§ Megillah 3a / Chagigah 15a §
THE TREMBLING OF THE GUARDIAN ANGELS
The Baal Shem Tov links the Talmudic teaching of the fear experienced by Chananya Mishael and Azariah (see Book of Daniel 10:7) to the lived experiences of some Jews during prayer. According to the Baal Shem Tov, the intense feelings which may accompany prayer may either be as the result of human effort, for example, through intense song or intense study, or this feeling may be the result of some unconscious influence, described as a "stirring from heaven". This latter approach may produce [uncontrollable] crying, which is a sign that there are many heavenly judgements measured against the petitioner which only one's "Mazal" can see.
(Keter Shem Tov, p. 69 (§120) - Kehot Edition)
In a similar vein, the Baal Shem Tov links the description of the trembling of one's "Mazal" with the teaching in Tractate Chagigah 15a (cited below) that a Heavenly Voice (Bat Kol) calls out for the Jewish people to return to God. However, this voice is only audible to one's "Mazal", and it is this trembling of the "Mazal" which causes a person to experience unexpected feelings of Teshuva.
(Keter Shem Tov, pp. 337 (Hosafot §101) - Kehot Edition
וְכִי מֵאַחַר דְּלָא חֲזוֹ מַאי טַעְמָא אִיבְּעִיתוּ אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִינְהוּ לָא חֲזוֹ מַזָּלַיְיהוּ חֲזוֹ
The Gemara asks: Since they (Chananya Mishael and Azariah) did not see the vision, what is the reason that they were frightened? The Gemara answers: Even though they did not see the vision, their guardian angels ("mazal") saw it, and therefore they sensed that there was something fearful there and they fled.
יָצְתָה בַּת קוֹל וְאָמְרָה שׁוּבוּ בָּנִים שׁוֹבָבִים חוּץ מֵאַחֵר
A Divine Voice went forth saying: “Return, rebellious children” (Jeremiah 3:22), apart from Aḥer.
§ Megillah 10b §
"AND IT CAME TO PASS" AS A TIME OF SUFFERING
The Baal Shem Tov linked the Talmudic teaching that the word "vay'hi" ("and it came to pass") signals grief for the Jewish people with the story of Creation. Just as the verse concerning the creation of the world uses the phrase "vay'hi ohr" ("and there was light"), this teaches that the contracted manner of creation (tzimtzum) which involves the divine light being filtered and screened necessarily causes the pain and suffering in this world. But on the other hand, it is through this process of creation which the True Light is formed and the world is preserved.
(Keter Shem Tov, p. 143 (§247) - Kehot Edition)
וַיְהִי בִּימֵי אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ אָמַר רַבִּי לֵוִי וְאִיתֵּימָא רַבִּי יוֹנָתָן דָּבָר זֶה מָסוֹרֶת בְּיָדֵינוּ מֵאַנְשֵׁי כְּנֶסֶת הַגְּדוֹלָה כׇּל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וַיְהִי אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא לְשׁוֹן צַעַר
The opening verse of the Megilla states: “And it came to pass [vayhi] in the days of Ahasuerus” (Esther 1:1). Rabbi Levi said, and some say that it was Rabbi Yonatan who said: This matter is a tradition that we received from the members of the Great Assembly. Anywhere that the word vayhi is stated, it is an ominous term indicating nothing other than impending grief, as if the word were a contraction of the words vai and hi, meaning woe and mourning.
§ Megillah 17a §
JACOB'S STAY IN THE HOUSE OF EBER
The Baal Shem Tov taught that although the fourteen years which Jacob spent in the House of Eber were years of the study of Torah, during this entire experience Jacob never felt the kind of awe and fear which he experienced at Mt Moriah (the mountain where he slept and had his Vision of the Ladder). Furthermore, it was this profound experience of fear and awe which alerted Jacob to the holiness of Mt Moriah and declared the space to be the House of the Lord and the Gate of Heaven.
