Keter Shem Tov: 140

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Keter Shem Tov: 140

Written by Bentzion of Medziboz

"Every 'rav' is from Babylon, and every 'rabbi' is from Israel." The Baal Shem Tov taught²: Wisdom and Understanding can be found throughout the world. Wisdom is alluded to by the reish of reishit chochmah/wisdom, and Understanding is alluded to in bet of Binah/understanding.³ Everything that takes place or is done in the world is the result of some combination of the two, although it lacks the flow from the Infinite, which is represented by the letter yud.⁴But with that flow, which is represented by the letter yud, reish-bet/"rav" becomes reish-bet-yud "rabbi," but this can take place only in "Israel."⁵

²Toldoh Yaakov Yoseph, Chukath #5.
³The reish and the bet together spell "rav." Thus, Wisdom and Understanding can be found in Babylon, as well.
⁴The world is filled with G·d's Wisdom for man to understand, but without Daat/Perception, represented by the yud, man is blind to truly perceive it. Thus, even our ability to perceive is a gift from G·d.
⁵"Israel" here does not mean only the geographical Land of Israel, but any spiritual "place" at which one perceives this.

Translation and Commentary by Rabbi Yehoshua Starrett and reprinted with the kind permission of the Baal Shem Tov Foundation.

Join a class on the Perekim from the Kesser Shem Tov: Shabbos morning 9am in the Shteibel Minyan Beis Medresh and around 2pm after Shabbos lunch at 7495 Malibu Crescent, Montoya Estates East.

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Copyright © 2008 Rabbi Simcha L. Weinberg. The scanning, uploading and distribution of this material via the Internet or via any other means without prior permission of the copyright owner is illegal and punishable by law. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. Your support of the author's rights is appreciated.

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