Be careful how you speak: A Sacred Trust: Stories of Our Heritage and History

Note from Dr. Labowitz: “This story teaches about lashon ha-rah, which according to chazal was one of the reasons why the talmidim died, they did not give respect one to another. “

The Baal Shem Tov set out for Eretz Yisrael many times, but each time, his plans were thwarted by some unforeseen circumstance. Once the axle of his carriage cracked, once the boat upon which he traveled encountered terrible storms on the high seas and the captain refused to continue the voyage until the weather subsided. Eventually, he came to the realization that it was not destined for him to see the Holy Land. Nevertheless, he encouraged his disciples to make the trip, so they might be privileged to walk where Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, and Jacob and Leah had walked.

[Ed. Rachel died as Jacob and his family returned to Eretz Yisrael from Laban’s house in Padan Aram. She was buried on the border, in Bethlehem. B’rayshit, 35:19]

The Baal Shem Tov had a special blessing for each of his students who journeyed to Eretz Yisrael.

Once, Zalman approached the Baal Shem Tov. “Rebbe,” he announced, “I have decided to go to Eretz Yisrael. I have come for your blessing.”

The Baal Shem Tov responded: “My blessing to you is: be careful to whom you speak and what you say!”

Zalman thought this blessing a little bit strange, for he knew that one of his friends was blessed with an easy journey, another was blessed to be able to pray fervently at the holy wall, a third was blessed to pray for the barren women at matriarch Rachel’s grave. But he knew that he couldn’t question his rebbe, so he set off still wondering the meaning of the blessing.

On the long and hazardous route between Medziboz and Eretz Yisrael, Zalman met many interesting people, among who were pilgrims, merchants, and beggars. Before he spoke to any of his traveling companions, he whispered the words to himself, to be sure that he followed his rebbe’s instructions.

Once he arrived in Eretz Yisrael, he immediately went up to Yerushalayim, to the Kotel, the remaining western wall of the Temple Mount, where he prayed with fervent devotion. He was overwhelmed with the beauty of the living stones that were a visible remnant of Israel’s ancient glory.

During many months in Eretz Yisrael, he walked the length and breadth of the land, comparing it to biblical and prophetic passages. He visited Be’er Sheva, where Abraham planted his famous ayshel (tamarisk) trees; Beth El, where Jacob anointed with holy oil the stone upon which he had slept after his dream of angels ascending and descending the ladder; Shechem, where Joseph was sold; Anatot, the suburban area just north of Yerushalayim, which Jeremiah purchased before the destruction of the first Holy Temple; Tiberias, the gravesites of Rabbi Akiva, Rabbi Mayer, and Rambam (Maimonides); finally ending his pilgrimage back in Yerushalayim, to bid farewell to the holy city. Wherever he went, to whomever he spoke, he consciously heeded the instructions of the Baal Shem Tov.

While he was standing in front of the Kotel, he noticed a white-robed, bearded, gentle eyed old man scavenging around the ruins of the Holy Temple. He followed him for a time, fascinated with the agility with which he climbed up and around, in and out of all the ruins. Suddenly, their eyes met. The old man beckoned to Zalman.

Unhesitatingly, Zalman walked over to where he stood. He spoke: “It seems to me that you are from chutz la’aretz (the diaspora), aren’t you?”

“Yes,” responded Zalman, carefully. “I am from Medziboz, the city of the Baal Shem Tov.

“Tell me,” insisted the old man, “how are my people faring in the diaspora?”

Wanting to be very careful how he answered, Zalman said slowly: “Life is very difficult for our people in the diaspora. We live in shtetlachs, scattered throughout the Pale of Settlement. Because it is very difficult to earn a livelihood, most of us are very poor. The government enacts many harsh decrees against our people. However, we are managing to survive.”

“Tell me more,” persisted the old man. “Are my people studying much Torah?”

