Negative To Positive

• Difficulties
  
  

The Holy Baal Shem Tov says that when G-d’s left hand is pushing you away, it is in order that His right hand can draw you close.

• Life’s Meaning
  
  

Even if you cannot perceive what purpose you serve, you must realize that your life has a purpose as it is directed by G-d.

• Negative to Positive
  
  

If we truly had faith that all would be good, it would be!
 
(As is known with the story of the Baal Shem Tov, that there was once a terrible decree that disturbed Him greatly but He decided to trust in G-d’s goodness, and it was averted.)

• Negative to Positive

Fearing Divine punishment actually reflects G-d’s love, for it shows that He is willing to accept everyone (through repentance)!

One should be inspired to accept their problems joyously, and in this way, they eliminate their fears.

{Whenever you fear – think how everything is sourced in fear of G-d which proves that G-d cares, hence in actual fact you are dealing with His love.}

• Negative to Positive
  
  

When something negative occurs, we should always announce: 
“All that G-d does, He does for the good!”

By finding the good in the bad, the bad then turns into good!

• Negative to Positive
  
  

Convert evil to good.

If a person receives a prophecy or a dream of something negative one must convert the negative to positive. For example, in Hebrew, the word Mes (death) can also be transposed into Tam (sincere.)

{In other words, Yirmiyahu the prophet was punished because He received bad prophecies but didn’t pray for the Jewish people. If one receives a negative Divine “download,” one must immediately spin it to the good.}

• Negative to Positive
  
  

Everything that occurs comes from Heaven, and in its source, it is a combination of letters. For example, the word “Tzarah” / “problem,” can be rearranged to spell “Tzahor” / a “shining light.”

When a person accepts suffering with joy, or finds the silver-lining in it, they rearrange the source code. The bad then turns into good.

87 Kesser Shem Tov

• Negative to Positive
  
  

Just like the snail is within His shell – within all concealment / pain and suffering, G-d is also hidden there.

When we realize that behind everything is G-d, the issue gets resolved.

98 Kesser Shem Tov

• Negative to Positive
  
  

When a person is going through a difficult time, they should focus intensely on their Torah study early in the morning, binding their soul to the Divine found within these holy letters.

{This will assist in eliminating the problem.}

164 Kesser Shem Tov

• Negative to Positive

Both good and bad happen to a person. To explain this, the Baal Shem Tov gives the following analogy:
Once there was a king who became angry at someone, so he sent his messenger to summon them.
When the messenger arrived to call this person to come to the king, the messenger was angry at them.
The fool fears the messenger, while the wise person says, “I will go appease the king!”

The same example applies in the reverse. 
Once there was a king who was very happy with a person, so he sent his messenger to call them.
The messenger came to the person with great joy – the fool is so happy to find the king’s messenger happy that he rejoices with the messenger, while the wise person says, “I shall go to The Source.”

{In other words, if good or bad comes your way, realize it comes from G-d, and it is there to cause you to come closer to Him or thank-Him.}

207 Kesser Shem Tov

• Negative to Positive
  
  

It is possible to transform a situation by seeing the corresponding Divine aspect.

For example, if someone is unfortunately imprisoned, they could learn about the concept of “The Four” who give praise for their miracles (one of whom is a person released from incarceration).

A person who is ill can consider which of the supernal Sefiros corresponds to the limb they are suffering in (for example,  Chessed is the right arm).
By concentrating on the positive Divine aspect, we eliminate our suffering.

{For example if your right arm which represents Chessed / kindness is hurting, think abut how you can improve the aspect of kindness in your life.}

299 Kesser Shem Tov

• Negative to Positive
  
  

The great Tzaddikim take all distracting or any lewd thoughts and connect them to Their Source. (As Tzaddikim are always connected to G-d therefore any bad thought that comes to them is from a foreign negative source / another person’s animal soul.)

However, if one doesn’t know how to do this (as the Alter Rebbe says, this is primarily a task for Tzaddikim…) it is enough to know that everything comes from the combination of the two names of G-d, “Havayeh” and “Adnay.” (The former is higher, and the latter represents matters of this world. By knowing that even in the negative, its essence is G-d, we transform the negative to positive.)

