The Burning Tree

One winter, the Baal Shem Tov was traveling home from Kaminka with several of his talmidim, among them Rav Baruch of Kaminka. The weather was bitterly cold. At one point the Baal Shem Tov announced that they would daven Minchah at a certain place, many miles ahead. The travelers were freezing and afraid. They told the Baal Shem Tov that it was impossible to reach that place without risking their lives in the cold, and the coachman agreed with them.

As they traveled through the forest, the Baal Shem Tov had the coachman stop the wagon. He climbed down into the snow and touched a tree. The tree caught fire and began to burn, and everyone warmed himself at the blaze. The coachman even took off his felt boots and dried his socks.

When they set out again, Rav Baruch turned to look back at the tree. The Baal Shem Tov called out to him, "Never mind what happens to the tree. Do not look back."