Spectacular Discovery! Practical Kabbalah by Rabbi Yoel Ba'al Shem, the Besh"t's Rabbi

Spectacular Discovery! Practical Kabbalah by Rabbi Yoel Ba'al Shem, the Besh"t's Rabbi

Sefer Refuot manuscript of practical Kabbalah - complete and orderly from beginning to end (including division into simanim and a table of contents). Written as dictated by the leader of the group of hidden tzaddikim in the Ba'al Shem Tov's generation, the G-dly Kabbalist Rabbi Yoel Ba'al Shem of Zamotch, whose writings reached the Ba'al Shem Tov when he was fourteen years old, and were the source of his study of practical Kabbalah. [Eastern Europe, mid-18th century].

The manuscript includes approximately 120 pages with 333 sections including: Incantations, amulets, segulahs, oaths, extraction of demons and impure spirits, and angels' writing. Apparently this manuscript was passed through several generations of Kabbalists, because at the end there were new segulahs added to the original 333 over the years by another writer or two.

As stated, this manuscript was dated mid-18th century by the auction house's experts, the period in which Rabbi Yoel Ba'al Shem lived and was active. Likewise, written in the middle of the manuscript (section 290), is a "Wonderful tried-and-true segulah from our rabbi the Riva"sh [Rabbi Yoel Ba'al Shem] of Zamotch to bind enemies' mouths" and in the following section, more segulahs are cited from him: "Another segulah from the above..." "another from the above" " received from the Mamoriva"sh [my teacher R' Yoel Ba'al Shem Tov] to determine whether a patient will live." (section 313). These sections demonstrate that this manuscript was written by one of the hidden tzaddikim among the disciples of Rabbi Yoel Ba'al Shem Tov of Zamotsh. Another leaf reads: "Take a bird for the epileptic known in Polish as ... and in Russian as ..." (Leaf 1a, section 223). This passage, as well as the type of paper and the style of writing, show that the manuscript was written in Eastern Europe, where Polish and Russian were familiar.

This manuscript is therefore invaluable! It is a book of cures from Rabbi Yoel Ba'al Shem, written by one of his hidden disciples. As well-known from the book Shibchei HaBesh"t, writings by Rabbi Adam Ba'al Shem, Rabbi Yoel's disciple, that deal with practical Kabbalah - possibly this very manuscript - reached the Ba'al Shem Tov's hands (Shibchei HaBesh"t Rubinstein edition, p. 45). See also the article by the eminent writer of Chassidism, Yitzchak Alfasi (Toldot Gedolei HaChassidut, "Rabbi Yisrael Ba'al Shem Tov - Chayav, V'Torato, Shanah B'Shanah, " 2000): "The next stage in the youth's [the Ba'al Shem Tov's] development was his meeting with Rabbi Adam Ba'al Shem's son, who per his father's instructions was to give his writings 'which are Torah secrets;' 'to a person called Yisrael ben Eliezer, who is about 14 years old ... as they belong to the root of his soul, and he lives in Okopy."

Manuscripts and books about practical Kabbalah became more common over the generations, mainly in the Orient, but also in Central Europe, and they are occasionally put up for auction. However, the catch in them is that given that exact precision is necessary for incantations, and that the timing be correct, and that those who transcribed the books were not sufficiently expert, the books did not generally effect the desired results, and their use waned and almost completely ceased. (Some compare this to an electronic device, where all that is needed is for the wires to be improperly connected and the entire device becomes useless.) Another reason for the uselessness of most of the Kabbalistic manuscripts in our possession is that they are written in a general manner, without the details of the names of the angels, nor the 'lower' and private demons that rule at particular times that are intended for most oaths. (Everyone knows, for example, the name of the king of demons, Ashmedai, but no one can make him take an oath; the more one is expert in Kabbalah, the more he knows angels' names, as well as those of lowly demons, who are closer to our world.)

Aside from the startling attribution of this manuscript to Rabbi Yoel Ba'al Shem, its uniqueness lies in the fact that it closely details the names of angels and of demons; their groupings and leaders, as well as writing about the impure powers and their names. Following are several passages from the manuscript to demonstrate the degree of detail in this manuscript:  "These are the names of Lilith ... these are the names of the ministers appointed to the days of the week ... these are Sama'el's twelve sects ... these are the seventy ministers, in order ... (leaf 13); "These are the demons of the Konetz sect; they are small. If you want to call them, go to a crossroad, make a circle around yourself, call them and they will come ... I call upon you to swear,  Konetz sect ... the kings and the ministers and the ... and the deputies from the Konetz sect ... and the most minute detail, the great minister ... especially your king ... (leaf 18, sections 168-170); "To bring a spirit called Marlitzi, which comes in the form of a raven ... to bring the Queen of Sheba ... (21a, sections 176-177); "To bring a demon to its use" (21b, letter 180); "To bring a female demon - received from R' Y. Chassid and the Ba'al HaRokeach and from R' Yakar, Rash"i's teacher, and it is tested ... received from geonim - if you want to bring a demon" (23a); "She [the demon] appears to [to her] husband or another man ... slaughter a chicken and say: You, vision [as a demon in the form of a man is called] Yamrawitz or Yarmamowitz, the adulterer, is a man in place of a man ... thrust him on one spear" (8a letter 87).

The manuscript also deals with topics as follows: "These are the angels, from aleph to tav ... these are the aleph bet of the scribe, the minister of the interior of tradition in our hands from our forefathers transmitted directly from one to the next." (27a); "For love, in the names of impurity" (30a, letter 212); "If you want the angels to answer you" (36a section 264). As is known, the Tana'im dealt with making demons take oaths, such as 'Yosef Shida' - the Jewish demon described in the gemara, who would help the tanna'im, despite behaving in a an unrestrained manner like all demons."

This manuscript, as stated, was written by several writers who updated it over the years with what they found in other manuscripts and books dealing with these topics, as well as what they heard from "Ba'al Shem" Kabbalists. Some of the content of this manuscript is indeed identical to the books Toldot Adam (Zolkiew, 1720) and Mif'alot Elokim (Zolkiew, 1725), in which there were many segulahs printed from Rabbi Eliyahu Ba'al Shem and Rabbi Yoel Ba'al Shem (I and II). But a large part of this manuscript, possibly most of it, has never been printed in any book! And even the parts that were indeed printed appear very differently in this manuscript. Occasionally the writer edits and revises the text that he transcribes, and this demonstrates that the writer was an authoritative Kabbalist. In one place (another writer) comments and refers in the margins of the sheet to the book Toldot Adam, where it was printed differently.

Later supplements also include a prescription from the gaon Rabbi Itzeleh of Volozhin: "Tried and true ... drunk by Rabbi Yitzchak of Volozhin ... and this is the prescription ..." (page 42a). [With respect to Rabbi Itzeleh of Volozhin's  occupation with amulets alongside writing amulets - refer to the book by Professor Shaul Shtampfer, HaYeshivah HaLita'it B'Hithavutah, p. 65. There on page 64 there is a photocopy of a prescription apparently written by Rabbi Itzeleh].

Refer to the Hebrew catalog text for a brief biography of the G-dly Kabbalist Rabbi Yoel Ba'al Shem (II) - Rabbi Yoel Halperin.

11, 13-39, 41, [23] leaf. Total of 122 written pages. 19 cm. Ashkenazic script. Most in Hebrew, some in Yiddish. The ink on some of the leaves is faded by age and blurry. The content of these leaves was rewritten in the 1840s. Index leaves are bound at the end of the volume with a detailed table of contents and various lists from 1874-1877.

Moderate-fine condition. Stains and wear. New binding.