The Power of Letters and Song: The Wondrous Miracle of the Baal Shem Tov in Istanbul
Lesson No. 134 | Monday, Parshas Ki Tisa, 11 Adar 5758 - 2 lessons regarding the selling of letters for a Torah scroll in the name of the Baal Shem Tov, at the Rav's house in the Old City walls
The holy Baal Shem Tov traveled to Istanbul on his way to the Land of Israel, and in the merit of singing the verse "To Him Who alone does great wonders" with mesirus nefesh (self-sacrifice), he nullified a decree of annihilation against the Jews of the city. Later in the journey, the Baal Shem Tov and his disciples were saved from the danger of death through crying out the letters of the Aleph-Beis, which teaches us about the immense power of the holy letters.
The holy Baal Shem Tov had a custom not to keep any money overnight. He maintained this practice even on his journey to the Land of Israel; he would distribute all his money to charity, and the next day he would always receive new money. Thus he traveled from village to village, taking with him his daughter Edel and his scribe, Rabbi Hirsch.
They traveled until they reached a port city, from where they took a ship to Istanbul. On that exact day, the Baal Shem Tov was brought the exact amount of money needed for the ship's fare, but he had nothing left for the holiday needs—neither for matzos, nor for wine, nor for anything else. On the eve of Pesach, the Baal Shem Tov arrived in Istanbul, placed his luggage in the basement of one of the hotels, and went to the synagogue to recite Shir HaShirim (Song of Songs) and prepare himself for the Seder night.
Divine Providence on the Eve of Pesach
At that time, a very wealthy man who had not been blessed with children lived in Berlin. No doctor was able to help him, until he was advised to travel to the Baal Shem Tov. When he arrived in Mezhibozh, he was told that the Baal Shem Tov had already set out on his journey. The wealthy man immediately hired a carriage with four horses and began to chase after him. Every time he reached a city, he was told that the Baal Shem Tov had already moved on, until he reached the port city and heard that the Rav had boarded a ship to Istanbul.
The wealthy man, who possessed great fortune, bought all the holiday necessities in that city—matzos, wine, fish, meat, and every kosher food available—and chartered a private ship. He arrived in Istanbul on the eve of Pesach, rented the most magnificent hall in one of the hotels, and set a royal table for the Seder night. Afterward, he went to the seashore to search for the Baal Shem Tov.
On the seashore, he met a woman and asked her if she had seen a Jew with peyos called the Baal Shem Tov. "Yes, that is my father," Edel answered him. She took him to the hotel, and it turned out to be the exact same hotel where they had left their belongings. They immediately brought everything up to the magnificent hall, and Edel went to wait for her father outside the synagogue. When the Baal Shem Tov emerged, his face was "shining like the brightness of the firmament, like the sun at noon." He had no worry whatsoever about where he would eat the holiday meal. When his daughter informed him that everything was ready, no change was visible on his face.
The Death Throes and the Song of Salvation
They went up to the magnificent hall and began conducting the Seder. Suddenly, Edel saw her father pull his head back and begin to convulse in actual death throes for five minutes. Suddenly, the Baal Shem Tov cried out in a loud voice: "Even so! Even so!" and continued the Seder with peak enthusiasm.
When he reached the recitation of Hallel, he sang with immense dveikus (spiritual attachment) the verse:
"To Him Who alone does great wonders, for His loving-kindness is eternal."
He promised the wealthy couple that they would be blessed with viable offspring above the laws of nature, and he continued the Seder with tremendous enthusiasm.
But behind the scenes, a heavenly drama was unfolding. When the Baal Shem Tov arrives in a certain city, there are millions of hidden reasons for it. On that eve of Pesach, a terrible decree of annihilation hovered over the Jews of Istanbul, planned to be executed on the morning of the holiday. One minister, who loved the Jews and knew the secret, could not fall asleep. At one o'clock in the morning, he ran to the heads of the community and warned them of the planned massacre.
Nullifying the Decree in the Dead of Night
The terrified community leaders rushed to the palace of the Sultan's mother and woke her at two in the morning. She was horrified by what she heard, immediately took a carriage with four horses, and galloped to her son's palace. On their way, they passed by the hotel and heard the Baal Shem Tov singing with tears and indescribable dveikus: "To Him Who alone does great wonders, for His loving-kindness is eternal." They had never heard a person sing a single verse for so many long hours.
The Sultan's mother reached her son and woke him in a panic. She told him that she had seen his father in a dream, and he threatened that by morning not a trace of their family would remain because of a decree that had been issued. "What have you done?" she interrogated him, until he confessed that he had issued a decree against the Jews. "Pharaoh started with the Jews and drowned in the Red Sea; Sisera and Haman started with them and their end is known. Run immediately to tear up the decree!" she commanded him.
The Sultan tore up the decree, and his mother brought the good news to the Jews. When the community leaders returned to their homes towards morning, the Baal Shem Tov was still standing and enthusiastically singing that same verse. In the morning, when everyone understood the magnitude of the miracle, the Baal Shem Tov told them: "Were it not for this Jew who sang, the decree would not have been nullified and all these miracles would not have occurred."
The Secret of the Letters: Salvation from the Island of Cannibals
During Chol HaMoed (the intermediate days of the festival), the Baal Shem Tov chartered a ship and continued on his way to the Land of Israel. Along the way, the ship stopped at an island to rest. The Baal Shem Tov, Edel, and Rabbi Hirsch the scribe entered the heart of the forest for hisbodedus (secluded prayer). Suddenly, a tribe of cannibals captured them. They tied them to trees and began sharpening their knives to slaughter them.
Rabbi Hirsh cried out in terror: "Rebbe! Why are you silent? Say something! All my mochin (spiritual intellect) have departed from me; I don't remember anything!" The Baal Shem Tov answered him: "My mochin have departed as well. But do you remember the letters? Do you remember the Aleph-Beis? Start shouting Aleph, Beis, Gimmel, Daled!"
As soon as Rabbi Hirsh began shouting the letters of the Aleph-Beis, the sound of an approaching carriage was suddenly heard. The cannibals were frightened and fled. A wondrous man descended from the carriage—who was none other than Eliyahu HaNavi (Elijah the Prophet)—cut their ropes, brought them up into the carriage, and took them to the shore. A sailing ship was waiting for them there, which brought them back to Istanbul exactly in time for the Seventh Day of Pesach.
From this, we learn the immense power of the letters. "A person only needs to say the letters, twenty-four hours a day to say the letters. If he would only say the letters, nothing else is needed." This is the tremendous power of song and the letters of the Torah, through which one can sweeten all the harsh judgments and bring about salvations and wonders far beyond the laws of nature.
Part 1 of 2 — Lesson No. 134
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