By: Chaya Sora Jungreis-Gertzulin

I recently received a clip featuring Rabbi Moshe Weinberger, who shared a story of the Baal Shem Tov’s childhood.

The Baal Shem, whose given name was Yisroel, was tragically orphaned at the young age of 5, first losing his father, and shortly afterward his mother. He was left alone, and the community cared for him. Eventually, he was taken in by a rebbi and his wife, but young Yisroel’s life was full of hardship. His host family lived in abject poverty. It was a struggle to put food on the table, and Yisroel didn’t even have shoes to put on his feet. The rebbi didn’t have much to give the Baal Shem, and his wife was always short-tempered.

The Baal Shem Tov, then a young child with a sensitive soul, took it all very hard. One day, he couldn’t bring himself to go to cheder and instead went into the forest in search of peace and quiet. He sat himself down, leaning against a tree, and fell asleep. When he awoke, he was startled to find a saintly man with a long white beard standing over him.

The holy man called him Srulik, a name of endearment that only his parents had used. “Srulik, don’t despair. I came to give you a bracha, a bracha for seeing eyes. Come with me, take my hand, and together we will walk to cheder.”

Seeing eyes. The ability to see others with increased kindness and understanding. The broken-hearted boy’s vision of the world suddenly changed. He was blessed with eyes that perceived people’s inner pain. He was able to look at the rebbi in a different light. He was no longer a distant man, but someone who was struggling to provide for his family. A man who was in pain, because he lost his parents to a pogrom. The wife was no longer a short-tempered woman, but one who was burdened , living with disappointment, and had difficulty handling her life challenges. A woman trying to do her best with what life dealt her.

In later years, Rav Yisroel Baal Shem Tov said that he was certain that the holy man who blessed him was Eliyahu Ha Navi, and how fortunate he was to have received the best bracha ever, the bracha of seeing eyes.

The Baal Shem Tov’s eyes saw through people. He understood that an angry person could be a hurting person. That a sad person could be a terribly disappointed one.

This story changed the way I say Birchas Ha Shachar, the morning blessings. Baruch Atah Ha Shem….. pokei’ach ivrim, Blessed are you Ha Shem….. who opens the eyes of the blind.” Ha Shem, please don’t let me be blind to others’ difficulties. Help me understand the world around me. Guide me to discern another’s challenges and pain. Bless me with greater insight and compassion for my fellow man.

This Motzoei Shabbos and Sunday is Tisha B’Av. A day of bechiya l’doros, a cry for generations. It was on Tisha B’Av that the meraglim, the scouts returned from the Holy Land with a discouraging report. Bnei Yisroel accepted their words, and with a lack of emuna, and a spirit of ingratitude, they cried all night, saying “if only we had died in the land of Egypt.” (Bamidbar 14:2)

A cry for generations. It was on Tisha B’Av that both Batei Mikdash were destroyed. On Tisha B’Av the Romans captured the city of Beitar, pillaged its possessions, with marauding gangs murdering thousands of innocent inhabitants. The list of tragedies that occurred on Tisha B’Av continues. The Jews were expelled from England in 1290. In 1492, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella expelled the Jews from Spain. Tisha B’Av marked the start of World War I. And, the deportation from the Warsaw ghetto to the Treblinka concentration camp began on July 23, 1942, also Tisha B’Av. Tisha B’Av is a day on which we recollect all of these – and many other tragedies that befell our people.

The second Beis Ha Mikdash was destroyed because of sinas chinam, baseless hatred. The Talmud Yerushalmi teaches that “Any generation in whose day the Beis Ha Mikdash is not rebuilt, is considered as if that generation destroyed it”.

Powerful, harsh words. Not that others had destroyed it, but we – ourselves – had a hand in the destruction.

Our generation has not merited to see the building of the third and final Beis Ha Mikdash, nor have we merited to see peace in Eretz Yisroel. Is it because of a lacking within us? Is it because we are guilty of the same sinas chinam?

Rav Kook teaches that because the Beis Ha Mikdash was destroyed with sinas chinam, the only way to rebuild it is with ahavas chinam, unconditional love. To look at every Jew and see the tzelem Elokim within each neshama. To appreciate and value one another.

Rav Kook was once asked why he befriends those who oppose him and battle against the religious values he stands for. He responded that he’d rather be accused of ahavas chinam than sinas chinam.

It’s time to take a lesson from the Baal Shem Tov. To truly open our eyes, and deepen our perception. Not just to see with our eyes, but with our heart. To be accepting and understanding of others. To judge less and value more. To take a lesson from Rav Kook and stop the inner fighting amongst us. And to even take it a step further and stop the attitude of “it’s not my worry, it’s not my problem”. Instead, we should be sensitive as to who needs a helping hand, a kind word, a friendly smile. To do our part in eliminating sinas chinam, thereby bringing shalom to the world.

The Shabbos before Tisha B’Av is called Shabbos Chazon, after the opening words of the haftorah, Chazon Yeshayahu, The Vision of Yeshayahu. Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Barditchev teaches that on Tisha B’Av, each and every one of us is given a vision of the Third Beis Ha Mikdash. A vision that we don’t see with our physical eyes, but with the eyes of our souls. While we may not realize it, that image touches our neshama and leaves its mark there. The Beis Ha Mikdash is waiting in the heavens above to descend to our world. We only have to merit it. Tisha B’Av is not only about what we lost, but also about the power we have to restore it.

May this be the year that the vision of the Beis Ha Mikdash becomes a reality. May it be a year of ahavas chinam. May we see the realization of the closing word of the haftora,” Tzion will be redeemed with justice, and her returnees with righteousness.” (Yeshayahu 1:27)

Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom and a meaningful Tisha B’Av!

Chaya Sora

Chaya Sora can be reached at [email protected]

This article was written L’zecher Nishmas /In Memory Of Ha Rav Meshulem ben Ha Rav Osher Anshil Ha Levi, zt”l and Rebbetzin Esther bas Ha Rav Avraham Ha Levi, zt”l