Born 1698 in Galicia (now in Ukraine); died 1760 CE Lithuania (now in Ukraine).
In print, the acronym BESHT is used.
A towering figure in Judaism. Founder of Hasidism.
Originally the core Hasidic theme was ivdu et ha–Shem b’simcha’ (worship God through meditation and fervent joy). However, the denomination has morphed into a heavily scholarly denomination.
But their great historical contribution revolves around the area of spiritualizing down–to–earth humanism.
For a major historical Jewish personage, the BESHT is a total anomaly. According to lore, he was a terrible student, and probably spent more time in the woods connecting with nature, than connecting with his Gemara books. He was never an ordained rabbi or scholar in the classic sense. He left no books; however, it would appear that he tapped–into cosmic currents astutely.
Considered by Judaism to be a populist, which is accurate, his doctrine of panentheism –that the whole universe is a manifestation of the Divine Being—of course, flies in the face of classic mainstream Jewish doctrine (which is neo–Aristotelian). Of course, respectfully, in my humble opinion, it was the BESHT who was correct.
[Some of the better–known Hassidic sects today include the Bobover, the Breslover, Gerer, Lubavitch (Chabad) and Satmar Hasidism.]
[Historical note: Opus Dei, the unique Roman Catholic order founded later in 1928 in Spain, has as its core doctrine, themes almost verbatim from the BESHT, to the effect that daily life is a path to sanctity. Founded by (Saint) Josemaría Escrivá, Opus Dei is currently under the Prelature of Bishop Javier Echevarría. Opus Dei is treated as a “personal prelature” of the Pope.]
Baal Shem Tov means “Holder of a Good Name (i.e. a good reputation).”