Fresh translation and facing-page annotations bring the legendary tales of the impassioned Hasidic rabbis to life.

In Hasidic Tales, Rabbi Rami Shapiro breathes new life into these classic stories, to life for modern readers by Martin Buber in the twentieth century, of people who so marvellously combined the mystical and the ordinary. Each story 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. This SkyLight Illuminations edition offers insightful yet unobtrusive commentary that explains theological concepts, introduces major characters, and reveals how you can use the Hasidic tales to further your own spiritual awakening.

"The wisdom of the Hasidim is earthy, realistic, rooted in the simplicity of the heart. It is alive with the awareness of the holiness of Creation and the boundlessness of God's mercy, and is utterly honest about the necessity of living such awareness in loving service to all beings. It is a wisdom that fuses the highest mystical initiations with the most down-home celebration of life and a rugged commitment to social and political justice in all its forms. In other words, it is a wisdom that is never, as my old prep school headmaster would put it, "too divine to be of any earthly use." - from the Foreword by Andrew Harvey"