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Tormented Master: The Life and Spiritual Quest of Rabbi Nahman of Bratslav
“A major contribution to the understanding of Hasidic Wisdom and thought; it brings the reader closer to Hasidism’s greatest teller of tales.”
―Elie Wiesel The search for spiritual meaning drives great leaders in all religions. This classic work explores the personality and religious quest of Nahman of Bratslav (1772–1810), one of Hasidism’s major figures. It unlocks the great themes of spiritual searching that make him a figure of universal religious importance. In this major biography, Dr. Arthur Green―teacher, scholar, and spiritual seeker―explores the great personal conflicts and inner torments that lay at the source of Nahman’s teachings. He reveals Nahman to have been marked at an early age by an exaggerated sense of sin and morbidity that later characterized his life and thought. While subject to rapid mood swings and even paranoia, Nahman is a model of spiritual and personal struggle who speaks to all generations. Green’s analysis of this troubled personality provides an important key to Nahman’s famous tales, making his teachings accessible for people of all faiths, all backgrounds. “If there is any single feature about Nahman’s tales, and indeed about Nahman’s life as well, that makes them unique in the history of Judaism, it is just their essential motif is one of quest. Nahman, both as teller and as hero of these tales, is Nahman the seeker. He has already told us, outside the tales, of his refusal ever to stand on any one rung, of his call for constant growth, of his need to open himself up to ever-new and more demanding challenges to his faith. The tales now affirm this endless quest…”
―from Excursus II. The Tales
―Elie Wiesel The search for spiritual meaning drives great leaders in all religions. This classic work explores the personality and religious quest of Nahman of Bratslav (1772–1810), one of Hasidism’s major figures. It unlocks the great themes of spiritual searching that make him a figure of universal religious importance. In this major biography, Dr. Arthur Green―teacher, scholar, and spiritual seeker―explores the great personal conflicts and inner torments that lay at the source of Nahman’s teachings. He reveals Nahman to have been marked at an early age by an exaggerated sense of sin and morbidity that later characterized his life and thought. While subject to rapid mood swings and even paranoia, Nahman is a model of spiritual and personal struggle who speaks to all generations. Green’s analysis of this troubled personality provides an important key to Nahman’s famous tales, making his teachings accessible for people of all faiths, all backgrounds. “If there is any single feature about Nahman’s tales, and indeed about Nahman’s life as well, that makes them unique in the history of Judaism, it is just their essential motif is one of quest. Nahman, both as teller and as hero of these tales, is Nahman the seeker. He has already told us, outside the tales, of his refusal ever to stand on any one rung, of his call for constant growth, of his need to open himself up to ever-new and more demanding challenges to his faith. The tales now affirm this endless quest…”
―from Excursus II. The Tales
408 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1979
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 1, 2014
The essay on "Faith, Doubt and Reason" appended to the end of this book was one of the most influential pieces I read in my young religious life in the 1980s. I recently reread it with my philosophy study group and it holds up well. The story of Rabbi Nachman's life is also very well told. He was self-evidently a twisted and unhappy person, and yet out of his life and philosophy Rabbi Arthur Green weaves a beautiful and well-researched tale. The combination of scholarship, research and spiritual depth is itself a remarkable achievement. I strongly recommend this book.
November 23, 2019
This was the only Art Green book they had available, so I got it, half-expecting to be way out of my depth, but it was actually pretty understandable with my meager knowledge of the history of Hasidism. I was able to understand every thing except the most mystifying (ha) parts about Kabbalah.
The parallel's between R Nachman's thought and Christianity were often - just BAM in your face. Also: How much of R Nachmans internal pain was a result of just taking teaching about sin too seriously? I think it's fair to say in 2019 that he was also a manic depressive or bipolar or had anxiety or something. Today, Judaism doesn't talk about sin too much, esp liberal ones (especially about sex!), but how do you foster an awareness of it and a desire to avoid it without making yourself an eternal sufferer like R Nachman? Avoiding messianic claims might be a good start!
As Green says at one point, since so much of the material by Rebbe Nachman/Nathan of Bratslav is half-concealed allusion to R Nachman's own life, a biography is a logical way to explore his teachings. Nonetheless, the two excurses at the end of the book were both very good outlines of his thoughts, and I had to reread 'Faith, Doubt, and Reason' multiple to feel like I had gotten everything out of - a really really good piece of writing and argument, one that perhaps explains R Nachman's relevance and importance to 'seekers' (as Green puts it) who are living over 200 years since R Nachman passed away. The individual soul's yearning for Gd, confronted with Gd's simultaneous nonexistence and immanence, as the only reason to continue believing and doing...doubt as the sign of faith and the need for continued and strengthened faith...good stuff!!!
The parallel's between R Nachman's thought and Christianity were often - just BAM in your face. Also: How much of R Nachmans internal pain was a result of just taking teaching about sin too seriously? I think it's fair to say in 2019 that he was also a manic depressive or bipolar or had anxiety or something. Today, Judaism doesn't talk about sin too much, esp liberal ones (especially about sex!), but how do you foster an awareness of it and a desire to avoid it without making yourself an eternal sufferer like R Nachman? Avoiding messianic claims might be a good start!
As Green says at one point, since so much of the material by Rebbe Nachman/Nathan of Bratslav is half-concealed allusion to R Nachman's own life, a biography is a logical way to explore his teachings. Nonetheless, the two excurses at the end of the book were both very good outlines of his thoughts, and I had to reread 'Faith, Doubt, and Reason' multiple to feel like I had gotten everything out of - a really really good piece of writing and argument, one that perhaps explains R Nachman's relevance and importance to 'seekers' (as Green puts it) who are living over 200 years since R Nachman passed away. The individual soul's yearning for Gd, confronted with Gd's simultaneous nonexistence and immanence, as the only reason to continue believing and doing...doubt as the sign of faith and the need for continued and strengthened faith...good stuff!!!
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June 12, 2007This was a masterfully documented biography and analysis of the life and writings of Rebbe Nahman of Bratslav. A converted PhD thesis the book is not always an easy read but is a fascinating look as some of the core teachings of this Hasidic master
November 3, 2022
The book is tough to get through but the last chapters make it all worth it. Very deep.
May 26, 2023
Using this book, and Martin Buber’s one can get a little better understanding of the Sipuri mayses, an excellent example of early 19th century Yiddish writing ….
July 18, 2013
An amazing portrait. (Yes a friend/teacher told me I would have to unlearn everything afterwards) but I found Art's portrait compelling, and a fascinating fleshing out not only of the life of Rebbe Nahman but also of the world in which he lived.
June 5, 2007
This is an excellent treatment on the life of Nahman of Bratslav. It is a biography prepared with love, but not a whitewash.
July 12, 2012
A classic academic work on Rebbe Nahman of Bratzlav.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews