Abraham Joshua Heschel, who was descended from several illustrious Hasidic dynasties, wrote: “The Baal Shem Tov brought heaven to earth. He and his disciples, the Hasidim, banished melancholy from the soul and uncovered the ineffable delight of being a Jew.”
Tales of the Baal Shem Tov
Translation of Kol sipure Ba’al-Shem-Tov. A collection of stories and biographical sketches taken from reliable sources, by Yisroel Yaakov Klapholtz. “The Baal Shem Tov taught that Judaism and Torah are the property of all Jews; that every Jew, regardless of station or background or endowments, is perfectly capable of serving G‑d; and that ahavas Yisroel […]