Why Did the Baal Shem Tov Ask Thieves to Pray for the Sick?

A short Hebrew item presents a Hasidic story attributed to the Baal Shem Tov, the founder of the movement known as the holy Baal Shem Tov. The piece says he once asked thieves, rather than righteous people, to pray for a sick person.

The article says the request was unusual and that the reason behind it was surprising, but it does not provide the full explanation in the text shown. It frames the story as a moving tale and as a “segulah,” a spiritually effective practice, for Motzaei Shabbat.

The item is introduced as a video segment by Rabbi Yitzchak Yishai Ben Nun, and the page includes playback details showing a 50-second clip. No further biographical details, dates, or the identity of the sick person are given in the excerpt.