Chasidut · Other Chasidut Works
Ba'al Shem Tov, Shemot 19/בעל שם טוב על התורה·
אוהנה האדם הוא עולם קטן ויש בו משה ואהרן ומצרים. והשלם שיש בו דעת לחבר כל המדרגות של בני דורו להעלותן ולהדביקם בשרשם. שכולל את עצמו עמהן. נקרא משה. שהוא כולל בעצמו כל בני דורו. ונקרא דעת. דור דעה. ואדם רשע נקרא קטן שאין בו דעת וכו':
(תוי"י בראשית די"ב ע"ב).
(תוי"י בראשית די"ב ע"ב).
1A human being is a microcosm of the world, and has within him Moses, Aharon and Egypt. And the [aspect of] peace that is in him – the consciousness he has to unite all the individual’s of his generation, on all their levels, and to uplift them and attach them to their [spiritual] root, by including himself with them – is called “Moses,” who included in himself all the people of his generation. This is called “da'at,” the Generation of Knowledge.14, the Generation of Knowledge, because they were all attached to his soul. However, a wicked person is called “a child,” for he lacks da'at.15Toldos Yaakov Yosef, Bereishis p.12b