''Tales of the Hasidim'' is a book of collected tales by

Martin Buber Martin Buber ( he, מרטין בובר; german: Martin Buber; yi, מארטין בובער; February 8, 1878 – June 13, 1965) was an Austrian Jewish and Israeli philosopher best known for his philosophy of dialogue, a form of existentialism c ...

. It is based on stories—both written and spoken—based in the

Hasidim Ḥasīd ( he, חסיד, "pious", "saintly", "godly man"; plural "Hasidim") is a Jewish honorific, frequently used as a term of exceptional respect in the Talmudic and early medieval periods. It denotes a person who is scrupulous in his observ ...

. Buber wrote these tales based on the lore of the

Baal Shem Tov Israel ben Eliezer (1698 – 22 May 1760), known as the Baal Shem Tov ( he, בעל שם טוב, ) or as the Besht, was a Jewish mystic and healer who is regarded as the founder of Hasidic Judaism. "Besht" is the acronym for Baal Shem Tov, which ...

. Many of the stories are parables passed down via both the written and spoken word.

History

''Tales of the Hasidim'' was originally published in Hebrew by Schocken Press in Israel in 1946 under the title ''Or HaGanuz''. It was translated into English by Olga Marx and published in 1947. Buber's collection includes a focus on the theme of non-judgment.

Rebbes A Rebbe ( yi, רבי, translit=rebe) or Admor ( he, אדמו״ר) is the spiritual leader in the Hasidic movement, and the personalities of its dynasties.Heilman, Samuel"The Rebbe and the Resurgence of Orthodox Judaism."''Religion and Spiritua ...

in the work often chastise followers for pious behavior and reward those who keep the spirit and tradition of Judaism alive. Some of the tales in the book (sometimes referred to as "The Early Masters") constitute

mysticism Mysticism is popularly known as becoming one with God or the Absolute, but may refer to any kind of ecstasy or altered state of consciousness which is given a religious or spiritual meaning. It may also refer to the attainment of insight in u ...

. Buber intended to show how important a sense of community was to the Hasidim rather than expound dogma, although

Chaim Potok Chaim Potok (February 17, 1929 – July 23, 2002) was an American author and rabbi. His first book ''The Chosen'' (1967), was listed on ''The New York Times’'' best seller list for 39 weeks and sold more than 3,400,000 copies. Biography H ...

remarked that Buber "romanticized" his subjects.Martin Buber. M Buber - ''Information Theory'', 1950 - books.google.com

References

Contemporary philosophical literature Jewish philosophical literature Schocken Books books 1946 books {{Judaism-book-stub

History

See also

References