Although we know the basic details of the Baal Shem Tov’s life, all of the stories that make him the Baal Shem Tov are from decades after his death and are of dubious provenance.
So, this shiur focuses first on several of the other Baalei Shem who preceded the Baal Shem Tov. They were folk doctors, prescribing natural remedies, spiritual cures and sometimes amulets for healing or protection.
Then we look briefly at some of the writings attributed to the Baal Shem Tov, and why they were so revolutionary, and even considered heretical by the mainstream.