Baal Shem Tov

Baal Shem Tov
Baal Shem Tov
Personal
Born	Yisroel ben Eliezer; 1698; Okopy Świętej Trójcy, Kingdom of Poland (now Ukraine)
Died	22 May 1760 (6 Sivan 5520); Międzybóż, Kingdom of Poland (now Ukraine)
Religion	Judaism
Spouse	Ḥanah
Children	Tsvi of Pinsk (1729–1779); Udel (1720–1787);
Parents	Eliezer (father); Sara (mother);
Signature
Jewish leader
Successor	Dov Ber of Mezeritch (1704–1772)

Israel ben Eliezer or Yisroel ben Eliezer (1698^[2] – 22 May 1760), known as the Baal Shem Tov (/ˌbɑːl ˈʃɛm ˌtʊv, ˌtʊf/;^[3] Hebrew: בעל שם טוב) or as the BeShT, was a Jewish mystic and healer who is regarded as the founder of Hasidic Judaism.^[4] "Besht" is the acronym for Baal Shem Tov, which means "Master of the Good Name," a term for a holy man who wields the secret name of God.^[5]

The little biographical information about the Baal Shem Tov comes from oral traditions handed down by his students (Jacob Joseph of Polonne and others) and from the legendary tales about his life and behavior collected in Shivḥei ha-Besht (In Praise of the Ba'al Shem Tov; Kapust and Berdychiv, 1814–15).^[6]

A central tenet in the Baal Shem Tov's teaching 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. His innovation lies in "encouraging worshippers to follow their distracting thoughts to their roots in the divine."^[7]

^ https://yivoencyclopedia.org/article.aspx/Baal_Shem_Tov: "His wife, Ḥanah, was a divorcée"
^ Cite error: The named reference Golding was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Jones, Daniel (2003) [1917], Peter Roach; James Hartmann; Jane Setter (eds.), English Pronouncing Dictionary, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, ISBN 3-12-539683-2
^ Cite error: The named reference je was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ p. 409, The Light and Fire of the Baal Shem Tov, Yitzhak Buxbaum. New York: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2006.
^ Encyclopaedia Judaica, Second Edition, Volume 10, p. 743, Avraham Rubinstein
^ The brilliance of the Baal Shem Tov now in English, Haaretz.

[1] ttps://yivoencyclopedia.org/article.aspx/Baal_Shem_Tov: "His wife, Ḥanah, was a divorcée"

[Golding-2] Cite error: The named reference Golding was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[3] Jones, Daniel (2003) [1917], Peter Roach; James Hartmann; Jane Setter (eds.), English Pronouncing Dictionary, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, ISBN 3-12-539683-2

[je-4] Cite error: The named reference je was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[5] . 409, The Light and Fire of the Baal Shem Tov, Yitzhak Buxbaum. New York: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2006.

[6] Encyclopaedia Judaica, Second Edition, Volume 10, p. 743, Avraham Rubinstein

[7] The brilliance of the Baal Shem Tov now in English, Haaretz.

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Baal Shem Tov
Personal
Born	Yisroel ben Eliezer 1698 Okopy Świętej Trójcy, Kingdom of Poland (now Ukraine)
Died	22 May 1760 (6 Sivan 5520) Międzybóż, Kingdom of Poland (now Ukraine)
Religion	Judaism
Spouse	Ḥanah^[1]
Children	Tsvi of Pinsk (1729–1779) Udel (1720–1787)
Parents	Eliezer (father) Sara (mother)
Signature
Jewish leader
Successor	Dov Ber of Mezeritch (1704–1772)