m; his teachings have almost sunk in oblivion" (Sachar 264).
Bal Shem Tov, or Israel of Moldavia, as he was also known, was born of humble parentage. He likely did not receive the traditional scholastic training, and he knew little of the intricacies of the Talmudic dialect. He communed daily and deeply with nature, however, and this early reverence for the natural world would clearly influence his Hasidic teachings.
After an "unfortunate early marriage," as Sachar puts it, Bal Shem took a second wife and settled in the heart of the Carpathians. He supported himself and his wife by digging lime from the nearby ravines. He spent his time praying and teaching and used his knowledge of the healing properties of plants and herbs to minister to the regional peasants.
Returning to settle in Miedzyboz, Bal Shem went on with his simple existence. He at that time likely began to gather around him a small group of disciples. This small group, says Sachar, while in numbers not dangerous to the establishment, "was significant enough to call down the dislike of the Talmudic authorities, although their actual hostility was not aroused until after his death, in 1760" (Sachar 264).
Sachar points out that the philosophy of Bal Shem opened no new or radical doors in Jewish thought. His teachings rather merely suggested ways of life which had been thoroughly taught before.
Having briefly summarized the the early development of the Hasidic movement and the early life of Bal Shem, we should turn now briefly to the spirit of the Jewish religion at the time of Bal Shem's teachings. It should be remembered that in almost every major religious revivalist movement in history, the heart of the message of that movement has been directed against the prevailing spirit of the religious establishment. This is as true for the Hasidic movement. Judaism in the early and middle 18th century
rotated about Talmudic prescriptions. Learning...