Ki Teitzei: Reb Michel’s Kameya
Reb Michel wanted to continue studying deeper levels of Torah in the more sublime spiritual chambers of Heaven and to study with the Holy Torah Masters of past times.
Parshat Ki Teitzei
"But when you have spoken, be careful of your word and keep the pledge that you have vowed to God your Lord" (Devarim 23:24).
Reb Michel was getting old. Being a follower of the Baal Shem Tov, he decided to have yechidus (a private meeting) with his Rebbe before he passed to the next world.
During the meeting he asked the Baal Shem Tov, "Rebbe, more than anything, I want to experience spiritual fulfillment in the next world." The Baal Shem Tov nodded and gestured for him to sit down. Then the Baal Shem Tov wrote out a kameya (an amulet). When he handed it to Reb Michel, he said, "Always keep this kameya with you and be sure it is with you when you are buried."
Soon thereafter, Reb Michel passed onto the next world. As Reb Michel traveled into higher, more sublime spiritual levels, he merely showed the kameya written by the Baal Shem Tov and he was able to proceed without any questions.
Then, he reached a very lofty spiritual level where he was greeted by an old man with a long flowing white beard and dressed in an all white robe. As before, Reb Michel showed him his kameya. "I'm sorry," said the old man, "you can't enter this Heavenly chamber."
Reb Michel was confused. After all, up until then, his holy kameya written by the Baal Shem Tov allowed him to travel to higher and higher spiritual worlds. So he asked the old man, "Why can't I go into this chamber? Up until now I've been granted access to every spiritual chamber that I've wanted to visit."
“I don't know. All I know is that I have been ordered not to let you in," said the old man. "But if you wish, I will go in myself and find out why entry has been denied to you."
The old man soon returned and explained, "I was told that you made a promise with one of your close friends before you passed from the physical world. The promise is that you would regularly appear to him in his dreams and describe all of your experiences in the spiritual worlds. So far, while you have been appearing to him in his dreams, you have told him a number of things that you've seen. The only way for you to enter this chamber and continue to even higher levels is to ask your friend to release you from the promise."
More than anything, Reb Michel wanted to continue studying deeper levels of Torah in the more sublime spiritual chambers of Heaven and to study with the Holy Torah Masters of past times. So he appeared to his friend in a dream and asked to be released from the promise. Of course the friend greatly enjoyed hearing about the spiritual worlds and was reluctant to agree. Finally the friend said, "I agree to release you from the promise but only on one condition. As we've discussed many times, I'm hardly a follower of the Baal Shem Tov and I've never really believed that the kameya he gave you helped you get to any place that you couldn't have already gone. And even after all you've told me about your experiences in the world beyond, I am still not convinced that your special kameya is having any effect. So my condition is that you give me one sure sign of the Baal Shem Tov's greatness. If you do, I will release you from your promise to regularly appear to me in my dreams."
Feeling somewhat dejected, Reb Michel returned to the old man and asked his advice. "You know that the Baal Shem Tov almost always expounds on the Torah to his followers at Seudah Shishlit time on Shabbat afternoons. The Torah teachings that he discusses are Heavenly Torah thoughts that no human has previously heard. My advice is to reveal to your friend in a dream what the Baal Shem Tov will discuss this coming Shabbat afternoon. Then tell him to go to the Rebbe's Seudah Shishlit meal where he will hear the identical teaching repeated."
So Reb Michel appeared to his friend in a dream and told him the exact Torah teaching that the Baal Shem Tov would deliver on the upcoming Shabbat afternoon. The next Shabbat afternoon, Reb Michel's earthbound friend forced himself into the Baal Shem Tov's crowded study hall to hear the Torah thoughts he was going to teach. The Baal Shem Tov looked him directly in the eye and said, "Why are you pushing everyone to get closer? You really don't have to strain yourself to hear my teachings since you've already heard it before."
Reb Michel's friend was awe struck. This was the sign that he had requested. The Baal Shem Tov not only knew what Torah was being taught in Heaven but also what he was thinking! He thought," Reb Michel, I release you from your promise." From that moment on, Reb Michel's friend became a devoted chassid of the Baal Shem Tov.
Sometime later, the Baal Shem Tov told his new follower that Reb Michel was a grandson of the old man who had so kindly and accurately advised him.
And so it was.
***
Tzvi Meir Cohn attended Yeshiva Hadar Hatorah in Crown Heights, Brooklyn after completing his university studies in Engineering and Law. While studying at the Yeshiva, he discovered a deep connection to the stories and teachings of the Baal Shem Tov. His many books about the Baal Shem Tov can be found in the Breslev Store. He can be contacted at howard@cohnpatents.com.
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