Baal Shem Tov
Baal Shem Tov | |
|---|---|
| Personal life | |
| Born | Yisroel ben Eliezer c. 1700 Okopy Świętej Trójcy, Kingdom of Poland (now Ukraine) |
| Died | 1760 Międzybóż, Kingdom of Poland (now Ukraine) |
| Spouse | Chana (only named in legends) |
| Children |
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| Parents |
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| Religious life | |
| Religion | Judaism |
| Jewish leader | |
| Successor | Dov Ber of Mezeritch (1704–1772) |
| Main work |
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| Buried | Międzybóż |
Israel ben Eliezer (c. 1700 –1760), known as the Baal Shem Tov (/ˌbɑːl ˈʃɛm ˌtʊv, ˌtʊf/; Hebrew: בעל שם טוב) or BeShT (בעש״ט), was a Jewish mystic and healer who is regarded as the founder of Hasidic Judaism. A baal shem tov is a "Master of the Good Name," that is, one able to work miracles using the secret name of God. Other sources explain his sobriquet as arising from a reputation of being a saintly, or superior, Baal Shem "miracle-worker", hence he was given the nickname Baal Shem Tov, the "good Baal Shem".
Biographical information about the Baal Shem Tov comes from contemporary documents from the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and the legendary traditions about his life and behavior collected in the Praise of the Besht (Hebrew: שבחי הבעש״ט, romanized: Shivḥei haBesht).
A central tenet of the teachings associated with the Baal Shem Tov is devekut, a direct connection with the divine, 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.