CONTEMPORARY TEXTS

Four Hebrew texts that mention the Ba'al Shem Tov were written during his lifetime by people who knew him personally. These sources prove that he actually did live and contain information about his role, activities, and character.

The first of the testimonies is the responsum of Rabbi Meir of Konstantynow, referred to in chapter 7. This contains, in addition to the text signed by the Besht discussed there, remarks by Rabbi Meir addressed to the Besht.

There can be no doubt that Israel from Miȩdzybóż, addressed by Rabbi Meir, the man who “provides balm and medicament to the person without strength” and is associated with the sage Gershon (i.e., Gershon of Kutów, his brother-in-law), is the Besht. As noted in chapter 7, the tone of Rabbi Meir's remarks implies that the Besht was respected and famous. Yet what Meir chose to single out in praise of the Besht were his healing abilities. It was, presumably, the Besht's activity as a ba'al shem that lay the basis for the fame to which Meir alluded twice.

Meir's remarks also indicate that the Besht stood at the head of a group. It was not, however, a very large one, for they were all “beloved rabbis,” evidently meaning that they were part of the limited learned class, probably of its even more restricted Kabbalist ranks. While the only other member famous enough for Meir to have heard of was Gershon, he knew that the group existed and deemed all of the Besht's associates as meriting his respect and worthy of the highest blessing.