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.

About the Author:

Rabbi Shlomo Yosef Zevin (1890-1978/5650-5738)

When Rabbi Zevin died at 88, alert and active to the very end, he was universally acknowledged as one of the great Talmudic and Halachic prodigies of the century. He was born in Kazimirov, Belorussia and won early recognition as a genius of the first order. The Bolshevik Revolution ended his prospects of a fruitful rabbinic career in Russia and, although he was briefly permitted to publish a scholarly Talmudic monthly, the trend was one of generally increasing oppression and frequent arrest for members of the Russian rabbinate.

He emigrated to Eretz Yisrael in 1934 and soon won acclaim for his prolific and effective writing as much as for his unusual breadth of knowledge. He had a rare ability to simplify and clarify, and he was almost unique in his knack of presenting complex material in a form that could be grasped by knowledgeable laymen as well as accomplished scholars.

Although his most monumental and enduring achievement is undoubtedly the Talmudic Encyclopedia, he wrote prolifically, publishing many works of great scholarly and popular appeal.