If you think spy novels are fiction, consider Frank Abagnale's true story   He was 16 when his parents divorced. To survive, he began forging checks. But not just any forgery - he managed to do this in 26 different countries for approximately $2.5 million. He then succeeded in impersonating a Pan American Airways pilot by calling the airline headquarters directly and presenting himself as a pilot whose uniform had been stolen.  The company not only sent him new uniforms but also provided him with an employee ID and official business cards .  After that, he decided to become a "doctor." He posed as a medical student who studied at Harvard and was hired at the local hospital. He received the position of "supervisor of interns." He was smart enough not to perform surgeries or treatments himself - he simply made sure all the resident doctors did the work.  He then arrived in Louisiana, where he studied law school textbooks for eight weeks, managed to pass the...

 Once after Rosh Hashanah, the holy Baal Shem Tov told the Author of 'Degel Machaneh Ephraim' how the Avos H'Olam behave in shamayim on Rosh Hashanah. On Rosh Hashanah, the Avos H'Olam stand before Melech H'Mishpat, (and he did not remember if the holy Baal Shem Tov told him that all shivat haroi'im, or only the holy Avos - Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov). And they stand, and present before Melech H'Olam the zechuyos of each one from Yisrael, and Moshe Rabbeinu a"h also stands there, and he acts like a broker, turning here and there and bringing the zechuyos of Yisrael before HaKadosh Baruch Hu. And Moshe Rabbeinu constantly sees with chochmah and compass, that the zechuyos of the person are more numerous, so that chas v'shalom the mekategrim and avonos should not come and prevail, and these were the words of the holy Baal Shem Tov. kikar.co.il Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk was sitting and worrying on the eve of Rosh Hashanah and saying: "With w...

  It is customary to recite additional  Tehillim  during Elul and the Ten Days of Repentance. ( Likkutei Moharan  II, 73. According to the  mesorah  of Chabad/Lubavitch, this also was the custom of the Baal Shem Tov, who would recite three chapters a day until Yom Kippur, when he would finish the rest of  Tehillim ; cf.  Sefer Minhagim ? Chabad,  Elul, p. 54 ff. citing  Kovetz Mikhtavim leTehillim,  p. 207.  Matteh Ephraim  581:8 cites the widespread custom of reciting ten chapters per day beginning on Rosh Chodesh Elul, so that one completes  Sefer Tehillim  twice before Rosh Hashanah, and one more time during the  Aseres Yemei Teshuvah ;  breslov.org With the approach of the yahrzeit of the great Chassidic leader Rabbi Elimelech on 21 Adar, thousands of Jews throughout the world were making arrangements for travel to his tomb in the European city of Lizhensk. Among them were Jews in the Isra...

 When a father wants to teach his young son wisdom which ultimately will enable him to ascend to the higher levels but which he cannot presently understand if he tries to induce the child to learn by saying to him "Endure the strain of discipline and instruction so that through them you may ascend to esteemed levels" the child will be unable to bear it and will not listen to him because he does not understand it.   But if the father promises him things that bring him immediate pleasure and threatens him with immediate discomfort while reassuring him with convincing tangible arguments and clear and truthful evidence it will be easier for him to endure the strain of discipline and bear with its difficulty When he reaches adolescence and his mind has matured he will understand the intended goal of his training and direct himself toward it while the pleasure for which he had been so eager at the beginning of his way will appear unimportant to him Such an upbringing proves to ...

 The Baal Shem Tov explains the word "it's" (captive) in pashat Ki Setzei as referring to the enemy; we must adopt his tactics and use this against him.   Thus, man must be as obstinate in defeating the enemy as the enemy is in his effort to destroy him.  One must be as diligent and dedicated in defense as the evil inclination is in its offense. The Torah Treasury  Parshat Ki Setzei  The Noam Elimelech says, "If one acquires knowledge, one has acquired everything"| (Nedarim 41a). If a Tzaddik acquires the attribute of knowledge in order to tip the scale in favor of the world, he causes H'shem to acquire the attribute called "Kol" everything (alluding to the sefira of Yesod) This is what we pray for in the first blessing of the Amidah, "V'Koneh hakol V'zocher chasdei Avos_ He acquires everything and remembers the kindness of the patriarchs.  H'shem acquires for Himself the attribute of Kol and remembers the kindness of our forefathe...

 The reward and punishment in the World-to-Come was received by the common people from the prophets in the form of oral tradition and was grasped by the wise through their intellectual faculties.. They therefore did not mention it in Scripture, just as they did not mention much of the exposition of the commandments and duties, because they relied on the traditions.  Another reason is that the people were in a state of ignorance and deficiency of understanding, which is not hidden in the Scriptural account. The Creator acted toward them as a sensitive father would act toward his little child when he wants to train him gently, step by step pg 437