The Baal Shem Tov (c. 1700–1760): biography, teachings and the founding of Hasidism

October 15, 2026

Rabbi Yisrael ben Eliezer (ישראל בן אליעזר), the Baal Shem Tov (“Master of the Good Name,” abbreviated Besht), is the founder of Hasidism. He was born around 1700, in a region of present-day Ukraine or Moldavia, and died in 1760 in Mezhybozh (Medzhibozh). The documentation on his life is scarce and most of what is told comes from later Hasidic tradition, so it is worth distinguishing the historical from the legendary.

Quick facts

Birth and origins

The date of birth is uncertain: Simon Dubnow and other modern scholars prefer around 1700. One tradition, accepted only by Chabad, gives October 1698; other Hasidic traditions speak of 1690. The place is not clear either. The early legends say Okop, probably Okopy. Moshe Idel defends the Romanian border area, and states that there is no proof for Okopy.

What the sources say

The documentary record is minimal. Censuses of Mezhybozh between 1740 and 1760 mention a holy man, presumably Yisrael: a kabbalist (1740), a baal shem (1742 and 1758) and a physician baal shem (1760). The title baal shem designated one who worked with the holy Names, and scholars describe him as a healer and writer of amulets, an aspect that later Hasidic tradition toned down.

Around 1740 he began to teach in Mezhybozh, which became the center of the movement. He was supported early on by talmudists and later by rabbinic figures such as Rabbi Yaakov Yosef of Polonne and Rabbi Dov Ber of Mezritch.

Teachings

• Devekut: direct attachment to G-d, which must permeate every activity and every hour of the day.
• Prayer: tradition gives it supreme value, together with the mystical meaning of the Hebrew letters and words.
• The spirit behind the practice: he did not oppose traditional practice, but stressed the spirit in which it is carried out, and that all of life must be at the service of G-d.

His writings

No book of his survives. His teachings came down through his disciples: Rabbi Yaakov Yosef of Polonne cites more than eight hundred, although it is often unclear whether they are verbatim. Several letters attributed to him or to those close to him were printed posthumously, and their authenticity is disputed. Shivchei HaBesht (“Praises of the Besht”), printed in 1815 (according to another source, 1814), is a legendary biography, not his own work.

Legend and history

Tradition tells that he was born after a promise from the prophet Eliyahu, to parents already elderly, and attributes to him a childhood in Tluste and membership in a fellowship. Scholars recognize in these accounts “a small historical core” and do not agree on which parts are reliable.

The founding of Hasidism

He is considered the founder of Hasidic Judaism. The movement split into factions soon after his death, and each claimed his authority. Rabbi Dov Ber of Mezritch is credited with bringing his doctrines, in altered form, to learned circles.

The Frankists

He sided with the talmudists against Frankism, a Sabbatean movement. A saying attributed to him states that a diseased limb, once amputated, cannot be saved. It is also told that he died of grief over the conversion of the Frankists; both are attributed accounts.

Frequently asked questions

What does Baal Shem Tov mean?

“Master of the Good Name.” It is a title given to one who worked with the holy Names in order to heal.

Where did he die and where is he buried?

In Mezhybozh, where he is buried.

Did he write anything?

No book of his survives. His teachings are known through his disciples.

Was it he who founded Hasidism?

Tradition and historians consider him its founder, although the organization of the movement is largely due to his disciples.