{For example behind lust is love for G-d, and behind fear is fear of G-d. Knowing that everything is sourced in good, eliminates the bad.}

368 Kesser Shem Tov

• Negative to Positive
  
  

“You should make a light (Tzohar) in the Ark (Teivah”).

In Sefer Yetzirah, it says, “Three letters build six words.”

The word Tzohar (made of three Hebrew letters) has six combinations – five revealed, and one concealed.

“Run” (Haratz) – “Difficulty” (Tzarah) – “Desire” (Ritzei) – “Light” (Tzohar) – Oppressor (Hatzor).

Through running to say the words of Torah and Tefillah (prayer) which expresses our desire to do so, we transform the (Tzarah) difficulty of an oppressor (Hatzar) into Tzohar, a beautiful shining light!

The former darkness transforms into a great blessing!

{Run to do a Mitzvah.}

9 Kesser Shem Tov (From Rebbes)

• Negative to Positive
  
  

When problems are upon us and they inspire us to do Teshuvah and transform our lives – we transform the problems into benefits.

10 Kesser Shem Tov

• Negative to Positive
  
  

The Baal Shem Tov has a famous Torah teaching on the passuk (verse) “Come to the Ark.”

The Baal Shem Tov says that a soul comes into this world and becomes preoccupied with making a living through labor, and can become consumed by the demands of life.

The solution is “Come to the Ark.”

To connect oneself to the words of prayer and the words of Torah. (In Hebrew the word for “Ark” and “Word” are the same – Teivah.)

In the merit of the connection to the Divinity within these Holy-Letters one receives help in all they need.

11 Kesser Shem Tov (From Rebbes)

• Negative to Positive
  
  

G-d created the world through Din – Judgment, which is Tzimtzum / concealment.

The principle of Tzimtzum is a minimization of His Infinite Light so something finite can both be created as well as appreciate Him.

In every universe, the Tzimtzum / minimization took place to cause this.

In each universe, the Beings (such as souls, etc.) appreciate G-d according to their intellectual capacity.

When we have pain or suffering (G-d-forbid), this comes from the body, for the body is connected to the soul (our life-force).

When we realize that everything – everything – is created by the singular G-d and we love G-d (knowing that everything that happens to us is from Him) then we connect the Din (the level of the body and Tzimtzum) to the soul, which is happiness and life-force!

It is this that transforms the negative into G-d’s compassion (which evokes blessings).

The advice on how to contemplate this is the verse, “Love G-d your L-ord” (L-ord / Elokim refers to Din).

Take the negative and connect it to Havaye (which is the soul) by accepting it joyously.

{In other words, realize that behind everything is G-d and accept it with joy and it will transform.}

25 Bereishis – Baal Shem Tov on the Torah

• Negative to Positive
  
  

A Parable from the Baal Shem Tov:

Once there was a king who sent one of his servants dressed as a foreign king to test a country under his rule to see if they would agree to foment a rebellion.

Some people fell for the ruse, while others who were wiser thought deeper into the situation. 
Realizing it was all a trick they confronted the hidden servant.

The same holds true in life – as is well-known in the example of the king who hired a harlot to test his son’s morality (so challenges actually come from G-d for us to overcome them.)

When a person realizes that everything is a challenge, and that even within all of their pain is G-d, they then remove it.

The shell is peeled and the sweet fruit is revealed.

141 -142 Bereishis – Baal Shem Tov on the Torah

• Negative to Positive

The Baal Shem Tov explains a great secret on how to turn bitterness to sweetness (suffering to delight).

One must find within the pain and suffering a source of goodness.

For in The Source, gevurah (din – harsh decrees) is complete loving-kindness.

Gevurah limits (the infinite expansion of G-d’s love, just like shades on a window, allowing an infinite light to be seen and felt by an observer.)

The purpose of these limitations is so that every person can receive the limited / specific amount of energy necessary for their survival and life. (Too much light / energy would “blow the circuit” – infinity in a finite world would cause the finite to be nullified out of existence.)

