Chasidut · Other Chasidut Works
Ba'al Shem Tov, Lech Lecha 6/בעל שם טוב על התורה·
אואת הנפש אשר עשו בחרן, בשם אדוני אבי זקיני נ"ע זללה"ה כי כשאדם בקטנות מוליד נשמות גרים, וזהו את הנפש אשר עשו בחרן, שהם ג' בחינות אלהים דקטנות מספר חרן וכו':
(דגל מחנה אפרים וארא ד"ה או יאמר וארא ע"ש).
(דגל מחנה אפרים וארא ד"ה או יאמר וארא ע"ש).
1And Abram took Sarai his wife, his nephew Lot, and all their belongings, as well as the souls that they made in Haran; and they left to go into the land of Canaan… (Ibid. 12:5)When a person is in a state of small-mindedness (mohin d’katnus), he gives birth to the souls of converts.6 – returnees to Judaism. Their ability to repent comes from the influence of a Tzaddik who has fallen to a lower level and raised himself again. See Kedushas Levi, by R. Levi Yitzchok of Berditchov, on the verse: “Your ointments have a goodly fragrance” (Song of Songs 1:3): “It is necessary to understand why G-d created a situation in which a Tzaddik falls from his level. It would certainly be better for him to remain constantly on his level and serve G-d with an expanded consciousness and to love Him perfectly. The Baal Shem Tov and my Master, Rabbi Dov Baer (the Maggid of Mezritch) explained it as follows. When the Tzaddik falls from his level and endeavors to regain his strength, he creates the souls of converts. This is like someone who wants to take his friend out of the mud. He also has to go down into the muck to raise him up.” This is the meaning of: “the souls that they made in Haran,” which is the three aspects of Elokim in Smallness,7, chapter 13. having the numerical value of the word Haran.8Degel Machane Ephraim, Vayera, p. 5.