Baal Shem Tov Questions Lavish Third Shabbat Meal in Humble Village

During a Shabbat in a small village, the Baal Shem Tov observed a local villager hosting a lavish third Shabbat meal, gathering several villagers to eat, drink, and sing praises. After the meal, the Baal Shem Tov summoned the villager and asked why he spent so much on this third meal. The villager explained that he had heard that on Shabbat each Jew receives an extra soul, which leaves at the end of Shabbat. He wished for his extra soul to leave among the people of Israel, so he gathered them for the meal. The Baal Shem Tov was greatly impressed by this explanation.

The article then transitions to teachings of the Baal Shem Tov about the month of Elul as a time of spiritual preparation for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Elul is described as a special month for repentance and self-improvement, offering a chance to change one’s deeds and reconnect with one’s pure soul. The Baal Shem Tov emphasized that true repentance involves sincere regret and gradual behavioral change, enabling a person to start anew spiritually.

Rosh Hashanah is portrayed as a decisive day when God judges who will live or die, who will have health and prosperity, and who will experience happiness or hardship. The article encourages readers to use Elul to seek forgiveness, pray for mercy, and commit to improvement, trusting in divine compassion and the power of prayer. It concludes with blessings for a good and sweet year, health, livelihood, and salvation for all Israel.