The Continuing Influence of the Righteous Beyond This World

The Spiritual Power of the Baal Shem Tov in the Heavenly Academy

Once, the holy Baal Shem Tov taught his students about the intentions one should have when using the mikvah, a teaching now printed in the prayer book of the Alter Rebbe. His students, who were great scholars, commented, "Our teacher, the writings of the Ari (Rabbi Isaac Luria) describe intentions differently from those you reveal to us."

Upon hearing this, the Baal Shem Tov immediately leaned back, his face becoming radiant like a torch, his eyes intense as they often were during his spiritual ascent to higher realms.

A great fear and trembling fell upon his students. At the end of the table sat Reb Nachman, the youngest of his students. Reb Nachman fell into a deep sleep and could not prevent himself from dozing, a great shame, as he felt, given that the Baal Shem Tov was currently in a state of soul ascension while his other students sat in reverence.

Reb Nachman tried to hold his eyes open with his hands but to no avail; soon he was fast asleep.

In his dream, he saw himself outside, observing many people running swiftly, and he too joined them, asking, "Where are you all headed?"

In great haste, they replied, "Don’t you know the holy rabbi is about to deliver his teaching?"

He inquired further, "Who is the rabbi for whom this excitement is?"

In their hurry, they did not answer him, and he followed them to a magnificent house, the likes of which he had never seen. The house was filled to the brim with people whose faces showed they were world-renowned. The commotion inside surpassed even that outside. He heard them saying with great fear and joy, "Soon, our holy rabbi will reveal the mysteries of the Torah to us."

As the Baal Shem Tov began his discourse on the mikvah intentions, a young man stood to argue against his points. "Who is that?" Reb Nachman asked. "It’s the Ari," they responded.

The debate continued for a long time, until Reb Nachman heard the Ari agree with the Baal Shem Tov. At that moment, he awoke from his slumber.

Immediately, the Baal Shem Tov sat up and called, "Nachman, I took you as a witness to this. Did not the Ari agree with me?" He then concluded his discourse and left.

The holy Baal Shem Tov, in an instant, detached himself from the perceptions of this world, rose to the highest celestial levels, to the heavenly academy. The reason he was called Baal Shem Tov wasn't just because he used sacred names. Rather, his name evocatively spread goodness like fragrant oil in all the upper worlds, as it is written, "A good name is better than fine oil."

The Righteous Alive on Earth Hold Influence in the Heavenly Court

The great scholar, Maharam from Berezhany, once dreamt that he was in the heavenly world and was about to be judged for his deeds in the earthly world he had just left.

Scores of angels entered bearing sacks filled with the Torah he had studied all his life, to plead his case. But then, a dark angel entered, claiming that his Torah study was not entirely for Heaven’s sake, marred with other intentions. The angel blew a breath, and the sacks disappeared.

Maharam was momentarily horrified, but soon afterward, a young man with a bright face entered, restored all the sacks, and replied, "Can we compare our generation to those of the past? In earlier generations, bodies were strong and souls were high, so Torah and prayer's quality could be examined. Today, when everything is weaker, each line of study, every prayer, and overcoming of temptation is immensely valuable. Heaven rejoices at every verse, page of the Talmud, or any act of resisting evil inclination by a Jew in our era."

The young man's radiant words saved Maharam from judgment.

Upon awakening, Maharam visited the tzaddikim (righteous ones) of that time to discover who had such heavenly influence, advocating for the Jewish people. When Maharam reached the holy Rabbi Ateret Zvi of Ziditshov, he fainted, recognizing the radiant face from the heavenly court.

(This story is from a lecture by the Rabbi of Sanz, from the 'Shefa Chaim')

The Unique Spirituality of the Prophet Elisha

[How did the Shunammite woman know Elisha was a holy man?] In the Talmud, Berakhot 10b, it is said that she placed a white sheet on his bed and never found any impurity, and noticed that no flies ever landed on his table, which was like an altar. Our sages taught that one of the ten miracles of the Temple was that no fly was seen there, as flies relate to impurity. [Therefore, Elisha’s purity is evident.]

In the morning, when a person removes the sheet they have slept in, it usually has a bad odor. However, Elisha's sheet carried a fragrance of Eden, as his soul ascended to Eden during his sleep, bringing back a scent upon its return to his body... [While usually impurity clings to the soul at night], creating a foul smell indicates when material aspects overpower the soul, Elisha elevated his holy soul, sanctifying his material being.