(Keter Shem Tov, p. 182 (§316) - Kehot Edition)
אֶלָּא שְׁמַע מִינַּהּ אַרְבַּע עֶשְׂרֵה שְׁנִין דַּהֲוָה בְּבֵית עֵבֶר לָא חָשֵׁיב לְהוּ דְּתַנְיָא הָיָה יַעֲקֹב בְּבֵית עֵבֶר מוּטְמָן אַרְבַּע עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה עֵבֶר מֵת לְאַחַר שֶׁיָּרַד יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ לַאֲרַם נַהֲרַיִם שְׁתֵּי שָׁנִים יָצָא מִשָּׁם וּבָא לוֹ לַאֲרַם נַהֲרַיִם נִמְצָא כְּשֶׁעָמַד עַל הַבְּאֵר בֶּן שִׁבְעִים וָשֶׁבַע שָׁנָה
Rather, learn from here that the fourteen years that Jacob spent in the house of Eber are not counted here. As it is taught in a baraita: Jacob was studying in the house of Eber for fourteen years while in hiding from his brother Esau. If we were to calculate the life spans recorded in the Torah, we would find that Eber died when Jacob was seventy-nine years old, two years after Jacob our father went down to Aram-naharaim, to the house of Laban. When Jacob left after completing his studying there, he then went immediately to Aram-naharaim. Therefore, when Jacob stood at the well upon his arrival in Aram-naharaim, he was seventy-seven years old.
§ Megillah 17a §
READING THE MEGILLAH OUT OF ORDER
The Baal Shem Tov cites the Mishnah that states that "one who reads the Megillah backwards (or out of order) has not fulfilled their obligation." With this, the Besht proclaimed, the lesson of the Mishnah is that one who views the story of the Megillah as something that occurred in the past and only has true significance for their ancesters and the past generations of Jews cannot fulfill their obligation.
(Keter Shem Tov, pp. 336-337 (Hosafot §100) - Kehot Edition)
הַקּוֹרֵא אֶת הַמְּגִילָּה לְמַפְרֵעַ לֹא יָצָא
MISHNA: With regard to one who reads the Megilla out of order, reading a later section first, and then going back to the earlier section, he has not fulfilled his obligation.
§ Megillah 12b §
THE COMMON ONE RUSHES TO THE FRONT
The Baal Shem Tov taught that humility is essential for serving God, connecting the biblical injunction against using leaven or honey in the Mincha sacrifice (seor u'devash) (see Leviticus 2:11, cited below) with the Talmudic teaching that the "common man rushes to the front", meaning, the one of little merit and stature (katan) seeks to be present themself as one of great merit and stature (gadol). Leaven and honey cause food to rise and appear prominent thereby symbolising a lack of humility, and so, these ingredients were excluded from the sacrifice.
(Keter Shem Tov, p. 239-240 (§393) - Kehot Edition)
See also Zalkevo edition cited below.
וַיֹּאמֶר מְמוּכָן תָּנָא מְמוּכָן זֶה הָמָן וְלָמָּה נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ מְמוּכָן שֶׁמּוּכָן לְפוּרְעָנוּת אָמַר רַב כָּהֲנָא מִכָּאן שֶׁהַהֶדְיוֹט קוֹפֵץ בָּרֹאשׁ
The verse states: “And Memucan said” (Esther 1:16). A Sage taught in a baraita: Memucan is Haman. And why is Haman referred to as Memucan? Because he was prepared [mukhan] to bring calamity upon the Jewish people. Rav Kahana said: From here we see that the common man jumps to the front and speaks first, for Memucan was mentioned last of the king’s seven advisors, and nevertheless he expressed his opinion first.
(יא) כׇּל־הַמִּנְחָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר תַּקְרִ֙יבוּ֙ לַיהֹוָ֔ה לֹ֥א תֵעָשֶׂ֖ה חָמֵ֑ץ כִּ֤י כׇל־שְׂאֹר֙ וְכׇל־דְּבַ֔שׁ לֹֽא־תַקְטִ֧ירוּ מִמֶּ֛נּוּ אִשֶּׁ֖ה לַֽיהֹוָֽה׃
(11) No meal offering that you offer to the LORD shall be made with leaven, for no leaven or honey may be turned into smoke as an offering by fire to the LORD.
(א) וזה פי' כי כל שאור וכל דבש לא תקטירו כו' קרבן ראשית כו' על המזבח לא יעלו פי' שהרמז בשאור ודבר לגבהות שהם מרתיחים ועולים כמו הגבהות שמגביה לב האדם והם דיני הקטנות כי קטן רוצה להיות גדול והדיוט קופץ בראש.
§ Megillah 15a §
THE QUEEN'S DISTRESS
The Baal Shem Tov reportedly was asked by his student what should be done if one senses that one's "bowels begin to feel loosened" during prayer and meditation. The Baal Shem Tov's response: One should make the effort to persevere in prayer and use that moment to reflect on the lowliness of the human. Just as these human needs are described in terms of small [needs] (ketanim) and great [needs] (gedolim), these refer to the ubiquity of human small-mindedness and the need for the spiritual seeker to discover an expanded state of consciousness. And this is the deeper meaning of the Talmudic passage that the inner distress and turmoil of Queen Esther related to the "loosening of the bowels".
