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(Donations collected through my friend, Burt West's PayPal account.)
(Donations collected through my friend, Burt West's PayPal account.)


INSPIRING QUOTE FROM
THE BAAL SHEM TOV
- as brought in Nesiv Mitzvosechah (Nesiv Emunah, Shevil 5, #1) by the Kamarna Rebbi (1858)
I heard an allegory from my ancestor [the Baal Shem Tov] of a king who made many barriers through visual illusions, one inside the other, and between each barrier were rivers, many frightening soldiers, bears, lions, snakes and scorpions, in order that people would be afraid to approach him. And the light of the face of the king shone throughout all the worlds, and the glow and the pleasantness of the splendor of his glory filled all the earth. But the barriers and those things surrounding them hid the face of the king, but it was all with visual illusion. And announcements were sent out: “He who will come to the king and receive his face and the light of the splendor of the glow of his glory, the king will give him his daughter and wealth and honor.” And who wouldn’t want this?
But when one came to the first wall and he saw so many frightening things, his heart was taken aback. But there were those who went through several walls, one inside the other. And between each wall there were many princes appointed by the king who were giving out much money to him who came within the wall. And sometimes, when he would see that much wealth and storehouses of delightful treasures had already come to his hand, he would stop there and delay with this, and when the frightening things strengthened themselves, he would go back. And even though in truth he had gone through several walls and rivers and nothing bad had happened to him, and there was no water and no wall, nevertheless since each wall was high and frightening with doors and bolts, in order to frighten more, when he saw the frightening things he would go back.
But the son of the king whose insides churned for the king, and also the compassion of the king was upon him to shine on him the light of the face of the living king - and from the light of the face of the king, he who was worthy to taste, the taste of light - sweet, dear, delightful and pleasant things, the glow of his splendor, his face shining and glowing.
And when he comes to the frightening and concealing walls, he creis and implores, “My compassionate father, a king as compassionate as you hides himself with concealments like these? And I, please, I come!” And he shouts and cries. And he is disgusted with all the wealth and the honor that was distributed to him, because his fundamental longing is to merit to receive the glow and the pleasant splendor of his compassionate father.
And with the power of his heart, broken into a thousand pieces by the terrifying blows and frightening things, he gives himself over with force to jump over the walls and rivers, and he scatters all his wealth until he is made into nothing, all only to receive the light of the face of the king, from love of the king and his desire for the root of his compassionate father.
And when he comes in front of his father, his father removes these visual illusions and says to him, “My son, look from one end of the world to the other.” And he sees that there is no curtain there and no wall and no snakes or scorpions, only level land and gardens and orchards, and the ministers of the king are all there, and they are all singing and playing for the king of glory, and there is nothing bad there at all, and the king sits on his throne and the land is lit up from his glory.
And the son cries, “My father, compassionate father, how could you have hid your face, and you yourself were with me there through all the pain and through all the concealment!”
And then the king gives him his daughter, and many gifts, and he rules throughout the world, and all the coverings pass away, except a few, sometimes, at distant times, when the king wants to elevate him higher, but no more thick or frightening barriers like at first.
- for a more inspiring rendering of this same allegory, click here.
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