Weekly Story: Rabbi Eliyahu Baal Shem of Worms, Germany

by Rabbi Sholom DovBer Avtzon 

I was asked by a former student, being that Shavuos is the Yahrzeit of the Baal Shem Tov, if I can write something of the historical background of the era before the Baal Shem Tov revealed himself and began teaching his students Chassidus. Thinking it over, I decided to write the following historical background. The section on Rabbi Eliyahu Baal Shem of Worms is based primarily on what the Frierdiker Rebbe wrote in the 2 volume set, The Lubavitcher Rebbe Memories.

As always, your comments and feedback are welcomed and greatly appreciated. 

Throughout the generations there were individuals who learned Kabbalah. In Eretz Yisroel and the countries around it it was more prevalent and there were even yeshivos that were geared for mekubalim. However, in European countries it wasn’t to such an extent. Individual talmidei Chachomim (Torah scholars) learned it and some even taught it to their students, but it was not public knowledge. One of the first ones was Rabbi Eliyahu Baal Shem of Worms. His successor was Rabbi Adam Baal Shem of Zamostz who was succeeded by Rabbi Adam Baal Shem of Ropshitz.

Rabbi Adam is the one that informed Rabbi Yisroel Baal Shem Tov Baal that his Neshoma was sent down to this world to revive the Jewish people, and the way to do so is by revealing to them a new way in how one is to serve Hashem. 

Now let us give some biographical and historical background of this.

Rabbi Eliyahu Baal Shem of Worms was born in the year 5396 (1536). As one can see from the wonderous story of his birth, his Neshoma came down to accomplish something unique, something most Neshomos wouldn’t be able to do.

In the year 5366 (1501) a Spanish Jew named Rabbi Yosef Yozpa settled in the city of Cracow, Poland. Although he had no relatives there and he himself was unmarried who kept to himself, people saw that his entire day was devoted to davening and learning and they recognized his righteousness, and they showed him the proper respect. 

As the years passed their esteem for him grew. But suddenly after living in Cracow for thirty years in solitude, his entire way of life changed. 

A young Jewish merchant was murdered and left behind his bereaved childless widow. Six months later Rabbi Yosef, who was now eighty years old came to the Beis Din (Rabbinical court) and to their shock he informed them of his intention of marrying the young widow. In his humility, he didn’t tell them that he made this decision because he was told to do so by Eliyahu Hanavi, who was learning with him on a constant basis. Eliyahu explained to him that they will be blessed with a child who would possess such a pure soul, as that soul is being sent to this world with the mission of helping the entire Jewish nation. 

The Beis Din was at a loss as what they should do, but then the widow came to the court and said that her departed husband came to her in a dream and informed her that she was destined to marry Rabbi Yosef Yuzpa. The Beis Din then informed her that Rabbi Yosef also expressed an interest in marrying her, she expressed a sense of relief and burst into tears of joy. 

The entire community rejoiced in her happiness and came to participate in the wedding. A year later they were blessed with a son, whom they named Eliyahu after Eliyahu HaNavi.

At the age of two, the boy was already learning Torah with his father. His father taught him until the age of Bar Mitzva, in holiness and seclusion from mundane matters. No one realized that in addition of teaching him the Talmud, Halachah and Jewish Philosophy, his father was also teaching him Kabbalah, and that the young boy would join him is reciting Tikkun Chatzos every night.

Two weeks before the boy’s Bar Mitzva, Rav Yosef informed his wife that the time had come for his soul to return to its Creator. He asked her not to cry or mourn over him too much. Additionally, in order for their son to fulfill his holy mission, she must permit him to follow the path he will choose without interference.  

At the age of ninety-two, the hidden tzaddik, Rabbi Yosef Yozpa was niftar. Several weeks after Eliyahu’s Bar Mitzva, he told his mother that he wished to leave their home and wander in exile to learn. Being that she was prepared for this eventuality, she blessed him that Hashem should protect and guide him throughout his life. 

During the next forty years, no one knew of Eliyahu’s whereabouts, where he was or what he did. When he and his wife settled in Worms, Germany, he was already famous as Rabbi Eliyahu Baal Shem. Rabbi Eliyahu was the first one to be called Baal Shem as he had gained fame as a performer of wonders and miracles, and people from near and far streamed to him to find balm for their troubles and ailments. 

As noted, Rabbi Eliyahu was gifted with a most brilliant mind, capable of absorbing the deepest thoughts of the Torah, including mystical knowledge that flowed from the Holy Zohar, as it was expounded by the Arizal and Rabbi Moshe Cordovero (known as the RaMak). He also possessed the power of clarification and of oratory. 

When he settled in Worms, he opened a yeshiva for exceptional students and also taught them Kabbalah. As more and more students began flocking to him, the opposition to the study of Kabbalah grew as well. The most prominent of his detractors was Rabbi Pinchas Zelig, the Rov of Speyer (a nearby city in Germany).  

