How the Toldos¹ became a Chasid.

When the Toldos lived in Sharigrod, the custom was that as soon as they saw the rabbi go to the synagogue, all the householders immediately stopped talking and they all followed him to the synagogue. Everyone obeyed him because they knew that he was very fastidious about his honor. 

Once the Besht visited Sharigrod and he stood in the marketplace between Mincha and Ma’ariv. He drew a large and began to tell stories. The [telling of the] stories lasted for a long time. The Toldos passed by, but no one followed him – this is how engrossed they were in listening to the Besht’s tales.

The Toldos saw that no one was in the Synagogue. He became very angry and he summoned the Besht and asked him angrily: how does a Jew allow himself to hold up a minyan of Jews thereby canceling the time of prayer? 

The Besht answered: “What about hospitality? I will tell you a short story.” Afterward, he told him another story. After the third story, the Toldos already greeted him with [the greeting of] “peace upon you my teacher and master,” and began to be his Chasid.

He later related that in these stories the Besht alluded to everything that transpired in his life from the day he was born until the present day.

I.F.

Kinever Rebbe

1. Rabbi Yaakov Yosef of Pollonye (1710–1784). One of the first and best known of the disciples of the Baal Shem Tov.