ABELOVED FIGURE in Judaism, who appears in a favourable light in stories from long before the hasidic period, is that of the tamim, the simple and innocent person. The hasid is naturally inclined to extol the virtues of the uneducated; one need not be an outstanding scholar, nor a renowned tsadik, for one's prayers to be accepted. The innocent person of pure intent is highly esteemed, even if he does not understand the words of the prayers or does not know how to pray correctly, and even if the manner of his praying violates religious prohibitions.

There was once a drought during the time of the Ba'al Shem Tov, may his memory be for the life of the world to come. He [the Ba'al Shem Tov] saw a common person shouting and praying, reciting this verse, ‘He will shut up [ve'atsar] the skies so that there will be no rain,’ but did not rebuke him, since he saw that his prayer was accepted in heaven.

Afterwards, after rains came, he summoned [this person] and asked him: ‘What were you thinking when you recited the verse “He will shut up the skies so that there will be no rain”?’ He replied, ‘The meaning of atsar is to wring out the skies, so that there will be no rain above, for all the rain will fall below; and so, too, the Targum of Onkelos: va'atsarit.

The motif of drought also appears in a hasidic tale of a tamim who was a contemporary of R. Isaac Luria. A simple person who lived at that time in the Land of Israel, and whose prayers were ‘stuttering and forced’, always asked R. Luria how he should act as regards his livelihood. Thanks to the latter's advice, the man became a successful merchant and prospered. Once, during a time of drought, when R. Luria imposed a public fast day, the merchant ate, because he was unaware that a day of fasting had been declared. When R. Luria reproached the tamim, the latter apologized to the rabbi, cast his eyes heavenwards, and implored: ‘Master of the Universe! Just as I obey you, you, please, obey me, that rain should fall!’ The skies immediately grew dark and rain fell.