A collection of inspirational chassidic stories, this book represents a slice of the priceless pre-Holocaust heritage of the vanished communities of Eastern Europe -- a breath of Jewish soul. Its Hebrew edition, Sippurei Chassidim, is probably the most popular work of its kind, and has gone through many large printings. Now -- finally -- this consummate blend of warmth, wisdom, inspiration, history, and Torah interpretation is available in English. Hundreds of tales, all the great masters, the grandeur of the great chassidic courts, the inner pride of the humble shtetl, miracle workers and conquerors of self -- all are here in Rabbi Zevin’s masterpiece. Rabbi Zevin was founding editor of the monumental Talmudic Encyclopedia; a major author of scholarly and popular Torah literature, and one of Israel’s leading Talmudic and Halachic authorities for nearly half a century. Never before has the English reader had access to chassidic lore as seen through the eyes of a genuine Torah giant. To Rabbi Zevin, chassidim was not a curiosity or a historical relic; it was both vibrant and intellectual -- and it was a way of life which he lived, not merely observed. And Rabbi Zevin himself is unique among chroniclers, for he was not a nostalgic philosopher, not a romantic poet, not a free-thinking mystic -- but a gaon of our century. (See also: A Treasury Of Chassidic Tales - Festivals)