The Tales of Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav

by Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz (Reteller), Rebbe Nachman

Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz begins this book by describing Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav as an "original and outstanding thinker," a phrase that surely describes the reputation achieved by Rabbi Steinsaltz himself. It is therefore no surprise that The Tales of Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav, retold with commentary by a world-renowned rabbi such as Adin Steinsaltz, is a remarkable volume.
Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav (1772-1810) emerged from the hasidic world as a great leader with devoted followers both in his lifetime and to this very day. He produced several masterpieces of religious writing, but of all his works, his tales are considered to be at the peak of his creative life. As Rabbi Steinsaltz These stories, which are essentially fairy tales dating from Nachman's last years, are a mixture of intellectual and poetic imagination, simplicity of form, and complexity of content. On the one hand, any child can read them as one would a tale of ancient days, as the author himself put it; and, on the other hand, one can as an adult read them again and again, analyze and study them, and constantly discover in them layer upon layer of hitherto unrevealed symbol and meaning.
Rabbi Nachman's tales were originally told in Yiddish. They were recorded by his outstanding pupil, Rabbi Nathan, who translated them into Hebrew and published them after Rabbi Nachman's death. While these tales are structurally similar to folk or fairy tales, they include highly compressed and clearly defined Torah teachings expressed in literary and poetic form. Rabbi Nachman's stories are a medium for conveying hidden aspects of Torah, yet in such a veiled way that the content is not outwardly apparent. These complex allegories, intended by their author to have several dimensions, are presented here by Rabbi Steinsaltz with his own commentary, pointing the way for the modern reader to begin to grasp Rabbi Nachman's profound tales.
Of the thirteen major tales by Rabbi Nachman, this volume offers six of them, each with extensive commentary. Also included is a richly informative introduction to the life and teachings of Rabbi Nachman by Rabbi Steinsaltz. The volume concludes with "Nine Questions Toward a Better Understanding of Rabbi Nachman," a series of inquiries asked of Rabbi Steinsaltz that helps to further our understanding of the uniqueness of the hasidic master, Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav.

Genres: Judaism, Judaica, Religion

302 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz (Hebrew: עדין שטיינזלץ) or Adin Even Yisrael (Hebrew: עדין אבן ישראל) is internationally regarded as one of the leading rabbis of this century. The author of many books, he is best known for his monumental translation of and commentary on the Talmud. Rabbi Steinsaltz founded the Israel Institute for Talmudic Publications. Under its aegis, he has published to date 58 books on the Talmud, Jewish mysticism, religious thought, sociology, historical biography, and philosophy. He teaches at Mayanot in Jerusalem. In 1988, he was awarded the Israel Prize, Israel's highest honor. He has received honorary Ph.D. degrees from Yeshiva University, Bar Ilan University, and Ben Gurion University.

Reviews

[David]

I have been meaning to read this for a few years. I have heard a few of Reb Nachman's stories and they are marvelous tales with fantastical elements that abstractly and allegorically offer a guide to being a Jew on many different levels.

The cool thing about Reb Nachman is that he does not slam you over the head with theology. Instead he weaves it into folk tales with great imagery. This prevents my doubtful thoughts to gain any fodder for argument since there is nothing explicitly frustrating in regards to the very traditional Jewish approach.

Rabbi Stensaltz enrichingly illuminates and describes some of the symbols and theology. However, I hope to read through Nachman's tales again without the immediate explanation so that I can ruminate independently.

[Linda]

This was a really great compilation and explanation of Rabbi Nachman's stories. Each one is full of kabbalistic and biblical allegory, which made the explanation by Adin Steinsaltz even more interesting than the fairy-tale-like story itself.

[Ari]

I am a fan both of Rebbe Nachman and of Rabbi Steinsaltz, and so the combination of the two was too much to pass up. The reader of this book should be prepared for Kabbalistic and philosophical unpacking of a number of Rebbe Nachman's parables, but don't get your hopes up for sociological or literary criticism. In other words, exactly what you might expect of this book due to who the writer is, you'll get. Plus side: easily readable for anyone with a basic understanding of Rebbe Nachman's style and some understanding of Kabbalistic principles. Minus side: R. Steinsaltz misses the chance to really address the ramifications of the missing seventh beggar (in 'The Seven Beggars'), and glosses over it in a few paragraphs. Overall, worth the read, and recommended for rabbinical students or anyone in Jewish education who will come across these parables on a regular (or even fleeting) basis.

[Esther Kozakevich]

This is a must read!!! The “Man of Prayer” tale and the “simple man and clever man” tale are just 🤯