The Ba'al Shem Tov, the founder of Hasidism, reportedly did just that.

The story goes that on Rosh ha-Shanah – the Jewish New Year, a day of judgment and profound spiritual significance – in the year 5507 (that's 1746 by the Gregorian calendar), the Ba'al Shem Tov, or Besht as he was often called, performed a special act. He made an adjuration, pronounced a holy name, and then… ascended on high.

Imagine the scene! In a vision, he saw wonders he'd never witnessed before, learned things that defied expression. First, he arrived at the Garden of Eden, that idyllic realm where souls of the righteous pause on their way to Paradise. He saw countless souls there, some familiar, others unknown. What's more, he discovered it was a unique time of grace. Many who had lived less than righteous lives had repented, and their sins were forgiven.

Can you picture it? The Besht, witnessing this incredible scene of forgiveness and redemption! These penitents were in a state of utter joy, ready to ascend even higher. They begged him to accompany them, to be their guide on this celestial journey. Overwhelmed by their happiness, he agreed.

But he knew the perils of ascending into the highest heavens. So, he called upon his teacher, the prophet Ahijah, to join them. Together, they entered a column in the Garden of Eden – a pathway to Paradise – and began their ascent.

As they journeyed upwards, the Ba'al Shem Tov led these souls through the hidden palaces of heaven, one after another. These palaces, according to tradition, conceal all the mysteries and treasures of heaven. He rose from level to level until he reached the palace of the Messiah in the highest heaven.

There, in this celestial palace, the Messiah teaches Torah alongside all the sages, saints, and the Seven Shepherds. The reception was so joyous that the Besht feared his soul had left his body! But he was assured that his time had not yet come.

Who are these Seven Shepherds? Well, traditions vary. Micah and the Talmud suggest Adam, Seth, Methuselah, David, Abraham, Jacob, and Moses. The Zohar, the central text of Kabbalah, offers another list: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, together with Moses, Aaron, Joseph, and King David. These figures are often associated with the sefirot, the emanations of God, from Hesed (loving-kindness) to Yesod (foundation).

Finally, the Ba'al Shem Tov asked the Messiah the question that was surely on everyone's mind: "When will my Master come?" And the Messiah answered, "When your teachings are known in the world, and others are capable of ascending on high like you."

This incredible account comes from a famous letter attributed to the Ba'al Shem Tov himself. It was supposedly written to his brother-in-law, Rabbi Abraham Gershon of Kittov, who was in the Land of Israel at the time. The Ben Porat Yosef, where the letter was first published, notes that Rabbi Yakov Yosef of Polnoye, a disciple of the Besht, claimed the Ba'al Shem Tov gave him the letter to deliver, lending further credence to its authenticity.

So, what does this all mean? Is it a literal account? A mystical vision? A powerful metaphor? Perhaps all of the above. The story, as relayed in Tree of Souls (Schwartz) and found in sources like Mikhtavim me-ha Besht ve-Talmidav and Sefer ha-Hasidut, challenges us to consider the potential for spiritual ascent within ourselves. It reminds us that even on the Day of Judgment, the gates of repentance are open, and that the Messiah's coming is, in a way, dependent on our own spiritual growth and our ability to internalize and spread the Besht's teachings.

Could we, in our own way, also learn to "ascend on high"?