In Praise of Baal Shem Tov (Shivhei Ha-Besht

In Praise of the Baal Shem Tov is the first complete English translation of the tales surrounding the Besht, a rabbi and kabbalistic practitioner whose teachings bolstered the growing Hasidic movement in the eighteenth century. An important source on the life, philosophy, and mystical works of the Besht, In Praise of the Baal Shem Tov also reveals the daily life and concerns of eastern European Hasidic Jews in the late 1700s. Though portions of the book have been in print since its original publication in 1814, this edition avoids the common practice of reshaping Hasidic tales according contemporary expectations. With this commitment to accuracy and authenticity, In Praise of the Baal Shem Tov offers readers an unsullied look at the Besht through the eyes of his contemporaries.

Autorentext

By Dan Ben-Amos

Inhalt

Preface
Translator's Note
Introduction
The Printer's Preface
The Writer's Preface

1. Rabbi Eliezer
   1a. Rabbi Eliezer: A Second Version
2. Rabbi Eliezer and the Viceroys Daughter
3. The Birth of the Besht
4. The Besht's Education and Youth
5. Rabbi Adam and the King's Banquet
6. The New Coat of Rabbi Adam's Wife
7. The Secret Manuscripts and Rabbi Adam's Son
8. The Besht's Marriage
9. The Besht and the Robbers
10. The Vengeful Robber
    11.The Besht's Journey to the Holy Land
11. The Besht and the Frog
12. The Besht Serves as Rabbi Gershon's Coachman
13. The Besht Reveals Himself
14. The Rabbi Reveals Himself to the Sect of the Great Hasidim
15. The Besht Locks up the Secret Manuscripts
16. The Beginning of the Writer's Manuscript
17. Fingernails
18. The Besht's Seclusion
19. The Besht Exorcises a Madwoman
20. The Besht's Prayer Produces Rain
21. The Besht Curses a Madwoman
22. The Besht Exorcises Demons from a House
23. The Innkeeper's Death
24. The Besht Attracts Followers
25. The Besht and the Physician
26. The Besht Predicts a Need for Bloodletting
27. Rabbi Gershon, the Besht, and the Zohar
28. Elijah the Prophet Reveals Himself to the Besht
29. The Stolen Horse
30. The Besht Reveals Himself to Rabbi David of Kolomyya
31. The Melamed's Dream
32. The Delayed Homecoming
33. The Besht's Trembling in Prayer
    35.The Besht's Trembling in Prayer: A Second Version
34. The Besht's Trembling in Prayer: A Third Version
35. The Besht's Trembling in Prayer: A Fourth Version
36. A Sincere Prayer
37. The Besht's Trembling in Prayer: A Fifth Version
38. The Dream of Rabbi Joseph Ashkenazi
39. The Besht in the Messiah's Heavenly Palace
40. The Palace of the Bird's Nest
41. The Besht and His Guests
42. The Wailing of the Shekinah
43. The Destruction of Balta
44. Rabbi Gershon Imitates the Besht
45. Rabbi Jacob Joseph Recognizes the Greatness of the Besht
46. Rabbi Jacob Joseph Is Expelled from Shargorod
47. The Ascetic Fasting of Rabbi Jacob Joseph
48. Rabbi Jacob Joseph Observes the Sabbath in Shargorod
49. The Protective Prayers
50. The Asceticism of Rabbi Jacob Joseph
51. The Voyage of Rabbi Gershon
52. Rabbi Gerson's Sin
53. Prayers for Rain in Jerusalem
54. A Quarrel in Safed
55. Rabbi Lipeh Quarrels with Rabbi Gedaliah
56. The Mocking Song
57. The Sick Girl
58. The Blood Libel
59. The Dance of the Hasidim
60. The Great Maggid and the Besht
61. The Death of Rabbi Eliezer Rokeah
62. The Book Hemdat ha-Yamin
63. The Dream of Rabbi Jacob Joseph
64. The Besht and Shabbetai Tsevi
65. Rabbi Isaac Drabizner
66. Perjury
67. The Oxen of Rabbi Barukh
68. The Stolen Halter
69. The Shohet Who Was a Drunkard
70. The Death of Rabbi Abraham the "Angel"
71. Rabbi Abraham as a Sandek
72. Rabbi Abraham as a Mohel
73. The Wife of Rabbi Abraham
74. The City of Adultery
75. The Advice of the Great Maggid
