Renowned Wedding Musician Pretends to Be Blind to Protect His Eyesight, Says Baal Shem Tov

During the era of the Baal Shem Tov, a highly sought-after Jewish wedding musician was known as the top performer at prestigious events. One day, he suddenly claimed to have gone blind and could no longer see. Despite this, he continued to play music and work, with others assisting him by guiding him to synagogues and events. After his death, it was revealed that he had never actually lost his sight but had pretended to be blind. The reason for this deception was to protect his eyes from seeing inappropriate sights at the events where he performed. The Baal Shem Tov praised him, saying, "Blessed is he, blessed is his portion, and blessed is his place in the Garden of Eden."