The Baal Shem Tov: Difference between revisions

The Baal Shem Tov moved to Brody, near Podolia, where he worked as a teacher in a 'cheder<ref>'''Cheder''' (Hebrew: “room”) – A traditional jewish religious elementary school.</ref>'. There, he met Rabbi Ephraim of Brody, a city dignitary and father of the well-known Rabbi Gershon of Kitov. Rabbi Ephraim was so impressed by the young man that he offered his daughter Chana as a bride. At their wedding, after the death of Rabbi Ephraim, the Besht showed up dressed as a peasant, wishing to appear as a simple man. After the wedding, R' Israel spent time partaking in ''hitbodedut'' (spiritual seclusion) in fields and forests while the couple moved from village to village. Eventually, the Besht became a ''melamed'' in a town in Poland, and the couple lived in dire financial straits.