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Tsava'at Harivash: Testament of Rabbi Israel Baal Shem

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Tsava'at Harivash: Testament of Rabbi Israel Baal Shem English Translation with Introduction, Notes and Commentary by JACOB IMMANUEL SCHOCHET Published and Copyright by KEHOTPUBLICATION SOCIETY 770 Eastern Parkway Brooklyn, New York 11213 Copyright O 1998 by J. Immanuel Schochet Published by Kehot Publication Society 770 Eastern Parkway / Brooklyn, New York 11213 . (718) 774-4000 / FAX (718) 774-2718 e-mail: [email protected] Orders Department: 291 Kingston Avenue / Brooklyn, New York 11213 (718) 778-0226 / FAX (718) 778-4148 All rights resewed, including the right to reproduce this bookor portions thereof, in any form, without prior permission, in writin& from the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-PublicationData Tsava'at ha-%vash. English. The testament of Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov and rules of upright conduct : consisting of instructions . heard from the holy mouth of. Israel Baal Shem Tov . : and to those were added rules of up- right conduct from the man of God . Dov Ber of the community of Mezhirech. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-8266-0399-8 (hard : alk.paper) 1. Ba'al Shem Tov, ca 1700-1760-Will. 2. Wills, Ethical. 3. Hasidism. I. Ba'al Shem Tov, ca.1700-1760. 11. DovBaer, of Mezhirech, d. 1772. 111. Title. BJ1286.W6T7213 1998 296.3'C.c21 98-12351 CIP Printed in the United Sfatex !$America TESTAMENT OF RABBI ISRAEL BAAL SHEM TOV AND RULES OF UPRIGHT CONDUCT CONSISTING OF INSTRUCTIONS, RULES OF PROPER CONDUCT, GREAT AND WONDROUS COUNSELS FOR THE SERVICE OF THE CREATOR,RELATING TO TORAH, PRAYER AND OTHER TRAITS, HEARD FROM THE HOLY MOUTH OF THE MAN OF GOD, THE HOLY LIGHT, OUR MASTER RABBI ISRAEL BAAL SHEM TOV, HIS MEMORY B FOR A BLESSING, FOR THE LIFE OF THE WORLDTO COME;AND TO THESE WERE ADDED RUIES OF UPRIGHT CONDUCT FROM THE MAN OF GOD, THE HOLYLIGHT, OUR MASTER RABBI DOVBER OF THE COMMUNI~OF MEZHIRECH [Text of the original title-page] Foreword ...................................................................................ix Introduction I The Literary Origin of Tzava'at Harivash ........................ xi I1 Basic Concepts in Tzava'at Harivash . Deveikut .........................................................................mil ... Prayer ...........................................................................mill Torah-Study ............................................................... xx Mitzvot ............................................................................xxi . Joy .................................................................................mi Religious Ethics in Daily Life .....................................xxiv Sublimation of Alien Thoughts and Yeridah Tzorech Aliyah ...................................................mi I11 Target of Opposition to Chassidism ....................... xxxvii Tzava'at Harivash ........................................................................ 1 Glossary ..................................................................................147 Bibliography ...........................................................................155 Index of Quotations ...............................................................161 Index of Subjects.................................................................... 167 Appendix ................................................................................181 In 1975, at the behest of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, R. Men- achem M. Schneerson YI~V, I published a new edition of Tzava'at Harivash with source-references, cross-references, brief commentaries, and other supplements. It is most grati- fying that this has become the standard edition, and has already gone through four printings,' each with further addi- tions. In view of the present observance of the 300th anniversary of the birth of R. Israel Baal Shem Tov (18 Elul 5458-6 Sivan 5520), I acceded to many requests and translated Tzava'at Harivash into English. A number of teachings in this work had been translated before, appearing in various studies or an- thologies of the Baal Shem Tov's teachings. This, however, is the first translation of the complete text. This English rendition follows my original Hebrew edi- tion in the division of the text into separate se~tions.~Any translation is of itself an interpretation, for which the transla- tor must assume full responsibility. Even so, I added to each segment brief comments and explanations. These include, 1. A fifth edition, with corrections and further additions, is presently in print and will appear shortly. 