Tehillim 111 on the Difference Between a Rav and a Rabbi

The Difference Between a Rav and a Rabbi

Tehillim 111:10 - “Reshit Chochmah” - (the beginning is wisdom); I heard from my teacher [the Baal Shem Tov], of blessed memory, an explanation of the words of our Sages in the Zohar Chadash, Tikkunim (202b): “In Babylonia, [the Sages] are called “Rav”, while in the Land of Israel, [they are called] “Rabbi”.” The word “Rav” - רב hints at the sefirot Chochmah and Binah, which spread throughout the world. Therefore, a sage in Babylonia is called a “Rav”, since Babylonia symbolizes the entire world outside Eretz Yisrael. The letter ר “resh” hints at the word “reshit” (beginning) and indicates the sefirah of Chochmah. Chochmah is the highest and first of all the sefirot, and is therefore called “reshit” (beginning), as it says in Tehillim: “Reshit Chochmah” - (the beginning is wisdom). The letter ב “bet”—the second letter of the alphabet—indicates the sefirah of “Binah”, which follows “Chochmah”. All aspects of Creation and worldly affairs represent their combination and unity. But when the letter י “yud”, hinting at the revelation of the G-dly Source, is added to the letters “resh” and “bet”, the result is רבי “Rabbi”; this revelation is associated with the Land of Israel.   ("Early Hasidism,” “Toldot Yaakov Yosef,” Kuntres Acharon, in the name of the Baal Shem Tov)