Siman 608

An incident in the days of the holy Baal Shem Tov, the memory of the holy and righteous tzaddik, for the life of the World to Come: There was a young man who was exceedingly sharp and a great genius. And he was greatly opposed to the holy Baal Shem Tov, the memory of the holy and righteous tzaddik, for the life of the World to Come. And the holy Baal Shem Tov commanded his people to endeavor to draw this man close to him. And so they did — they endeavored and brought him to the Baal Shem Tov o.b.m.... ...And so they did — they endeavored and brought him to the Baal Shem Tov of blessed memory. And at first the Baal Shem Tov of blessed memory distanced him very much, and did not speak with him at all, and did not accept his greeting. And when the aforementioned man saw that he was distancing him, he was greatly pained — and pressed himself and entered before him several times. And the Baal Shem Tov of blessed memory distanced him every time. Once he was very aroused — and came before the Baal Shem Tov of blessed memory with great submission and abundant weeping, and began to draw him close. And he said to him that there would stand against him a great division: first from the members of his household, and afterwards from his neighbors, afterwards from the whole city and all the world — and even the birds would quarrel with him. And he returned to his home. And so it was: at first the members of his household began to quarrel with him and to divide against him — though beforehand he had been esteemed in their eyes and cherished in everyone's eyes, because he was a good and proper man. And now they began to divide against him — first the members of his household, and afterwards his neighbors divided against him, and afterwards the whole city. And so too, all the surroundings all divided against him. Once he was standing and praying — and he was praying as is proper, in fervor. And in the midst of his prayer and fervor, a certain bird flew upon him, called an indic [turkey] — and it confused him in the midst of his fervor. And he was very angered, and drove it away, and returned to his prayer and fervor as at first. And the aforementioned bird flew again and confused him a second time in the midst of his fervor. And he was exceedingly angered, and drove it away a second time, and returned to his prayer. In the midst of his prayer and fervor the aforementioned bird returned again and confused him yet more. And he was very angered, and ran and seized an axe, and ran to chop off the head of the bird — because of the anger that it had confused him so. In the midst of this, he remembered what the Baal Shem Tov had said to him: that even the birds would quarrel with him. And through this his anger subsided — and he left the bird and refrained from chopping off its head. And the general intention of this incident is to know how many and how many matters and trials must pass over everyone who wants to draw close to Hashem Yisburach and walk in His ways, may He be blessed. For this aforementioned man needed such a trial — that he be tested through the Baal Shem Tov of blessed memory himself specifically: that the Baal Shem Tov of blessed memory himself would push him away, and distance him, and disgrace him so much. And he had to stand in this trial — not to pay attention to the distancing of the Baal Shem Tov of blessed memory, but on the contrary, to flatten himself beneath his feet and pursue after him so much. And also to endure all that he afterwards endured from the multitude of the division against him so great. And through standing in all this he merited to become a great tzaddik — fortunate is he. And I also understood from him, of blessed memory, that this too was for him a great salvation: that he restrained his anger and did not kill the bird — because he remembered that the Baal Shem Tov of blessed memory had said to him that even the birds would quarrel with him. For had he killed the bird, it would have greatly damaged his service. But the Baal Shem Tov of blessed memory preceded for him the remedy — hinting to him at first this: that even birds would quarrel with him. And afterwards it was so — that he almost killed the bird. And in the compassion of Hashem upon him he remembered what the Baal Shem Tov of blessed memory had said to him — and through this he cut off his anger and was saved, and afterwards merited to what he merited.