Zalman still felt a little uncomfortable speaking to him, so he answered cautiously: “We have a few rebbes who teach us, and a few batay midrash (plural of bayt midrash) scattered throughout the Pale of Settlement. Some Jews set aside specific time to study before going to work or in the evening when they return from work. However, most Jews do not have time to study, because it takes so many hours to earn money to put bread on the table. Truthfully, under the circumstances, we are doing the best that we can.

[Ed. In the year 1792, in an official act of the Russian government, Tzarina Catherine the Great decreed that the former Polish kingdom, which Russia annexed, be called the Pale of Settlement. She prohibited Jews from venturing forth from this territory. It was located between the Baltic and Black Sea from north to south, and by Russia, Prussia, and Austria on the east and west sides. The Jews were confined to small villages in the Pale of Settlement, to limit their living in other parts of Russia. They were treated as a hostile population, different from other Russian citizens, unworthy of equal citizenship.]

“And,” the old man whispered, “are my people yearning for redemption?”

“We yearned so much after the Chmielnicki pogroms, that many Jews followed Shabbetai Zevi, the false messiah. They wondered how long this bitter exile would continue, how long their prayers would go unanswered. But when he converted to Islam, we knew we had been disillusioned, that he had perpetrated a hoax upon us. So we continue to yearn and to pray, and in the meantime, we are managing to survive.”

Then the old man disappeared.

Zalman did not think this meeting had any special significance, for he had met many people in the course of his travels. He returned to Medziboz.

As soon as he arrived home, the Baal Shem Tov summoned him. Zalman could tell from the tone of his rebbe’s voice that he was deeply perturbed.

“Tell me, Zalman, did anything unusual happen to you while you were in Eretz Yisrael?” asked the Baal Shem Tov in an anguished voice.

Zalman thought a minute, and then answered carefully.

“No, I don’t think anything unusual happened. I met some very interesting people, some scholars, some beggars; I visited the gravesites of some of our great teachers; and I heeded your warning to be careful to whom I spoke and what I said.”

The Baal Shem Tov probed further: “Didn’t you meet anyone who discussed the plight of the Jews living in the diaspora with you?

Zalman thought for a few moments: “Rebbe, do you mean the white-robed, bearded, gentle-eyed old man that I met at the holy wall just before I returned home?”

“Tell me about him,” insisted the Baal Shem Tov. “Tell me what he asked you. Tell me what you told him.”

“Well , he was digging around the ruins of the Holy Temple. He climbed above and over, in and around the ruins. It seemed he beckoned to me, so I walked over to him. He wanted to know how the Jews were faring in the diaspora.

“What did you tell him?” prodded the Baal Shem Tov.

“I told him that it was very difficult to earn a livelihood, that our people were always in danger of government decrees being enacted against them, but that we were managing to survive.”

“Oy vey,” moaned the Baal Shem Tov. “What else did he ask you?”

“He asked me if we were studying much Torah,” Zalman answered.

“And what did you answer to that question,” continued the Baal Shem Tov.

“I told him that we have a few rebbes who teach us in their batay midrash. I told him that most of us don’t have too much time to study Torah because it takes so much energy to eke out a living. And I told him that we were doing the best that we can.”

The Baal Shem Tov had tears in his eyes. “Didn’t he ask you anything else?” sobbed the Baal Shem Tov.

“Yes, he asked me one more thing. He wanted to know if our people are yearning for the coming of the Messiach.”

“How did you answer that question?”

“I told him that we prayed every day for redemption, that we are yearning for the coming of the Messiach, but even though he tarries, we will manage to survive.”

The Baal Shem Tov’s shoulders heaved with pain.

“Zalman, my son, you didn’t heed my instructions. I warned you to be careful what you said and to whom you spoke. That old man was Eliyahu Hanavi (Elijah the Prophet). He was on his way to bring the Messiach. Had you told him that we were desperate, that we were yearning every minute for his coming, that we couldn’t manage another second, he would have told the Heavenly Court that it was time to bring the Mashiach. But since you told him that we could wait, that we are managing to survive, the decision was made by the Heavenly Court that the Mashiach could also wait.”