Hasidic Tales (Skylight Illuminations Series): Annotated and Explained »

Martin Buber was the first to bring the Hasidic tales to life for modern readers in the middle of the twentieth century. His groundbreaking work was the first time that most readers had ever encountered the lives and teachings of these profound and enigmatic spiritual masters from Eastern Europe. In Hasidic Tales: Annotated & Explained, Rabbi Rami Shapiro breathes new life into these classic stories of people who so marvelously combined the mystical and the ordinary. Each demonstrates the spiritual power of unabashed joy, offers lessons for leading a holy life, and reminds you that the Divine can be found in the everyday. Without an expert guide, the allegorical quality of Hasidic tales can be perplexing. But Shapiro presents them as stories rather than parables, making them accessible and meaningful. Now you can experience the wisdom of Hasidism firsthand even if you have no previous knowledge of Jewish spirituality. This SkyLight Illuminations edition offers insightful yet unobtrusive commentary that explains theological concepts, introduces major characters, offers clarifying references unfamiliar to most readers, and reveals how you can use the Hasidic tales to further your own spiritual awakening.

Library Journal

This volume is another entry in Skylight Paths' valuable Annotated & Explained series, which has included, thus far, spiritual sources such as the Bhagavad Gita and the Gospel of Thomas. A congregational rabbi and author, Shapiro (Minyan; Wisdom of the Jewish Sages) provides an excellent introduction and anthology of exemplary tales from the Hasidic tradition: he well understands the paradox, wit, and irony inherent in the teaching style of the Hasid. As he reminds us in the introduction, one of the crucial strands of the Jewish faith is its ability to carry forward its ideas in memory and story, and, among the Hasids, anecdotes, fables, and fragments of biography are alive with meaning. Highly recommended. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.