Sterna Citron - Why the Baal Shem Tov Laughed: Fifty-Two Stories about Our Great Chasidic Rabbis

WHY
THE BAAL SHEM TOV
LAUGHED

Fifty-two Stories about
Our Great Chasidic Rabbis

Sterna Citron

A JASON ARONSON BOOK

ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD PUBLISHERS, INC.

Published in the United States of America
by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
A wholly owned subsidiary of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706
www.rowmanlittlefield.com

Estover Road
Plymouth PL6 7PY
United Kingdom

Copyright 1993 by Sterna Citron

All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from Jason Aronson Inc. except in the case of brief quotations in reviews for inclusion in a magazine, newspaper, or broadcast.

ISBN 0-87668-350-2
ISBN: 978-0-87668-350-7

Library of Congress Number 92-39644

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.

Printed in the United States of America

Dedicated
to the precious memory
of my beloved father

Rabbi Eli Chaim Carlebach

whose bedtime stories,
so warmly told to my sisters and me,
were chasidic tales
and whose lullabies,
so sweetly sung,
were chasidic nigunim

My heartfelt thanks go to:

My friends who pushed, prodded, and encouraged me to write, among them Elizabeth Lund, Rivka Chroman, Liora Varon, Rochel Schochet, Shoshana Bracha Plotke, and others, and my sisters Sheina Berkowitz, Yocheved Baila (Billie) Dayan, Fraidy Laufer, and Esty Kugel, who, because of their high expectations of me, I could not let down,

Typists Yocheved Novack and Sherri Sakoff, Yocheved for her feedback and critiquing and Sherri for her punctiliousness and promptness,

Al Saunders of Newcastle Publishing, who has given me wise counsel at crucial times,

Enrique Gascon for generously giving his photographic expertise,

Publisher Arthur Kurzweil for realizing the possibility of expanding the one small story I gave him to an anthology of 52 stories, and to his able editors, especially Janet Warner,

My children, who, while always proud of their mothers achievements, were never afraid to tell the truth about anything she wrote,

My mother, Hadassa Carlebach, may she live many long years in good health, who has praised and encouraged my writing since I was a child,

And my husband, Rabbi Chaim Zev Citron, without whom this book could never have seen the light of day. He compiled the biographies on the rebbes, he helped me hunt for suitable stories, and he patiently advised me in the many decisions, big and small, that had to be made,

And finally, to the Lubavitcher rebbe shlita, who blessed me with great and superlative success in writing chasidic stories.

Two systems of dates are used in this book: the secular year is followed by the Jewish year in parentheses. The Jewish year is based on the traditional date of Creation.

1

One Friday night the Baal Shem Tov suddenly laughed. He laughed once. He laughed twice. He laughed a third time.

No one knew why.

But that Friday night, in the town of Koznitz, many miles away, something wonderful happened.

It had started that Friday morning. Reb Shabsai, the bookbinder, sadly said to his wife, I did not make any money this week. We will not be able to buy anything for Shabbos. Not even candles. I am going to shul to say tehillim and learn.

He got dressed in his Shabbos clothes and left for shul. It was early, but what was there to do at home? There was no money to go shopping and no food in the house to cook. He would never ask anyone for anything either. Reb Shabsai hated asking people for things.

Reb Shabsais wife sighed and looked around. Well, at least I can clean up in honor of the Shabbos.

Saying that, she began dusting and polishing the furniture. She changed the beds and swept under them. She scrubbed and washed the floors.

Behind the furniture something seemed to sparkle. Reb Shabsais wife bent down and picked up the sparkling objects and exclaimed, What a surprise! Here is the jewelry I lost a long time ago. I will sell it and buy what we need for Shabbos.

The good woman rushed to the market. She sold the jewelry and with the money she bought the best of everything for Shabbos. There was even some money left over when she finished.

At home she cooked all the dishes quickly. At last she lit the Shabbos candles. The candles gleamed, the house shone, and the food smelled wonderful.

When Reb Shabsai came home from shul that Friday night, he did not look happy. From where had his wife gotten everything? Probably she had borrowed from the neighbors to pay for all of this. He wished she hadnt. But he wasnt going to argue about it on the holy Shabbos.

They ate the gefilte fish in silence. It was so tasty! Reb Shabsai couldnt help saying to his wife, How I wish you hadnt gone to the neighbors!

But I didnt! laughed his wife merrily. You remember the silver jewelry I lost a long time ago? While I was cleaning the house for Shabbos, I found it. I got a nice amount of money for it and thats how I was able to buy all of this.

Reb Shabsai could hardly believe his ears! What a stroke of good fortune! How kind Hashem was to them! And to think he had suspected his wife of asking the neighbors for food! He jumped up and began to dance. His wife could not help dancing either. Together they joyfully sang and danced.

At that point, far away in Medzhibozh, the Baal Shem Tov laughed.

Next Reb Shabsais wife served the chicken soup. It was even more delicious than usual. Again Reb Shabsai and his wifes hearts filled with happiness. They just had to dance! And so dance they did.

That was the second time the holy Baal Shem Tov laughed.

When Reb Shabsais wife served the next generous course, they were overcome a third time with joy. What could they do but dance again? They danced and danced until they couldnt dance anymore.

That was the third time the Baal Shem Tov laughed.

A year later Hashem blessed them with their first child. He grew up to become the tzadik Reb Yisroel of Koznitz.