Torch Before Dawn, Vol. 1

Description

This book is a completely unusual collection of Hasidic stories about an amazing, almost legendary personality: Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov. The uniqueness of the collection lies in the fact that it contains extensive commentaries by Rabbi Yitzhak Ginzburg, shedding light on the deep meaning of these stories, which goes far beyond the plot.

It is difficult to define what the Hasidic stories are. This is not a “genre” or “literature”, these words refer to a different reality – Hasidic stories have nothing to do with it. Perhaps the Midrash points out the essence of the Hasidic story, saying that “the righteous are like the One who created them.” That is, looking at the image of the righteous in the Hasidic story, one can suddenly see how the righteous man becomes more transparent, as if disappearing – and through him we begin to see the Creator Himself.

But how should one look closely for this miracle to happen? It is for this purpose that our collection serves.