Baal Shem Tov Quotes

The ideal of man is to be a revelation himself, clearly to recognize himself as a manifestation of God.

If a man has beheld evil, he may know that it was shown to him in order that he learn his own guilt and repent; for what is shown to him is also within him.

A broom sweeps clean, and itself becomes soiled; cleanse yourself of those offenses of which you may feel guilty.

Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Why? Because every human being has a root in the Unity, and to reject the minutest particle of the Unity is to reject it all.

Fear builds walls to bar the light.

Before you can find God, you must lose yourself.

Pleasures are manifestations of God's name.

For my sake, the entire world was created.

If the Bible didn't show us the weaknesses, the vulnerabilities, the sins of our heroes, we might have deep questions about their true virtue.

There is no room for God in the man who is filled with himself.

We should not laugh at the person who becoming caught up in his prayer bends his body or moves about in strange ways. Perhaps he moves in this manner to wave off unwelcome thoughts that would interrupt the prayer. Would we find it funny if we saw a person drowning going through strange motions doing whatever was necessary to save his life?

I am going out one door, and shall go through another.

When a father complains that his son has taken to evil ways, what should he do? Love him more than ever.

The world is new to us every morning - and every man should believe he is reborn each day

Whenever feeling downcast, each person should vitally remember, "For my sake, the entire world was created."

The central aspect of worship is the feeling of being at one with God.

Mind is the foundation of man.

Your fellow man is your mirror. If your own face is clean, the image you perceive will also be flawless. But should you look upon your fellow man and see a blemish, it is your own imperfection that you are encountering - you are being shown what it is that you must correct within yourself.

Telling the proper stories is as if you were approaching the throne of Heaven in a fiery chariot.

Forgetfulness leads to exile while remembrance is the secret of redemption.

To pull a friend out of the mire, don't hesitate to get dirty.

Everybody is unique. Compare not yourself with anybody else lest you spoil God's curriculum.

As man acts, God reacts.

Everything above and below is one unity.

People should allow themselves the opportunity to really know what the unity of God means. To grasp a part of the nondivisible union is to grasp the whole.

He who is full of joy is full of love.

For any of us to come to the understanding that we are common and unlearned is the accomplishment of a lifetime.

The world is full of wonders and miracles but man takes his little hand and covers his eyes and sees nothing.

From every human being there rises a light.

Unless we believe that God renews creation every day, our prayers grow habitual and tedious.