The argument whether Kabbalah was to be taught to select individuals or not, was not limited just to this locality, it was discussed and debated in many Jewish communities, and the Maharal of Prague, heard about it he investigated it and then sent his grandson to inform Rabbi Eliyahu that he is welcomed to settle in Prague, Czechoslovakia. and the community would financially support the yeshiva. 

Rabbi Eliyahu did so and remained there for the remainder of his life. He was blessed with longevity and was nistalek at the age of 118.

Among his most prominent talmidim (disciples) was his successor, Rabbi Yoel Baal Shem of Zamostz, Rabbi Yuzpa Shamesh, Rabbi Gershon Shaul Yom Tov Lipman HaLevi Heller, known by his commentary as the Tosfos Yom Tov. 

The Alter Rebbe’s great-grandfather, Rabbi Baruch Batlan was also one of his talmidim.

Although he didn’t write a sefer, his teachings were passed down to the Jewish people through his many talmidim. One of his greatest accomplishments was the establishment of the network of tzaddikim nistarim, great tzaddikim who concealed their greatness by working as regular laborers living among ordinary Jews and inspiring them to say Tehillim every day as well as participate in listening to the Rabbi when he taught the stories of Ein Yaakov and learning lessons from them. 

A Taste of Chassidus         V’zucharti es Bris Rishonim 5734 

In the maamar the Rebbe explains the first words of Parshas Bechukosi.  

The parsha begins with the words Ihm Bechukosai tehleichu, which seemingly would mean, If you will go in the way My statutes guide you. However, Rashi explains that it can’t mean that we are to fulfill the mitzvos, as that is written in the next few words, rather the meaning is; you should toil in the learning of the Torah.

We are taught that the proper way to toil and learn Torah is by verbally expressing the words when you learn. When one expresses words, the words are no longer connected to the person, in contrast to when a person merely thinks and contemplates the concept they are learning. 

Based on this, one can ask, why does the Torah use the word of Bechukosai, whose root is Chok, which is connected to the word of chakikah, which refers to letters that are engraved, (meaning they are part of the item they are engraved into and not separated from it). Shouldn’t it use a word that expresses the concept that the words should be expressed and separate from where it emanated from or are written on, just as spoken words are separate from the person speaking. 

This is the difference between the Luchos, where the words were engraved into the stone and a sefer Torah where the letters are written in ink on the parchment.

 In order to answer this question, we first have to understand how the concept of engraved letters versus written letters apply to a person and their Avodah (service) to Hashem. In other words, where, by a person are letters completely connected only to them and are not connected or even intended to anyone else. 

In simple words, the whole essence of words is in order to convey a thought or message to someone else. Therefore, words and letters are essentially separated from the person, so where do we find that they are completely connected only to the person and are not separated from him at all? 

Chassidus answers this question by using the two vowels of Kumatz and patach which make the uhh and aah sounds respectively as an example. Whenever a person says a patach (the aah sound) the cheeks pull back and the opening in the mouth widens. While when the uhh sound is pronounced the upper and lower parts of the jaw become distant from each other. 

Not that the person thinks to do so but it occurs automatically, without them realizing that is what happens.

Being that the person doesn’t have to think about doing it, that demonstrates that it comes from a source that is higher than thought and even higher than a persons’ desire (which in  Chassidic terminology is the level of Kesser), and that is the level where the source of vowels and speech, they are one with the person.

So in essence the Torah is telling us that in order for our Torah study to accomplish everything it can, our verbal learning has to be with that sense that our complete essence is involved, and not just that at this moment I am learning. 

The question then becomes, if you are speaking about such an exalted level, that is higher than kesser, or in other words higher than seder hishtalshilus, what is the meaning that the person will be rewarded that the land will give its produce. What can be higher than where the person is coming from?

The answer is there are two levels of learning. One is that I am learning to understand the concept. The deeper level is when one learns in order to know how to conduct themselves. When one learns in order to know how they should actually fulfill the mitzvah, they delve into it entirely, there is no such thing as I could stop here. No, I can’t stop until I get to it’s conclusion and that is its original source.

So while the source of the engraved letters is higher than Kesser, and that indeed is a very lofty level, nevertheless, the purpose of letters is to limit the revelation of that concept to a certain level, and in Chassidus it is explained that limitations are connected to vessels which limits the light which is within it. 

So the possuk is informing us that by learning Torah properly, one attains the higher level of reaching the light that illuminates the vessels.

This thought is also expressed in the Talmud: the Talmud asks what is greater, learning Torah or fulfilling mitzvos? The Talmud replies, Torah is greater when one learns it in order to fulfill the mitzvos, as then you have the greatness of both of them.

So we see, the Talmud is stating that there are two distinct levels of learning Torah. One is just learning for the sake of understanding Hashem’s will. But a higher level is learning in order to be able to fulfill Hashem’s mitzvos.

Rabbi Avtzon is a veteran mechanech and the author of numerous books on the Rebbeiim and their chassidim. He is available to farbreng in your community and can be contacted at avtzonbooks@gmail.com.