Editing The Baal Shem Tov (section)

== Miraculous and Wondrous Leadership ==

==== Stories of the Baal Shem Tov ====
Stories of the Baal Shem Tov were partially printed in Shivchei HaBaal Shem Tov and dozens of other seforim, and many more are accepted from authoritative sources among the students of the Baal Shem Tov and their students. The mofsim that are accepted from the Baal Shem Tov, for which there exist precise testimonies, are beyond imagination, to the point where [[Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk|Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk]] writes in a letter "The Baal Shem Tov was unique - before him there was none like him and after him who will rise from the dust?"

The Baal Shem Tov testified about himself that the tremendous mofsim he performed were not through the use of holy names, but through simple [[emunah]] in the unity of the Creator and the nothingness of creation without the Creator's power. For example, the Baal Shem Tov crossed a river near the city of Mezhibuzh by spreading his handkerchief on the river and crossing, testifying that he crossed only with simple emunah.

==== Kefitzat Haderech (Miraculous Journey) ====
Many stories of the Baal Shem Tov tell of how he instructed to release the reins of the horses and let them travel as they wished, and then the horses galloped in a clearly supernatural way. In this manner, the Baal Shem Tov worked supernatural yeshuot when he needed to be in places very far from each other in very short times, some of which occurred close to the onset of Shabbat and required the use of kefitzat haderech.