Baal Shem Tov
Jewish mystic and healer
Died when: 61 years 271 days (740 months)Star Sign: Virgo
Israel ben Eliezer (1698 – 22 May 1760), known as the Baal Shem Tov (Hebrew: ??? ?? ???, /?b??l '??m ?t?v, ?t?f/) or as the Besht, was a Jewish mystic and healer who is regarded as the founder of Hasidic Judaism. "Besht" is the acronym for Baal Shem Tov, which means "Master of the Good Name," a term for a magician who wields the secret name of God.
The little biographical information about the Besht 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 Shiv?ei ha-Besht (In Praise of the Ba'al Shem Tov;
Kapust and Berdychiv, 1814–15). 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." Those who follow his teachings regard him as descended from the Davidic line that traces its lineage to the royal house of David.
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