Inquisition, were reduced to asking alms at church-doors, the
Baal Shem was alone in refusing to taunt them for still gazing
longingly towards "the gate of Rome," as they mystically called the
convent of Czenstochow, in which Frank lay imprisoned. And when their
enemies said they had met with their desert, the Baal Shem said:
"There is no sphere in Heaven where the soul remains a shorter time
than in the sphere of merit, there is none where it abides longer than
in the sphere of love." Much also in these troublous times did the
Baal Shem suffer from his sympathy with the sufferings of Poland, in
its fratricidal war, when the Cossacks hung up together a nobleman, a
Jew, a monk, and a dog, with the inscription: "All are equal."
Although these Cossacks, and later on the Turks, who, in the guise of
friends of Poland, turned the Southern provinces into deserts, rather
helped than hindered the cause of his followers by diverting their
persecutors, the Baal Shem palpitated with pity for all--dogs, monks,
noblemen, and Jews. But, howsoever he suffered, the serene cheerful
faith on which these were but dark shadows, never ceased altogether to
shine in his face. Even on his death-bed his three cardinal virtues
were not absent. For no man could face the Angel of Death more
cheerfully, or anticipate more glowingly the absorption into the
Divine, and as for Humility, "O Vanity! vanity!" were his dying words;
"even in this hour of death thou darest approach me with thy
temptations. 'Bethink thee, Israel, what a grand funeral procession
will be thine because thou hast been so wise and good,' O Vanity,
vanity, beshrew thee."

Now although I was his son-in-law, and was with him in this last
hour, it is known of all men that not I, but Rabbi Baer, was appointed
by him to be his successor. For although my acquaintance with the Baal
Shem did not tend to increase my admiration for his chief disciple, I
never expressed my full mind on the subject to the Master, for he had
early enjoined on me that the obverse side of the virtue of Humility
is to think highly of one's fellow-man. "He who loves the Father, God,
will also love the children."

But, inasmuch as he abhorred profitless learning, and all study for
study's sake that does not lead to the infinite light, I did venture
to ask him why he had allowed Baer, the Scholar, to go about as his
lieutenant and found communities in his name.

"Because," he said with beautiful simplicity, "I saw