Shabbos in Lizensk

The Yeshuos Moshe of Vizhnitz related that the Zaslover Chazzan, who had served as chazzan for the holy Baal Shem Tov, once arrived in Lizensk on erev Shabbos to spend Shabbos with the Noam Elimelech.

The talmidim of Reb Melech did not know what to do. Should they honor the chazzan with the amud, so that he would daven kabbalas Shabbos? Or would that upset the Rebbe's kavannos and disrupt his devotions? Their hesitation soon became irrelevant, for Reb Melech himself honored the chazzan to lead the tefillos and begin kabbalas Shabbos.

"Please, for the sake of the Baal Shem's honor, would you be our chazzan?" asked Rebbe Elimelech. Rav Mordechai agreed.

The chazzan stepped up to the amud, flanked by a choir that would accompany his melodious tefillos. As soon as the tefillah began, however, Rebbe Elimelech could not hold back. With great reluctance he interrupted the chazzan and the choir. "Please, I am sorry, it is just too much," he said. "I cannot contain the dveykus this brings on."

The Yeshuos Moshe paused in telling the tale to explain that Reb Melech could not withstand it because it opened new vistas for him in the supernal realms. The great light that came from it was too strong to absorb.

"After kabbalas Shabbos," the Yeshuos Moshe continued, "Rebbe Elimelech drew the Zaslover Chazzan close and asked him please not to daven at the amud in Lizensk any more.

"On Motzaei Shabbos, as the Zaslover Chazzan took his leave, Reb Melech asked him to tell some story about the holy Baal Shem Tov. The chazzan spoke of the Baal Shem Tov's love and awe in serving Hashem, and especially of how his soul would experience an aliyas neshama, a state in which he would wander through the supernal realms just as we move about here below."

"Another aspect of the Baal Shem Tov's purity in avodas Hashem," the Zaslover continued, "is his recitation of Hallel. We know that when we recite the Hallel HaGadol, each verse is said by a specific angel. When the holy Baal Shem Tov recited Hallel HaGadol, he first waited to hear how each malach said each pasuk. Only then would he repeat each pasuk himself, after the angels had said it."