The Story of the Revelation of the Baal Shem Tov

The Daily Chizzuk of Moreinu HaRav Eliezer Berland shlit”a – The virtue of the trait of bitachon (trust in God) – It’s forbidden to fear

Monday, 26 Cheshvan 5786 – Why did the hidden Tzaddik, Rabbi Adam Baal Shem, give his daughter as a bride to a man who had the appearance of a boorish gentile peasant?

These are his holy words:

It is written, “Because I feared a fright, and it has overtaken me; what I dreaded has come upon me” (Iyov 3:24)
At age five, the Baal Shem Tov’s father passed away, but one thing he knew – do not fear! He suddenly saw a bear in his town of Okop; the bear had come from the zoo. The Baal Shem Tov was a melamed (teacher). He would help children. They were walking in the street and suddenly a bear came along. The Baal Shem Tov made the bear flee, struck it, and killed it. Then everyone understood that he was a holy man.
People who had a dispute would come to him and he would make peace between them. The public didn’t know that he knew how to learn. He pretended like he didn’t know how to learn, didn’t understand books, didn’t know anything -- didn’t even know how to say Tehillim.
Until Rabbi Adam (Rabbi Adam Baal Shem) arrived – the one who created a golem. There was a Din Torah (a case in Torah law) there, and the Baal Shem Tov succeeded in resolving it, and then Rabbi Adam understood that this was a very great man, a hidden Tzaddik. He said, “Reveal to me who you are.” He revealed himself to him, and then Rabbi Adam wrote a document that he would give him his daughter. His daughter was the sister of Gershon Kitover, who was the Av Beit Din in Brody.
Suddenly, they brought before Rabbi Gershon of Kitov the bundle, the whole sack, and took out from it the documents. In the sack, they saw a document on which was written that Rabbi Adam gave his daughter to someone by the name of Rabbi Yisrael of Okop. Rabbi Gershon didn’t know who this was. Suddenly, someone arrives with giant boots, a peasant’s hat pulled down over his eyes, and an immense, cumbersome coat of a Russian gentile peasant, and he says, “Yes, it is I.” He also brought a document. There were two documents. Suddenly, Rabbi Gershon of Kitov had darkness in his eyes. Quickly, he ran to his sister and told her, “You are not obligated to marry him; it does not obligate you.” She answered, “I do not care about anything – my father signed. Perhaps righteous children will descend from him. I don’t know. I know that my father signed. I’m going to the wedding and nothing else makes any difference to me.
Rabbi Gershon of Kitov persisted with her and said, “But he is an am ha’aretz (an ignoramus). He doesn’t know how to read or write.” The Baal Shem Tov, who wanted her to go joyfully to the chuppah, surprised her on the night before. He knocked on the window and revealed to her that he is a hidden Tzaddik. His intention was that she should not think her father had deceived her. Abba never deceives.