsel of bread nor a sip of water would pass his lips; he spoke to no one and
never lifted his eyes from the sacred tomes. For more than fifty years he had
kept to this regimen, utterly removed from the mundane cares of material life.
So why was this stranger pestering him? "How are things?," he was
inquiring, "Is there enough to eat? Is everyone healthy?" The ascetic made no
reply, hoping the stranger would go away. But the stranger only leaned closer,
and his questioning grew more insistent. Impatiently, the ascetic waved him
away, pointing him to the door.
"Rabbi," the stranger now asked, "why are you denying G-d His
livelihood?"
The words had their desired effect: the old man was roused to indignant
attention. G-d's livelihood?! The audacity of this uncouth peasant! "What are
you saying?" he demanded in a thunderous voice. "How dare you disturb me with
such blasphemous babble!"
"Only what King David, the sweet singer of Israel, proclaims in his
Psalms," replied the Baal Shem Tov. "Tell me, Rabbi, what is the meaning of
the verse , 'And You, the Holy One, who dwells by the praises of
Israel'1? "
"We mortal beings," continued the Baal Shem Tov when the porush made
no reply, "subsist on the sustenance that G-d provides us in His great
kindness. But what does G-d 'subsist' on? On the praises of Israel! When one Jew
asks another, 'How are things' and his fellow responds by praising and thanking
the Almighty, they are nourishing G-d, deepening His involvement with His
creation."
