Chasidut su Ecclesiaste 7:24

And know, that all these verses and allusions that are brought after some of the stories are only hints and a scant disclosure of the subject matter, so that they might know "ki lo-davar reiq hu/ it is no empty thing," God forbid. As was heard from his holy mouth, saying that he is revealing a few mere hints from a few verses that hint to the secret of the stories, so as to know that he is not saying, God forbid, prattle. But the essential secret of the stories is far from our knowing; "`Amoq `amoq, mi yimtzaenu/ Deep-deep; who can find it out?" [Eccl. 7:24]

I also understood from his words that Mitath haMelakhim ["Death of the Kings;" shattering of the pre-Creation sefirot] and their repair is alluded to in this story, although neither the aspect of their destruction nor the aspect of their rebuilding are mentioned as the order of the ten aforementioned aspects, for the same reasons above. But still the things are hidden and sealed, because the utmost secret of the story he did not reveal at all; he only enlightened our eyes with the verses and ideas above so that we should know that there are very great and awesome hidden secrets in the story. But we do not know the extent. Fortunate is one who is privileged to understand a bit of the secrets of these stories explained in this book, because they are all extremely wondrous and awesome novelties; "`Amok `amok, mi yimtza'enu/ Deep, deep; who can find it out?" [Eccl. 7:24] "Mah nomar... mah nedaber/ What shall we say... what shall we speak?" [Gen. 44:16] "Mi-shama` kazoth, mi ra'ah ka'eleh/ Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things?" [Isa. 66:8]

We were only worthy of receiving a small amount of their teachings, as they are scattered about in various books, and not in any one authoritative volume. None of the words of the Baal Shem Tov were ever committed to writing in his lifetime. All of his teachings were passed on to us in the writings of his students and student’s students in the generations after his death. Why didn’t the students of the Baal Shem Tov write down his teachings in his lifetime? All of his students were holy geniuses, and when each one would hear his Rebbe’s words, he would expand upon it from his own knowledge. In this way each one operated, according to the qualities of his own soul and spirit. Due to each student’s great sanctity and driven persistence in his Torah study and Divine service, they could not find the time to properly commit the Baal Shem Tov’s teachings to writing. The few teachings that we have today are like a lone sheaf of wheat gathered from the words of his students, and it bears the crown of the good name.¹⁴⁶See Mishha Pirkei Avot, 4:13. Even the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov’s students are few, scattered hear and there in holy books, and these teachings are the portal through which we can enter into the chambers of kedusha (sanctity). Similarly, most of the teachings of the Great Maggid were not written down, even though most of the students of the Baal Shem Tov learned with the Rabbi Dov Baer. The Great Maggid also raised many new students in his tenure as leader of the Hassidic movement, yet this tenure only lasted for a few years. He was already at an advanced age when he first became a disciple of the Baal Shem Tov, and so little of his teachings, sublime and lofty, dividing the flames of fire,¹⁴⁷See Psalms 29:7, “The voice of God divides the flames of fire.” and so deep - who may fathom them!¹⁴⁸See Kohelet 7:24. - were actually put in writing.