A Knowing Heart

The Baal Shem Tov generated new energy that roused the Jewish people to spiritual wakefulness. One of the areas where this was keenly felt was the realm of emotion. Before the advent of the chassidic movement, prayer and Torah study were primarily cold and cerebral. The Baal Shem Tov set the souls of the Jewish people on fire, stirring them to a higher pitch of love for G-d and enabling them to develop deeper bonds with their fellowmen.