Keeping Hope Alive

***Keeping Hope Alive***

The great Jewish mystic known as the Baal Shem Tov had
discovered four great holy secrets. In order to keep hope
alive in the world, he went to a sacred place in the
forest, built an ancient, special fire, said a holy prayer,
and spoke the long-forgotten true pronunciation of the most
holy name of God.

It was enough. Hope stayed alive for the next generation.

The Baal Shem Tov's successor, though, did not know the
true pronunciation of the most holy name of God. But, when
the time came, he went to the place in the forest, built
the fire, and spoke the prayer. It was enough. Hope stayed
alive for the next generation.

In the next generation, the successor to the successor
only knew enough to go to the sacred place in the forest
and build the ancient fire. But it was enough; hope stayed
alive.

In the following generation, the next successor could only
go to the place in the forest and pray that this last,
single secret would be enough. It was! Hope stayed alive.

But in the next generation, the final secret was lost. So
the successor in this generation sat in his own armchair
and told the story.

Just telling the story was enough. Hope stayed alive in
the next generation - and the next and the next, as long as
the story is told.

from Doug Lipman