יום חמישי, י״ז תמוז תשפ״וThursday, July 2, 2026
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Out of the darkness of the Middle Ages a new light will emerged. Learn about the rise of the Ba'al Shem Tov and the Chasidic movement with Rabbi Mike Feuer on this week's episode of The Jewish Story.
By JNi.Media
According to Chabad, the way to "bring the messiah" is by spreading Hasidic teaching, so that once every land has in it Jews capable of Hasidic meditation and action, redemption must come next.
By Moshe Herman
Why does Shavuot (Festival of Weeks or Pentecost) have so many themes running through it? Agriculture, Mount Sinai, the Ten Commandments, the Book of Ruth, King David, the Baal Shem Tov, the consumption of dairy products and more all come together on this holiday, that begins Saturday night. Yishai is joined in-studio by Rabbi Mike Feuer to make sense of it all, ahead of the great "revelation." Then, Yishai is joined in-studio by Nachman and Sruli -- the Solomon Brothers -- who created their own band of bluegrass music, infused with spiritualism and folk rock, influenced by the likes of Bob Dylan and Neil Young. Their special blend of music has gained them numerous TV appearances and rave reviews. Their live performance at VOI will blow you away.
Inspiring thoughts about memory, completing tasks, marketing, and anorexia.
We are seeing the usual cold polar air taking an excursion.
A famous scholars of the beis midrash in the city of Brodi was Rav Avraham Gershon of Kitov. This modest and unassuming man possessed such wondrous qualities of goodness and knowledge that the great Nodah B’Yehudah referred to him, in part, as follows:
As has been noted in a previous column, Reb Elimelech – like the Baal Shem Tov before him – asserted that pessimism and depression cause sin and spiritual apathy. Repentance (yes, even repentance!) that causes depression and sadness distances the Holy Presence.
The Baal Shem Tov was the founder and the visionary of chassidus, but the architect who built and spread the movement was Rabbi Dov Ber, the maggid of Mezeritch.
Scholars have debated where precisely the Baal Shem Tov was born, few giving credence to the tiny village of Okopy (pronounced Akup). Most likely he hailed from Kolomyya on the slopes of the Carpathian Mountains and on the banks of the Prut River. Nearly 300 years have lapsed since the passing of the Baal Shem Tov and all the while the stories of his miraculous abilities have increased. Yet all fail to fully portray his greatness.
The popularity of the rise of chassidus did not go unnoticed by those who did not share the same allegiance. As long as the movement was limited to the commoner and isolated in a few pockets of Poland no one perceived it as a threat. But all of this had changed by 1772.
Reb Elimelech M’Lizhensk was considered one of the finest students of the Baal Shem Tov’s successor, the Maggid MiMezretch. When the Maggid passed away, his disciples gathered for the funeral and then had to decide who would succeed their master.
June 26, 2026 
