“I’ll teach you what happens to Jews who step into our streets! I’m going to finish you off, right here!”

R' Yosef continued with the story:

The tailor could see that soon the mob would storm the house, smashing down the door and likely killing everyone inside.

“Now what will we do? We’re finished!” The tailor’s eyes widened in sheer terror. “There’s no escape, they have surrounded us! This is the end!”

The Baal Shem Tov rose and headed straight for the front door.

“Wait! Stop! You’re not going out there, are you? If you do, they’ll storm the house! They won’t have any mercy on any of us, even my children! Please, whatever you do, don’t open that door!”

The Baal Shem Tov calmly opened the front door and stepped outside. The mob stepped back for a moment, shocked at the holy sight. But then they continued their advance, pressing around the tzaddik from all sides, leaving no room for any escape.

“Dirty Jew!” A massive man carrying a long dagger stepped forward, his eyes bloodshot. “You think you can just waltz into our neighborhood and spend the night, eh? I’ll teach you what happens to Jews who step into our streets! I’m going to finish you off, right here!”