Every now and then it is good to return to books that are old favorites. Old stories often yield new understandings. Over the past week I have returned to Martin Buber’s Tales of the Hasidim These tales are often puzzling and frequently inspiring legends told by the Hasidim – a community of devout Jewish people in 18th century Eastern Europe. Here is “The Limits of Advice,” a tale of the Baal Shem – Hasidim’s revered teacher.
The disciples of the Baal Shem hear that a certain man had a great reputation for learning. Some of them wanted to go to him and find out what he had to teach. The master gave them permission to go, but first the asked him: “and how shall we be able to tell whether he is a true zaddik?” (i.e. spiritual leader of the community)
The Baal Shem replied. “Ask him to advise you what to do the keep unholy thoughts from disturbing you in your prayers and studies. If he gives you advice, then you will know that he belongs to those who are of no account. For this is the service of men in the world to the very hour of their death: to struggle time after time with the extraneous, and time after time to uplift and fit into to the nature of the Divine Name.”
This tale illuminates an important aspect of Centering Prayer It helps us learn to let go of our distractions and turn them over to the care of God. To see how this can workfor the Marthas of this world as well as for the Mary's, please see my review of Cynthia Bourgeault’s Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening . The Baal Shem Tov has much to teach us. True prayer teaches to turn over our distractions to the care of God. This may be, as they say, “job one”. As we gradually learn how to do that, we can seek to know God’s will for us and ask for the power to carry it out.
Great post! I have read about the Baal Shem and found Hasidic spirituality to very helpful in my catholic journey. You are right,we DO have much to learn from such a holy man.
God Bless!
Posted by: Mikala | December 05, 2006 at 08:39 PM