(Keter Shem Tov, p. 177 (§303) - Kehot Edition)
See also Zalkevo edition cited below.
וַתִּתְחַלְחַל הַמַּלְכָּה מַאי וַתִּתְחַלְחַל אָמַר רַב שֶׁפֵּירְסָה נִדָּה וְרַבִּי יִרְמְיָה אָמַר שֶׁהוּצְרְכָה לִנְקָבֶיהָ
The verse states: “Then the queen was exceedingly distressed” [vatitḥalḥal] (Esther 4:4). The Gemara asks: What is the meaning of vatitḥalḥal? Rav said: This means that she began to menstruate out of fear, as the cavities, ḥalalim, of her body opened. And Rabbi Yirmeya said: Her bowels were loosened, also understanding the verse as referring to her bodily cavities.
(ג) שמ"מ איך לעצור נקביו אם נתעורר לו באמצע תפלה עכ"פ יעצור ויתפלל ויחשוב שיש נקראים קטנים ויש גדולים כי הקטנים להראותו שהוא בקטנות ולמתקן וכו' והגדולים להתגדל ולהתפאר נתכוין לכך מראין לו זה שישפיל את עצמו וזהו שארז"ל (מגילה טו, א) ותתחלחל המלכה (אסתר ד, ד) שנצרכה לנקבים והענין כו'. וזה צריך לפנים דהפוסקים כו'.
§ Megillah 16b §
THE TORAH IS "LIGHT"
The Baal Shem Tov taught that a Divine Light is hidden within the stories of the Torah and that it remains hidden until the Tzaddikim (truly righteous individuals) uncover the light through their study and explanations of Torah.
(Keter Shem Tov, p. 46 (§84) - Kehot Edition)
לַיְּהוּדִים הָיְתָה אוֹרָה וְשִׂמְחָה וְשָׂשׂוֹן וִיקָר אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אוֹרָה זוֹ תּוֹרָה וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר כִּי נֵר מִצְוָה וְתוֹרָה אוֹר שִׂמְחָה זֶה יוֹם טוֹב וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר וְשָׂמַחְתָּ בְּחַגֶּךָ שָׂשׂוֹן זוֹ מִילָה וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר שָׂשׂ אָנֹכִי עַל אִמְרָתֶךָ
§ The Gemara returns to its explanation of the Megilla. The verse states: “The Jews had light and gladness, and joy and honor” (Esther 8:16). Rav Yehuda said: “Light”; this is referring to the Torah that they once again studied. And similarly it says: “For the mitzva is a lamp and the Torah is light” (Proverbs 6:23). “Gladness” [simḥa]; this is referring to the Festivals that they once again observed. And similarly it says: “And you shall be glad [vesamakhta] on your Festival” (Deuteronomy 16:14). “Joy” [sasson]; this is referring to circumcision, as they once again circumcised their sons. And similarly it says: “I rejoice [sas] at Your word” (Psalms 119:162), which the Sages understood as referring to David’s rejoicing over the mitzva of circumcision.
§ Megillah 31a §
THE HUMILITY OF GOD
The Baal Shem illustrates this Talmudic teaching with reference to the teaching that King Solomon could offer 3,000 analogies (mashalim) to explain ideas to people of a wide range of intelligence (see Book of Kings (I) 5:12, cited below). According to the Baal Shem Tov, the greater and wiser the teacher, the more they can contract their teachings into easily understandable analogies for ordinary people to understand. So too the greatness of God is in God's ability to contract the Divine Light (this idea is used in reference to the Kabbalistic conception of the "Chashmal")
(Keter Shem Tov, p. 308 (Hosafot §45) - Kehot Edition)
אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן כׇּל מָקוֹם שֶׁאַתָּה מוֹצֵא גְּבוּרָתוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אַתָּה מוֹצֵא עִנְוְותָנוּתוֹ
Having mentioned the haftara read on Yom Kippur, the Gemara cites that which Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Wherever you find a reference in the Bible to the might of the Holy One, Blessed be He, you also find a reference to His humility adjacent to it.
(יב) וַיְדַבֵּ֕ר שְׁלֹ֥שֶׁת אֲלָפִ֖ים מָשָׁ֑ל וַיְהִ֥י שִׁיר֖וֹ חֲמִשָּׁ֥ה וָאָֽלֶף׃
(12) He composed three thousand proverbs, and his songs numbered one thousand and five.