Perek 56
Bentzion Meltzer
Wherever a person’s thoughts are, that’s where he fully is.1
1This thought was already expressed in Section 43, regarding the
spiritual world in which a person is at any moment, or the physical
world that surrounds a person at any given time. Perhaps this quote is
adding that this is so not only regarding the surrounding physical
world, but also regarding one’s own physical body, even if one is
actually not “there.” This is because thoughts are so potent and have
such an effect on one’s body, that the thought alone will create the
virtual reality as if the body was indeed “there.” An echo of this
idea is found in the Sages’ teaching that fantasizing about sinning is
worse than the actual act, when one’s mind may likely be somewhere
else
Perek 43
“It was said that whenever Rabbi Yonathan, son of Uziel, sat down to
delve into the Torah, any bird straying over his head was burnt by his
words.”1
“No fly passed over the table of the prophet Elisha.”2
The Baal Shem Tov taught:
A person is surrounded by spiritual worlds that mirror his thoughts.
If his thoughts are holy, then he is surrounded by holy worlds, but if
his thoughts are impure, then he is he surrounded by impure worlds.
By the same token, wherever a person’s thoughts are, and whichever
worlds surround him, so too he is surrounded in this earthly world, be
it with kosher birds and animals, or non-kosher birds and animals.3
There are three categories of worlds: the pure, the impure, and the in-
between. Above these categories is the world of pure thought, which
cannot be fathomed.
This, then, is why any bird straying above Rabbi Yonathan son of Uziel
was burnt.4 And because no fly passed over Elisha’s table, his host
knew that he his thoughts were holy and that he was a holy man.
1 Tractate Sukkah 28a
2 Tractate Brakhoth 10b
3 In the source text (Ben Porath Yoseph 56d-57a), the Baal Shem Tov
adds that whatever happens to a person is also a mirror of his inner
world. Thus, G•d is constantly talking to each and everyone of us,
trying to make us aware of what is going on inside us. Hence, when we
see some human act “out there” that is “non-kosher,” we should look
inside ourselves for similar failings, rather than judge the other
person.
4 "Straying birds" is an allusion to straying thoughts, which were
“burnt” by Rabbi Yonathan’s Torah study. Similarly, no fly, being a
non-kosher creature, flew over Elisha’s table, because his thoughts
were always holy.
Translation and Commentary by Rabbi Yehoshua Starrett and reprinted
with the kind permission of the Baal Shem Tov Foundation. Please visit
www.baalshemtov.com
Join a class on the Perekim from the Kesser Shem Tov: Shabbos morning
9am in the Shteibel Minyan Beis Medresh
Also, write to Bent...@besht-yomi.org to receive the Teachings of the
Baal Shem Tov in your email inbox, visit and join a discussion group
on the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov at http://groups.google.com/group/teachings_of_the_besht?hl=en
Publicize the Teachings of the Baal Shem Tov To Help Bring
Moshiach Right NOW!
Joseph A. Cleary
With every thing happening to the boy in question,
changes abound. How ever this is the way of life, everything changes and
nothing stays the way that it is except for Hashem.
The child was made a teachers assistant, and then to
study the Torah taught to him by a Tzaddik actually two of them. Though they
might not look the part, but then looks can be deceiving, as everything
isn't as it appears to be not all the time.
Whether it was a werewolf or not only Hashem will know
beyond a doubt, the real trouble was seen and dealt with.
Friend, I do thank you for all that you do, just so I
pray that four fast was a easy one.
Do be well.
Shalom, Shalom, Yosef
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bentzion Meltzer" <bzme...@gmail.com>
To: "Teachings_of_the_Besht" <teachings_o...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Monday, July 12, 2010 8:23 PM
Subject: Perek 56
The Baal Shem Tov taught:
Wherever a person�s thoughts are, that�s where he fully is.1
1This thought was already expressed in Section 43, regarding the
spiritual world in which a person is at any moment, or the physical
world that surrounds a person at any given time. Perhaps this quote is
adding that this is so not only regarding the surrounding physical
world, but also regarding one�s own physical body, even if one is
actually not �there.� This is because thoughts are so potent and have
such an effect on one�s body, that the thought alone will create the
virtual reality as if the body was indeed �there.� An echo of this
idea is found in the Sages� teaching that fantasizing about sinning is
worse than the actual act, when one�s mind may likely be somewhere
else
Perek 43
�It was said that whenever Rabbi Yonathan, son of Uziel, sat down to
delve into the Torah, any bird straying over his head was burnt by his
words.�1
�No fly passed over the table of the prophet Elisha.�2
The Baal Shem Tov taught:
A person is surrounded by spiritual worlds that mirror his thoughts.
If his thoughts are holy, then he is surrounded by holy worlds, but if
his thoughts are impure, then he is he surrounded by impure worlds.
By the same token, wherever a person�s thoughts are, and whichever
worlds surround him, so too he is surrounded in this earthly world, be
it with kosher birds and animals, or non-kosher birds and animals.3
There are three categories of worlds: the pure, the impure, and the in-
between. Above these categories is the world of pure thought, which
cannot be fathomed.
This, then, is why any bird straying above Rabbi Yonathan son of Uziel
was burnt.4 And because no fly passed over Elisha�s table, his host
knew that he his thoughts were holy and that he was a holy man.
1 Tractate Sukkah 28a
2 Tractate Brakhoth 10b
3 In the source text (Ben Porath Yoseph 56d-57a), the Baal Shem Tov
adds that whatever happens to a person is also a mirror of his inner
world. Thus, G�d is constantly talking to each and everyone of us,
trying to make us aware of what is going on inside us. Hence, when we
see some human act �out there� that is �non-kosher,� we should look
inside ourselves for similar failings, rather than judge the other
person.
4 "Straying birds" is an allusion to straying thoughts, which were
�burnt� by Rabbi Yonathan�s Torah study. Similarly, no fly, being a
non-kosher creature, flew over Elisha�s table, because his thoughts
were always holy.
Translation and Commentary by Rabbi Yehoshua Starrett and reprinted
with the kind permission of the Baal Shem Tov Foundation. Please visit
www.baalshemtov.com
Join a class on the Perekim from the Kesser Shem Tov: Shabbos morning
9am in the Shteibel Minyan Beis Medresh
Also, write to Bent...@besht-yomi.org to receive the Teachings of the
Baal Shem Tov in your email inbox, visit and join a discussion group
on the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov at
http://groups.google.com/group/teachings_of_the_besht?hl=en
Publicize the Teachings of the Baal Shem Tov To Help Bring
Moshiach Right NOW!
--