Baal Shem-Tov

American

[bahl shem-tohv, -tohv, bahl shem-tawv, -tawv] / ˈbɑl ˈʃɛmˈtoʊv, -ˌtoʊv, ˈbɑl ˈʃɛmˈtɔv, -ˌtɔv /

Or Baal Shem-Tob

noun

Israel ben EliezerBesht, c1700–60, Ukrainian teacher and religious leader: founder of the Hasidic movement of Judaism.

Baal Shem Tov British

/ bɑːl ˈʃɛm tɒv, ˈʃɑːm /

noun

original name Israel ben Eliezer ?1700–60, Jewish religious leader, teacher, and healer in Poland: founder of modern Hasidism

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Wiesel tells a Chasidic tale whose lesson is vital for us and our age: When the great Rabbi Israel Baal Shem-Tov saw misfortune threatening the Jews, it was his custom to go into a certain part of the forest to meditate.

From Time

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023