Baal Shem Tov
Israel ben Eliezer or Yisroel ben Eliezer (1698 – 22 May 1760), known as the Baal Shem Tov (/ˌbɑːl ˈʃɛm ˌtʊv, ˌtʊf/; Hebrew: בעל שם טוב) 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 holy man who wields the secret name of God.
Baal Shem Tov | |
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| Personal | |
| Born | Yisroel ben Eliezer 1698 Okopy Świętej Trójcy, Kingdom of Poland (now Ukraine) |
| Died | 22 May 1760 (6 Sivan 5520) Międzybóż, Kingdom of Poland (now Ukraine) |
| Religion | Judaism |
| Spouse | Ḥanah |
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| Jewish leader | |
| Successor | Dov Ber of Mezeritch (1704–1772) |
The little biographical information about the Baal Shem Tov 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 Shivḥei 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."