Baal Shem

A Baal Shem (Hebrew: בַּעַל שֵׁם, romanized: baʿal šēm, pl. Baale Shem; Yiddish: בעל־שם, romanized: Balshém, plural baléshem) was a historical Jewish practitioner of Practical Kabbalah, folk healer, and thaumaturge (miracle worker). Employing various methods, Baalei Shem are claimed to heal, enact miracles, perform exorcisms, treat various health issues, curb epidemics, protect people from disaster due to fire, robbery or the evil eye, foresee the future, decipher dreams, and bless those who sought his powers.

In Rabbinic Judaism, similar figures arbitrated between earthly realities and spiritual realms since before early Judaism in the 3rd century as noted in the Talmud. However, it was only in the 16th century that the figures were called Baale Shem. Herbal medicine, amulets, contemporary medical cures, as well as magical and mystical solutions were used in accordance with Kabbalistic and Lurianic Kabbalistic teachings in the Middle Ages.

Israel ben Eliezer was a Polish rabbi and mystical healer known as the Baal Shem Tov. His teachings imbued the esoteric usage of Practical Kabbalah into a spiritual movement, Hasidic Judaism.

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