When the Baal Shem Tov Revealed the Secret of Reincarnation to the Maggid of Mezeritch

THIS LAST FRIDAY, 19 KISLEV, WAS THE YAHRZEIT OF THE MAGGID OF MEZERITCH, RABBI DOV BER BEN RABBI AVRAHAM ZY”A (MAY HIS MERIT PROTECT US), ONE OF THE GREAT DISCIPLES OF THE HOLY BAAL SHEM TOV. BELOW IS AN EXCERPT FROM A SHIUR BY MOREINU HARAV ELIEZER BERLAND SHLIT”A, IN WHICH HE SPEAKS WITH SWEETNESS ABOUT HOW THE BAAL SHEM TOV REVEALED IN A UNIQUE WAY THE SECRET OF REINCARNATION TO HIS DISCIPLE, THE MAGGID OF MEZERITCH: The Zohar says, “And these are the laws – this is the secret of reincarnation.”  The intention of “laws” is the [heavenly] “wheels” and celestial spheres (GaLGaL).  There are those who are reincarnated, a person who has already been reincarnated for 6,000 years – this is all reincarnation (GiLGuL).  If he lives a hundred years, this is sixty reincarnations.  If this is eighty years, it’s 75 reincarnations.  If it’s seventy years, this is 85 reincarnations.  If it’s sixty years, this is a hundred reincarnations.  The Rebbe said, “I know someone who is here for a hundred reincarnations.  I know someone who already has a hundred graves.”  These are kivrei Tzaddikim (graves of Tzaddikim).  If a person merits to reincarnate a hundred times, he has a hundred kivrei Tzaddikim.  He could make an electronic entrance there and charge a ten shekel entrance fee at every grave.  Whoever merits to be here a hundred reincarnations, fortunate is he!  Good for him!   There’s nothing higher than him. The Maggid came and asked the Baal Shem Tov: “What is the meaning of Raza Gilgula (the Secret of Reincarnation).” He said, “Go and stand at a crossroads and observe.” He went to stand at a crossroads.  He saw a very wealthy man arrive in a golden carriage.  There were a number trees there, a beautiful grove, a beautiful spring.  He rested there and the moment that he arose, his wallet fell from his pocket.  May Hashem have mercy; I don’t wish such a disaster on anyone. After five minutes, someone arrived, found the wallet, took it, and left. After ten minutes, another person arrived, sat down, rested, and enjoyed the beautiful grove.  He saw the spring and drank water.  The wealthy man, the gvir, the millionaire returned with his golden carriage.  He said to him, “Are you here?  Where is my wallet?” “Your wallet?  I didn’t see a wallet.  I’m already a hundred reincarnations here and still haven’t seen a wallet.  I didn’t see golden dinars.” The rich man said, “I don’t care.  You stole my wallet from me.  Where did you hide it?”  He gave him murderous blows, broke all his bones.  Not a single bone was left intact.  He saw that this didn’t help.  “chavit chavit v’lo barich (beat beat and do not bless).”  And he beat him for a whole hour until blood was flowing.  So he left in disappointment.  He had a delusion that he would receive the wallet, but he didn’t merit to see the realization of this delusion and remained in disappointment and without a wallet. Now the Maggid returns to the Baal Shem Tov to explain what happened here.  The rich man lost his wallet and the second one found it and the third one received the blows.  Where is the justice?  Where is the fairness?  There’s no justice in the world.  There’s no fairness in the world. He said to him: “Listen, this was all reincarnations.  In his previous incarnation, the one who received the blows was the rabbi, the rabbi of the town.  The wealthy man who lost his wallet was the whom the rabbi stole from and deceived in some business deal.  And the one who found the wallet, the money really belonged to him, and he was the one who was found guilty in the judgment by this rabbi.  But this was an unjust trial – it was fraudulent and bribery.  He [the rabbi] was also very wealthy, so he ruled for the benefit [of the other rich man].  The one who found the wallet was the poor man who lost his money in the trial.  So this rabbi who ruled for the benefit of the rich man, for the benefit of the guilty one, received the blows.  And the one who took the money unjustly [e.g. the rich man] lost it; and the one who found it, the money was returned to him. MAY HIS MERIT PROTECT US AND ALL ISRAEL, AMEN!