2. The only divergence is in joining sections 2 and 3, 5 and 6, 7 and 8, 13 and 14, 17 to 19, 26 and 27, 60 and 61,78 and 79, 82 and 83, and 126 and 127. Careful review of the material convinced me that these combinations are more appropriate than my original division. Also, in line with the nature of the contents as instructions for "proper conduct and practices," the text's general usage of third person was changed (in most cases) to second person. FOREWORD where it was felt to be necessary or helpful, citations of earlier sources that elucidate the contents or indicate authoritative roots for the ideas stated.' An extensive introduction discusses the literary origin of Tzava'af Han'vmh, the central themes that appear in it, and the impact of its publication. Chassidism made it possible that everyone, from scholar to simpleton, be able to taste from the Tree of Life of pnimiyut haTorah, the inner dimension of the Torah, the mystical tradi- tion of Judaism. Indeed, the Baal Shem Tov records in a famous letter addressed to his brother in-law, the renowned R. Abraham Gershon of Kitov, that it was revealed to him that the Messianic redemption will follow when his teachings "will become renowned and will be revealed throughout the world, and 'your wellsprings will be dispersed chutzah (abroad; exter- nally)' . for then the kelipot (aspects of evil) will perish and it will be a time of propitiousness and deliverance." Thus it is our prayerful hope that this work be not only a worthy noting of the present anniversary, but also be condu- cive in brinpng the inspiration of the Baal Shem Tov and Chassidism to an ever-widening audience. This will surely hasten the promise made to the Baa1 Shem Tov of bringing about the Messianic redemption when "the earth shall be full with the knowledge of God as the waters cover the sea" (Isaiah ll:9) "and they shall teach no more every man his neighbor and every man his brother saying, 'Know God,' for they shall all know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them" (Jeremiah3 1:33). J. Immanuel Schochet Toronto, Ont., 11 Nissan, 5758 3. In view of the numerous references to Maaid Devarav Leya'akov the appen- dix offers a comparative table of the principal editions currently in use. INTRODUCTION I THELITERARY ORIGIN OF TZAVA'ATNARNAsH Tzava'at Harivash is one of the earliest Chassidic texts to be published. Its first edition appeared in 1792 or 1793 (no date is mentioned). It was preceded only by R. YalakovYossef of Pol- noy's Toldot Ya'akov Yossef (1780), Ben Porat Yo& (1781) and Tzafnat Pane'ach (1782); and R. Dov Ber of Mezhirech's Mag- gid Devarav Leya'akov, also known as Likkutei Amarim (1781; second edition with supplements 1784; third edition 1792), and Likkutim Yekarim, which incorporates R. Meshulam Feivish of Zborez' Yosher Diwei Emet (1792). Tzava'at Harivash is an anthology of teachings and instruc- tions attributed to the Baal Shem Tov and his successor, R. Dov Ber, the Maggid of Mezhirech. It is identical in form and style to Maggid Devarav Leya'akov and Likkutim Yekarim. To a great extent it is identical to these also in content: the major part of our text appeared already in Likkutim Yekarim, and a few additional sections in Maggid Devarav Leya'akov. In fact, all of its contents can be found in anthologies of the Mamd's teachings, though some of these were published later: all but six' of its 1432 sections appear in Or Ha'emet (first published in 1899); seventy-four appear in Likkutim Yekarim; forty-three appear in the Likkutei Amrim attributed to R. Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk (first published in 1911); thirty-three in Or Torah (first published in 1804); and three (and with some 1. Sections 102, 123, 125, and 141-143. 2. Actually there are only 141 sections: sect. 57 is a duplication of sect. 42, and sect. 113 is a duplication of sect. 51. Note also that sect. 35 is a variation on 42, and sect. 97 is essentially a brief version of sect. 62. variations another five) in Maggid Devarav Leya'akov. Some ap- pear also in Kitvei Kodesh (1884) and in Shemu'ah Tovah (1938). These duplications beg consideration to determine the origin of Tzava'at Harivash. The original title-page reads as follows: "Book ofthe Testament $Rabbi Israel Baal Shem and Han- hagot Yesharot (rules of upright conduct)--that was found in the valise of ... Rabbi Isaiah, Head of the Rabbinic Court and Head of the Academy of the holy commu- nity of Yanow-which consists of tzava'ot (instructions), rules of proper conduct, great and won- drous counsels for the service of the Creator relating to Torah and prayer and other traits, heard from the holy mouth of the Man of God, the Holy Light, our Master Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov, his memory is for a blessing, for the life of the world-to-come. To these were added Hnnhgot Yesharot from the Man of God, the Holy Light, our Master Rabbi Dov Ber of the community of Mezhirech." In the text itself, nineteen sayings appear with the name of the Baal Shem Tov.3 In other early sources we find attribu- tions to the Baal Shem Tov for another five teaching^.^ Explicit attribution to the Maggid appears in our text only once .5 3. Sect. 1, 10, 17-19, 31, 41, 75, 76, 91-93, 96, 100, 101-b, 106, 109, 120 and 124. 4. Sect. 47, 64-65, 69 and 73; see my notes on these sections in the Hebrew edition. 5. Sect. 101. Some have suggested that the heading preceding this section may be meant for all the sections from there on. This appears rather untenable, because it would create the assumption that everything up to there is from the Baal Shem Tov, to the exclusion of the rest, when in fact both parts are of the same nature It is not known who compiled Tzava'at Harivash.
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