"Master of the good name"

[Masha]

I just encountered the following in my reading:

"The Jewish miracle worker and saint is called in Jewish legents 'master of the good name,' because G-d's name was the greatest mystery and the greatest power."

Does anyone know what this term is in Hebrew? (Would that be tzaddik by any chance? Could tzaddik mean "master of the good name"?) Could anyone clarify or expand on this idea (this is the first time I'm seeing this)? I'm grateful in advance.

[RationalThought110]

What are you reading?

[Masha]

What are you reading?

Hans Kohn The Idea of Nationalism.

[Trumpeldor]

Ba'al Shem Tov

[Masha]

Ba'al Shem Tov

O! I've heard this, but didn't know what it meant! (Actually, I'm very embarrassed to say, I thought it was a name of someone  ). So it means "master of the good name" then? Let me see, I know that "tov" is good. Would "shem" mean name, and "ba'al" - master? Or the other way around? (Forgive my ignorance).

[Masha]

A follow-up question. The same writer says that a Jewish legend claims that G-d offered the Covenant to all the nations, but only Jews had accepted it. What does he mean by a "legend"? Is it somewhere in the Talmud? Could anyone point me to the source, please? I would like to look it up and be able to make a reference to it. Thanks a bunch.

[MassuhDGoodName]

"I just encountered the following in my reading:
"The Jewish miracle worker and saint is called in Jewish legents 'master of the good name,' because G-d's name was the greatest mystery and the greatest power."
Does anyone know what this term is in Hebrew? (Would that be tzaddik by any chance? Could tzaddik mean "master of the good name"?) Could anyone clarify or expand on this idea (this is the first time I'm seeing this)? I'm grateful in advance."

The Jewish miracle worker and saint is called in Jewish legends 'master of the good name.

G-d's name IS the greatest mystery and IS the greatest power!

~Ba'al Shem Tov~

[Masha]

"I just encountered the following in my reading:
"The Jewish miracle worker and saint is called in Jewish legents 'master of the good name,' because G-d's name was the greatest mystery and the greatest power."
Does anyone know what this term is in Hebrew? (Would that be tzaddik by any chance? Could tzaddik mean "master of the good name"?) Could anyone clarify or expand on this idea (this is the first time I'm seeing this)? I'm grateful in advance."

The Jewish miracle worker and saint is called in Jewish legends 'master of the good name.

G-d's name IS the greatest mystery and IS the greatest power!

~Ba'al Shem Tov~

Thank you! 

[Lubab]

A follow-up question. The same writer says that a Jewish legend claims that G-d offered the Covenant to all the nations, but only Jews had accepted it. What does he mean by a "legend"? Is it somewhere in the Talmud? Could anyone point me to the source, please? I would like to look it up and be able to make a reference to it. Thanks a bunch.

It's in the Midrash. Sifri, Deuteronomy 33:2

[Dexter]

Ba'al Shem Tov = Ba'ashat = בעש"ט

[Trumpeldor]

Ba'al Shem Tov

O! I've heard this, but didn't know what it meant! (Actually, I'm very embarrassed to say, I thought it was a name of someone  ). So it means "master of the good name" then? Let me see, I know that "tov" is good. Would "shem" mean name, and "ba'al" - master? Or the other way around? (Forgive my ignorance).

Ba'al=owner/master
Shem= Name
Tov= Good

[Masha]

Thank you all very much! This is very helpful! 

I think I found Midrash Sifri on the net (if it's the right thing). I'll search in it.

[Masha]

I think I found Midrash Sifri on the net (if it's the right thing). I'll search in it.

Oops, no, that wasn't the right thing.

Does anyone know whether the text of Midrash Sifri exists online?  Thank you.

[MassuhDGoodName]

Masha,
Read thoroughly the account of Moses receiving Torah at Sinai.
You will discover in your reading that Ha'Shem declares that the Jews are the only people who would receive The Law, due to their character traits of being so "stiff-necked" and "stubborn" that they would keep it and refuse to give it up.  Also, you will read how Moses actually argued face to face with Ha'Shem and won the argument!  Ha'Shem was so angered with the rebellious Children of Israel that he was going to destroy them all...Moses successfully argued that they be spared, convincing Ha'Shem that if he were to destroy them, the rest of the world would all say that the miracles of the Exodus from Egypt, and the Jewish People's receiving Torah, were merely lies and myth, and they would claim that the "disappearance" of the Jews would be proof positive that their G-d was not the One True G-d!

[Masha]

Masha,
Read thoroughly the account of Moses receiving Torah at Sinai.
You will discover in your reading that Ha'Shem declares that the Jews are the only people who would receive The Law, due to their character traits of being so "stiff-necked" and "stubborn" that they would keep it and refuse to give it up.  Also, you will read how Moses actually argued face to face with Ha'Shem and won the argument!  Ha'Shem was so angered with the rebellious Children of Israel that he was going to destroy them all...Moses successfully argued that they be spared, convincing Ha'Shem that if he were to destroy them, the rest of the world would all say that the miracles of the Exodus from Egypt, and the Jewish People's receiving Torah, were merely lies and myth, and they would claim that the "disappearance" of the Jews would be proof positive that their G-d was not the One True G-d!

That's very interesting. I'll go back and reread this passage. Thank you!

It's another way of understanding the notion of "chosen." Not only does G-d choose, but there is a reciprocal move of accepting the burden of election. It shows that the question of free will vs. predestination is paradoxical. On the one hand, G-d must know in advance that the Jews will accept the task he assigns to them - so that, in a sense, it is predestined. On the other hand, the acceptance of it remains, in another sense, a "free choice."