76. The Prayers of the Hasidim
77. The Two Brothers
78. Sounding Out the Nature of the Besht
79. The Lithuanian Jew and the Besht
80. The Besht and the Rabbi Sa'adyah Gaon
81. The Besht's Sermon
82. The Besht Banishes Demons
83. The Rabbi's Wife in Labor
84. The Church That Caught Fire
85. The Hose-Maker
86. The Sin of Pride
87. Two Hasidim Visit Hell
88. The Court in Heaven
89. The Besht and the Angel of Death
90. The Repentant Rich Man
91. The Defective Tefillin
92. The Tefillin Written by Rabbi Isaac
93. The Righteous Woman
94. The Righteous Woman and Her Sons
95. The Blessing of Rabbi Pinhas
96. The Besht's Combat with a Witch
97. A Choice of Punishment
98. The Revenant
99. The Redemption of Sparks
100. The Reader's Stand of Rabbi Samson
101. The Dismissed Arrendator
102. The Besht's Devekut
103. The Besht Resuscitates a Child
104. The Magical Enkindling of a Tree
105. The Choice
106. The Fish and the Dog
107. The Dance of Rabbi Yudel
108. Rabbi Nachman's Sigh
109. Rabbi Nachman's Prayer
110. Rabbi Jacob Joseph's Prayer
111. Pure Prayers
112. The Interruptions of the Besht's Vision
113. Rabbi Leib's Death
114. Rabbi Aaron in Heaven
115. The Sick Woman
116. The Adulterer
117. The Besht Cures by Bloodletting
118. The Death of Rabbi Joseph the Melamed
119. The Parable of the Dog
120. The Present Generation
121. A Dowry
122. Rabbi Abraham and the Besht
123. A Combat in Magic
124. A Combat in Magic: A Second Version
125. The Jewish Thief
126. The Besht's Funeral
127. Rabbi Nahman Travels to the Holy Land
128. Rabbi Mendele Visits With Rabbi Jacob Joseph
129. The Prayers of Rabbi Mendele and Rabbi Fridel
130. The Heavy Load of Honor
131. Rabbi Nachman's Cold Mikveh
132. Iniquities and Prayers
133. The Preacher's Sermon
134. A Madman Feigns Death
135. The Martyrs
136. The Adulterous Woman
137. The Delayed Homecoming: A Second Version
138. The Besht, the Merchant, and the Robbers
139. The Besht Discharges a Shohet
140. The Optimism of Rabbi Nahman
141. Rabbi Nahman Prays Minah
142. Feeling the Tefillin
143. The Height of Prayer
144. Ascension to Heaven
145. The Besht's Second Coming
146. The Perpetual Error
147. The Ring
148. Rabbi Motil
149. Rabbi Gershon's Enemies
150. The Wandering Soul
151. Dream Teaching
152. The Forbidden City
153. The Hunchback
154. The Forbidden Country
155. The Spiritual Cure
156. The Stolen Stockings
157. Writing Down the Besht's Torah
158. The Besht and his Son
159. The Generosity of the Besht
160. The Demons
161. The Guest Who Snored
162. The Impure House
163. The Preacher Who Spoke Evil of the Jews
164. The Dead Man in Hell
165. The Servant's Evil Thoughts
166. "Streams of Wisdom"
167. Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Nahman
168. The Contaminated Bed
169. Rabbi Tsevi's Dream
170. The Protective Tefillin
171. Rabbi Jehiel Mikhel
     174.The War Between the Greeks and the Ishmaelites
172. The Flickering Candle
173. The Poverty and Generosity of the Besht
174. The Shabbetian Shohet
175. The Hen Shohet
176. The Melamed's Death
177. The Invisibility of the Besht
178. Rabbi Moses' Death
179. Rabbi Zusman
180. The Death of the Arrendator's Wife
181. The Bastard
182. Praying Word for Word with the Besht
183. The Defective Mezuzah
184. The Amulet
185. The Devoted Weaver
186. The Turnip
187. Two Rabbis David
188. The Angel Hadarniel
     
     192. The Young Martyr
189. Rabbi Gershon in the Holy Land
190. Storytelling and Ma'aseh Merkavah
191. Man in the World
192. The Demon
193. Competing for the Arrendeh
194. The Imprisonment of Israel Shafir
195. The Preacher Cancels Charges Against a Rabbi
196. The Sermon of Rabbi Moses
197. The Angels' Request
198. Rabbi Moses the Mohel
199. The Besht Chokes on his Food
200. A Charm for Easy Del…