Editing The Baal Shem Tov (section)

==== Background to His Birth ====
His parents, Rabbi Eliezer and Rebbetzin Sarah were childless and lived in a settlement where they had abundant livelihood<ref>Story of the Maggid of Mezritch to the Alter Rebbe (Talk of the Rebbe Rayatz, First Night of Sukkot 5697, Section 5)</ref> and were great practitioners of hachnosas orchim (hospitality).

Once, a guest arrived very late on Erev Shabbos in weekday clothes, yet Rabbi Eliezer welcomed and brought him close. According to another version, the guest arrived on Shabbos after the meal, which appeared as if he had traveled beyond the Shabbos boundary, but despite this, Rabbi Eliezer honored and hosted him while other guests rebuked Rabbi Eliezer, but he continued to honor the guest.

The guest stayed, as was Rabbi Eliezer's custom, until Sunday afternoon, and after Rabbi Eliezer accompanied him, the guest revealed that he was Eliyahu Hanavi who had come to test him in the mitzvah of hachnosas orchim. Due to his passing the test, he would be blessed with a child, and he gave him instructions to tell the child when he reached two and a half years old.

After some time, Rabbi Eliezer's only son, the Baal Shem Tov, was born.

[[The Magid of Mezritch|The Maggid of Mezritch]] interpreted based on this story the pasuk "Bameh yezakeh naar es archo": How does one merit a child - through hachnosas orchim.

Chassidic elders interpreted based on this story the tradition from Chabad Rebbes that one should learn the weekly parsha with Rashi's commentary daily and once or twice a week a few lines from the Baal Shem Tov's book Kesser Shem Tov, explaining that the connection between these two shiurim is that both Rashi and the Baal Shem Tov were born after their fathers passed a test.