(Zohar, Beshalach 44: Sweet as Honey, pp. 480-481)

Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai's Illness

... Those gathered at Rabbi Shimon's sickbed saw that he was not present, and none could speak out of reverence. As they sat there, a fragrance of varied spices filled the air, strengthening each one of them until they saw Rabbi Shimon once more, speaking with someone unseen by them.

After a short while, Rabbi Shimon asked them, "Did you see anything?" Rabbi Pinchas replied, "We saw nothing; we were all amazed at not seeing you for a long time from your bed. When we did see you, we suddenly smelled a fragrance of the Garden of Eden and heard your voice talking, but we couldn't see with whom."

He inquired, "Did you not hear anyone else conversing?" They answered, "We did not." Rabbi Shimon said, "You are not worthy of seeing Hashem's face of kindness. Let me tell you: I was amazed that Rabbi Pinchas did not see, as I have just seen his place prepared for him in the next world beneath my son Rabbi Elazar’s. Given Rabbi Pinchas's illustriousness, he should have seen Adam himself when speaking with me."

And Rabbi Shimon continued, "Now they have sent for me from above and showed me the places of the righteous in the afterlife. I was unsure where to choose, only with Ahijah the Shilonite the prophet, and I picked my place and returned, accompanied by a retinue of 300 righteous souls and Adam himself, who sat beside me, speaking with me. He requested I not reveal his sin except what the Torah said concerning it, hidden in the parable of Eden's Tree of Knowledge."

... His son, Rabbi Elazar, approached him, "Father, what is my standing there, where will my place be in the Garden of Eden?" Rabbi Shimon replied, "Happy are you, my son, for your share in the world to come. Yet, know you will not be buried with me, as explained in Bava Metzia 84b, but in the next world, we will select and choose the same place. Fortunate are we together with those righteous who will praise the Master of the World, becoming angels serving before Him."

(Zohar Shmattot, part 3 section 18 fol. 390-391: Sweet as Honey)

The Passing and Soul’s Ascendance of Rabbi Shimon

Who else has witnessed such a phenomenon where numerous Torah scholars came to pay their last respects to Rabbi Shimon, and the whole house was filled with the good fragrance brought by the souls of the righteous from the Garden of Eden to greet Rabbi Shimon?

After tending to his needs, they carried him from the room to the courtyard, preparing him for his burial site. Only Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Abba dealt with his purification and conveyance. Rabbi Shimon passed away in the village of Meron, and when they intended to carry him to his grave site, warriors and soldiers from the village of Safed came to Meron intending to seize Rabbi Shimon’s sacred ark and bury it among them in Safed. The villagers of Meron resisted, forming a united cry against those of Safed, fearing Rabbi Shimon might not be buried there. To pacify this struggle, Hashem performed a great miracle: once Rabbi Shimon’s bier exited the house, it rose to the heavens, borne by angels, calming the conflict. A pillar of fire burned ahead of his bier, and a heavenly voice proclaimed, "Gather, enter, and assemble," meaning those from outside should enter, those afar should come, and everyone gather to the joy of Rabbi Shimon, who was praising and glorifying Hashem for leaving the world in complete harmony. The voice further declared, "They shall come in peace, resting in their graves"; by which it implied that on the day the righteous rest, no disputes or quarrels should arise (and it said so because the people of Safed desisted and resigned to their dashed hopes).

When Rabbi Shimon’s bier autonomously entered the cave in Meron, a heavenly voice issued from the cave, declaring, "This man shakes the earth," as the world trembled with his holiness, "a disturber of kingdoms," having annulled decrees of the empires. Many heavenly accusers were silenced this day on your behalf (as Hashem forgave the sins of all who escorted Rabbi Shimon in his honor, for the sins that caused accusations were opened), you freed them, like a first-born foal." The voice continued, stating Rabbi Shimon is one whom Hashem praises among the heavenly entourage daily, also saying happy is his lot in both the higher and lower Garden of Eden...

(Zohar, Haazinu Rtzu - Idra Zuta: Sweet as Honey, pp. 530-531)

Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai sits on thirteen golden thrones in the lower Eden

And there, in the lower Eden, are thrones of gold, silver, and precious stones, so too are beds of silver and gold, for all things found in this material world exist in the lower Eden in pure, refined form, as it is learned (Ketubot 77a) that Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi saw Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai sitting on thirteen golden thrones in the lower Eden.

(Tikkunei Zohar, chapter 76 Tikkun 31: Sweet as Honey, pp. 485-486)