Story #1483 (5786-34) 25 Iyar 5786 (May 11, 2026)

"Fulfilling Torah's Final Commandment Magnificently" (Baal Shem Tov)

"So because you say a lot of Psalms, you think you belong among important people?" Berel understood instantly. Without saying a word, he stood up and quietly left.

Why this week? Moses transmitted 8 of the Ten Commandments to the Jewish people. King David and the Baal Shem Tov both passed away on Shavuot.

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Fulfilling Torah's Final Commandment Magnificently

In the small town of Okop in Western Ukraine, where Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov was born and also lived for a certain period in his life,[1] there was a wealthy man named Rabbi Yoel. He was respected not just for his riches; he was an advanced Torah scholar, God-fearing, and meticulous in observing the commandments.

One day, he felt a strong desire to fulfill the final (613th) commandment that appears in the Torah, that every Jewish man should write a Torah scroll for himself. But for Rabbi Yoel, doing a mitzvah "properly" meant doing it magnificently.

He purchased cattle, gave the meat away to the poor, and had the hides specially processed to be excellent quality parchment for an exceptionally beautiful Torah scroll. Then he hired a highly respected scribe, known both for his expertise and his piety, brought him to Okop and hosted him in his home for many months while he worked.

Every day the scribe immersed in a mikveh (ritual bath) before writing. Every letter was written with reverence.

When the Torah scroll was finally completed, Rabbi Yoel organized an elaborate celebratory feast. After all, tradition teaches that completing a Torah scroll deserves a true celebration.

The guest list included the town elite: rabbis, judges, cantors, ritual slaughterers, wealthy benefactors, and community leaders. Rabbi Yoel himself spent days preparing the lecture he planned to deliver at the event - something Talmudic, yet sophisticated enough to impress the Torah scholars of Okop.

One person who did not receive an invitation was Berel the water-carrier.

Berel was a simple Jew. Not rich. Not scholarly. Every morning before dawn he would go to the small synagogue called "Chevra Tehillim," where he and other working men gathered to pray and recite the entire Book of Psalms before heading out to their daily labors.

When Berel heard about the celebration for the new Torah scroll, he innocently assumed -- that any Jew who loved Torah would be welcome
there.

So he put on his worn Shabbat clothes, made himself presentable as best he could, and went to Rabbi Yoel's home. Without thinking twice, he sat down among the honored guests.

When Rabbi Yoel saw Berel the water-carrier sitting in the place reserved for Torah scholars, he approached him angrily and hissed, "Just because you say a lot of Psalms, you think yourself a man of distinguished lineage and importance?"

Berel understood instantly. Without saying a word, he stood up and quietly left.

Inside, the celebration continued in full splendor. Silver goblets gleamed, candles burned in expensive candelabras. Rich food and fine wine covered the tables. Musicians played lively melodies while guests enthusiastically sang and danced in circles around the Torah scroll.

Rabbi Yoel was radiant with joy. He danced passionately, delivered his brilliantly crafted Torah lecture, and basked in the admiration of the town scholars, who were deeply impressed by his deep scholarship, broad knowledge and sharp insights concerning the verse: "And now, write for yourselves this song" [Deut. 31:19].

Late that night, after the final guest had gone home, Rabbi Yoel climbed into bed feeling completely satisfied with himself; everything had gone perfectly.

Then he fell asleep… and dreamed.

In the dream, a violent storm seized him and swept him away like a tidal wave. into a barren wilderness. He found himself standing alone and terrified in a desolate wilderness, when suddenly he noticed a brightly illuminated structure in the distance.

He knocked and entered. Inside sat a panel of solemn judges around a long table. Immediately, the head judge called out: "Rabbi Yoel of Okop - you are hereby summoned to judgment."

The plaintiff stepped forward. Rabbi Yoel was shocked to his toes when he realized that the plaintiff was King David himself.

"I accuse you," David declared, "of dishonoring my Tehilim (Psalms) and publicly shaming Berel the water-carrier, who recites every verse in each of the 150 chapters every single day with sincerity and devotion."

Next, the prosecutor rose and demanded the harshest punishment of all: that Rabbi Yoel's soul should not be returned to his body.

Rabbi Yoel was frozen with terror. He could neither speak nor move.

Then, suprisingly, help came from an unexpected source. Another figure stood up in his defense: the Baal Shem Tov.

"If Rabbi Yoel dies now," he argued, "people will never learn the great value of reciting Psalms with sincerity. Let him return so the lesson can
be known."

At once the storm wind returned, carrying Rabbi Yoel back into his body and bed.

He awoke shaking in fear, soaked in cold sweat.

The next afternoon, between the afternoon and evening prayers, Rabbi Yoel went to visit the humble "Chevra Tehillim" synagogue. Standing before the congregation, he publicly asked Berel for forgiveness.

The astonished worshippers listened as Rabbi Yoel recounted the entire episode: the feast, the insult, the terrifying heavenly trial, and the lesson he had learned.

From that day on, Rabbi Yoel changed completely. He no longer took pride in being the greatest scholar in the town.

Instead, every morning he joined the uneducated but wholehearted workers at the little synagogue, sitting among them and reciting Psalms with humility, warmth and sincerity.
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Source: Freely adapted by Yerachmiel Tilles from Sipurei Tzadikim.

Why this week? Moses transmitted eight of the Ten Commandments - a primary text in the first and every Torah scroll since -- to the Jewish people on [the first!] SHAVUOT. King David and the Baal Shem Tov both passed away on SHAVUOT.

[1] Some say both clauses apply to Tlust, not Okop.

Yerachmiel Tilles is co-founder and associate director of Ascent-of-Safed, and chief editor of this website (and of KabbalaOnline.org). He has hundreds of published stories to his credit, and many have been translated into other languages. He tells them live at Ascent nearly every Saturday night.

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