In addition, if all G-d did was give unconditionally, people could become (spoiled hence) sinful.

In this way we maintain our portion in the world-to-come!

In essence, it is all loving-kindness! 

Through finding the source in kindness, and accepting it with love, the problem returns back to its source which emanates from the positive of G-d.

And then the negative turns into positive!

Then the Dinim (negative occurrences) create a kal-vichomer (analogy) “If my source is complete kindness… I who am but a fraction of a fraction of my Source, must certainly be complete kindness.”

And so it manifests!

Note 155 Noach – Baal Shem Tov on the Torah.

• Negative to Positive
  
  

The Baal Shem Tov teaches that though faith we connect Malchus, referred to as Ani, to Thought which is referred to as Ayin. (Ani and Ayin have the same Hebrew letters.) All bad then dissipates.

{Have faith to transform bad to good.}

28 Lech Licha – Baal Shem Tov on The Torah

• Negative to Positive
  
  

G-d is not like a physical king for whom the instrument of destruction cannot be used as an instrument of construction.

G-d uses the same instrument!

As the Baal Shem Tov says, the very source of misery becomes a source of pleasure!

{Don’t allow negative occurrences to get you down for the very negative can become a great positive.}

8 Vayeishev– Baal Shem Tov on The Torah

• Negative to Positive
  
  

Sometimes we find it difficult to serve G-d, and G-d-forbid also one can experience suffering or pain☹.

Instead of being in an expansive state, we are in a constricted state.

We should meditate on the words, “Asher Nishbati Bi-api…” “And I swore in my anger…”  namely that within everything is G-d – and this will sweeten the difficulty to joy.

{In other words, recognizing that bad also comes from G-d, will transform it to good.}

Note 8 Mishpatim – Baal Shem Tov on The Torah

• Negative to Positive
  
  

Saying “Yisroel Ben Eliezer,” helps to protect.  

{For added safety and protection say Yisroel Ben Eliezer.}

Note 14 Veschanan– Baal Shem Tov on The Torah

• Negative to Positive
  
  

When a person knows that all negative occurrences are just G-d concealed, this causes all negative occurrences to cease.

7 Vayeilech– Baal Shem Tov on The Torah

• Negative to Positive
  
  

Even in the greatest darkness and the greatest concealment, G-d says, “I am within it.”

10 Vayielech– Baal Shem Tov on The Torah

• Negative to Positive
  
  

When a person understands that even the darkness contains light, that suffering contains pleasure, and that G-d is behind everything, then though we cannot understand the suffering it gets removed.

The Baal Shem Tov would often say: “I fear greatly the Biblical (potential) curse, ‘I will doubly hide Myself…’”

The first hiding refers to a negative occurrence, but the second is that one forgets that behind everything is G-d.

{Never forget behind it all is G-d and this will transform the negative to positive.}

11 Vayeilech– Baal Shem Tov on The Torah

• Negative to Positive
  
  

“Behold your enemies G-d… behold your enemies shall be lost.”
When a person is cognizant that even during the evil there is a blessing, the blessing comes.

12 Vayeilech– Baal Shem Tov on The Torah

• (MM) Negative to Positive
  
  

When the bad becomes a catalyst for good (such as regret causing change) everything becomes good! To the extent of the level of the days of Moshiach.

{Use everything – all emotions etc. for good / G-d.}

45 Breishis – Baal Shem Tov on the Torah

• Negative to Positive
  
  

The Baal Shem Tov teaches that we sweeten harsh decrees by finding the hidden goodness behind them.

When we find goodness and grace in a harsh circumstance, the kind element overtakes it.
When something bad occurs, do whatever you can to see something good in it, for then the good becomes extracted and the bad will disintegrate.

Note 155 Noach – Baal Shem Tov on the Torah

• Pray – For the Shechinah
  
  

The Baal Shem Tov teaches that one should see themselves as “a nobody” and completely forget about themselves and pray for the Shechinah (G-d.)

Then a person raises themselves beyond time, to the world of thought, where all is equal, and from there, salvation comes.    

131 Noach – Baal Shem Tov on the Torah