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Tales of the Hasidim: The Early Masters
Tales of the Hasidim Early Masters by Martin Huber
- GenresReligionCollections
355 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1975
About the author
Martin Buber
416 books488 followersMartin Buber was an Austrian-born Jewish philosopher best known for his philosophy of dialogue, a religious existentialism centered on the distinction between the I-Thou relationship and the I-It relationship.
Buber came from a family of observant Jews, but broke with Jewish custom to pursue secular studies in philosophy. In 1902, Buber became the editor of the weekly Die Welt, the central organ of the Zionist movement, although he later withdrew from organizational work in Zionism. In 1923 Buber wrote his famous essay on existence, Ich und Du (later translated into English as I and Thou), and in 1925 he began translating the Hebrew Bible into the German language.
In 1930 Buber became an honorary professor at the University of Frankfurt am Main, and resigned in protest from his professorship immediately after Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933. He then founded the Central Office for Jewish Adult Education, which became an increasingly important body as the German government forbade Jews to attend public education. In 1938, Buber left Germany and settled in Jerusalem, in the British Mandate of Palestine, receiving a professorship at Hebrew University and lecturing in anthropology and introductory sociology.
Buber came from a family of observant Jews, but broke with Jewish custom to pursue secular studies in philosophy. In 1902, Buber became the editor of the weekly Die Welt, the central organ of the Zionist movement, although he later withdrew from organizational work in Zionism. In 1923 Buber wrote his famous essay on existence, Ich und Du (later translated into English as I and Thou), and in 1925 he began translating the Hebrew Bible into the German language.
In 1930 Buber became an honorary professor at the University of Frankfurt am Main, and resigned in protest from his professorship immediately after Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933. He then founded the Central Office for Jewish Adult Education, which became an increasingly important body as the German government forbade Jews to attend public education. In 1938, Buber left Germany and settled in Jerusalem, in the British Mandate of Palestine, receiving a professorship at Hebrew University and lecturing in anthropology and introductory sociology.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 19, 2026
This is such a charming book! Probably 500 tales in total, each one is less than a page long and some are only a few lines.
I really appreciate how much the book helps me to understand - me, as a non-Jew. The stories are not about about abstruse matters of doctrine or mysticism, but rather about the wisdom of mystical union to the divine, something which most religious traditions are invested in.
The book has a great introduction, and each chapter is based on one religious teacher. The back has everything you could want - bibliography, index, table of contents with every story named, glossary, genecology.
I learned not only about Jewish mysticism, but also about Jewish life in early modern Europe. Class divisions between merchants and tradesmen and beggars, the difference in a hostile yet somewhat-tolerant Austrian emperor versus the pogroms of the Russian cossacks. The fierce conflicts - sometimes even fights - between hasidim and anti-hasidim. That there are often ordinary Jews who don't know how to be Jewish, how to do rituals, how to pray, only that they ARE Jewish. Hasidic courts and dynasties, minimalist stew recipes, citrons for the Feast of Tabernacles.
Some of these stories are funny, some are ironic, some are deep, some don't make sense, some are simple. Some of these stories are beautiful and give me a new insight into how God works. Some of these I disagree with. But all of them are charming and make me think, whether for a few moments or for half an hour.
This is an old book - not just the book as a text, but the physical book itself. When I bought it I knew it was old, and that it was not long for this world. As I've been reading this book, it's been falling apart in my hands.
There's something touching about being the last person to read a physical copy of a book, something bittersweet. I'm glad that this book and I found each other - it shared with me its wisdom, and I gave it one last, loving read before it fell to pieces.
I really appreciate how much the book helps me to understand - me, as a non-Jew. The stories are not about about abstruse matters of doctrine or mysticism, but rather about the wisdom of mystical union to the divine, something which most religious traditions are invested in.
The book has a great introduction, and each chapter is based on one religious teacher. The back has everything you could want - bibliography, index, table of contents with every story named, glossary, genecology.
I learned not only about Jewish mysticism, but also about Jewish life in early modern Europe. Class divisions between merchants and tradesmen and beggars, the difference in a hostile yet somewhat-tolerant Austrian emperor versus the pogroms of the Russian cossacks. The fierce conflicts - sometimes even fights - between hasidim and anti-hasidim. That there are often ordinary Jews who don't know how to be Jewish, how to do rituals, how to pray, only that they ARE Jewish. Hasidic courts and dynasties, minimalist stew recipes, citrons for the Feast of Tabernacles.
Some of these stories are funny, some are ironic, some are deep, some don't make sense, some are simple. Some of these stories are beautiful and give me a new insight into how God works. Some of these I disagree with. But all of them are charming and make me think, whether for a few moments or for half an hour.
This is an old book - not just the book as a text, but the physical book itself. When I bought it I knew it was old, and that it was not long for this world. As I've been reading this book, it's been falling apart in my hands.
There's something touching about being the last person to read a physical copy of a book, something bittersweet. I'm glad that this book and I found each other - it shared with me its wisdom, and I gave it one last, loving read before it fell to pieces.
November 20, 2023
I really enjoyed this compilation of Hasidic tales by Buber. I have never explored the literature of Hasidic masters before this book and I thought Buber's words before the tales were quite informative, and the sequencing of the stories made sense to me. I wish I had the other volume so I feel as if the story is incomplete but hopefully I can get my hands on it sometime.
August 20, 2023
Tales of the Hasidim by Martin Buber is an example of the Jewish wisdom tradition. The Hasidic rabbis were influential wisdom teachers in the 1700s and 1800s.
August 21, 2016
A long, slow slog
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews