The holy tzadik Rebbe Israel Baal Shem Tov once went to the city of Pozna. Several of the wealthy men of the town offered to honor the luminous guest by making a meal for the local Rabbis with him. But he asked that certain other man do him that honor. Of course, that man was extremely flattered and quickly prepared a proper meal for the guests. In the middle of the meal, for some reason, a question about the "kashrut" of the chicken served. (that is, if the bird was kosher. There are many laws of what is considered "traif"). The guests, all Rabbis, disputed at length between them, but could not to come to any conclusion. Suddenly, the Baal Shem Tov said to the master of the house, please bring before me your children that I may bless them. Joyously, the man brought his kids before the great Tzadik and he blessed them. Then he turned to the father and said,” Do you not have another child?" The father sadly said, yes, I do, but he cannot come in to the Rebbe. From when he was born, (I think it was 18 years before) he hasn't walked or spoke. (Apparently like what is today called autistic) The Rebbe said, tell him the Baal Shem Tov is here and wants to see him. Unbelieving, the father went into the boy's room and told him as we was instructed. Immediately the boy got up and walked into the room where the Baal Shem Tov was. The Baal Shem Tov gave him his hand warmly, and told him about the question that had been aroused about the kashrut of the chicken. The boy "came to life", looked at the chicken and opened his until now silent mouth with an incredibly long intricate and clear dissection of the questions, with all the sides pro and con, like the biggest Rabbinical authority, and came to the conclusion that the bird was kosher. All the Rabbis present understood that he was absolutely right, and so they ate the meat. The Baal Shem Tov thanked him warmly and he went back to his room -and immediately returned his soul to his Maker. Then the Baal Shem Tov explained to the stunned audience the background by telling the following story:
Around twenty years ago, the great Rabbi, Reb Sender Shor, passed away. When his soul came before the heavenly court, they found him to be completely righteous and worthy to enter immediately to Gan Eiden. Suddenly a soul appeared and said he has a complaint about Reb Sender. The soul told it’s story:
After passing away, he was judged as not yet worthy to go to Gan Eden, but also not to the other place,G-d forbid. His “tikune” (fixing) would be that his soul would be reincarnated in a chicken. (Reincarnation in many forms is very well known by the Kabbalists). If a Jew would properly slaughter the chicken and eat it, that would be a “tikune” (fixing) for him, and then he would have eternal rest. But unfortunately, his chicken was found "treif" (non-kosher by Jewish law because of a broken or damaged vital organ), and therefore no Jew ate it. So he was given another chance in another chicken (after some time). But the same thing again- the chicken was found treif. When again he had his chance, the chicken was bought by a widow who wanted to cook it and eat it for Shabbos. This would have been very good for him. But upon opening the belly, she saw that there was a question if it was treif, and so she went to ask the Rabbi of her city, Reb Sender Shor. He was hurrying on his way to his Friday mikveh and didn’t have time to answer her. Instead, he gave her enough money to buy another chicken. Therefore, this bird was thrown out. And so the soul still didn't get his "ticket" to Gan Eiden. Now, the soul said, because he caused me to wait still longer, he cannot be completely guiltless. The heavenly court agreed with him. The verdict was that the holy soul of Reb Sender would first have to be born in a child who could not do anything wrong , so there would be no possibility of sinning. Thus this child had no normal intelligence, and one who has no intelligence is absolved of all the obligations of the mitzvos ( for the good of the soul). Just to atone for the delay that he caused the other soul, he would be himself delayed his entry to Gan Eiden, and would later have to properly judge his chicken as kosher. And the poor soul would be given another chicken-the one who got there in the Baal Shem Tov’s presence. The rest of the story-you can already guess.
We might say, infinitely more truly than in the fairy tales, that they lived happily ever after(as the soul is eternal) .
From this we see how important it is to eat only kosher food, and also how far-sighted the great Tzadikim like the Baal Shem Tov were!
Zichuto yagain alainu vi’al col yisrael- may his merit (the Baal Shem Tov’s) protect us and all Israel!
cover of Baal Shem Tov's book
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