Birthday: a Chai Elul Anthology
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Revolution
By Yanki Tauber
Every hundred years or so, a person comes along and changes the way we look at ourselves and our world. But there is something that is rarer still -- someone who will tell us something that we already know |
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The Baal Shem Tov's Sixteenth Birthday
From the writings & talks of Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak of Lubavitch
When the man saw me he asked: "What is a small child doing all alone in the forest? Are you not afraid to be in the forest all by yourself?" |
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The High Road
By Meir Michel Abehsera
When the holy was finally allowed to penetrate to the depths where it belongs, heaven was made a neighborhood |
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The Baal Shem Tov's “Echad”
From the Chassidic Masters
"Fundraising for bribes?" objected Rabbi Baruch. "Surely the matter can be dealt with in a more elevated way. Could you not teach our Jews the Echad of my holy grandfather?" |
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The Old Man on the Island
By Yanki Tauber
“Remember, Reb Ze’ev,” were the Baal Shem Tov’s parting words to him, “one must know how to properly answer a question. Weigh your words carefully before you speak...” |
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The Wandering Storyteller
By Tuvia Bolton
To each of his disciples Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov revealed his task in life, and one, who is the hero of our story, he instructed to become a wandering storyteller. “You will know when your mission is achieved,” the Besht added. |
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Hidden and Revealed
By A. H. Glitzenstein
The holy beggar's face was transformed. His eyes began to glow with a divine light, and his coarse features assumed a sublime grace... |
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Pushcart Prophet
From the Chassidic Masters
"No, no," came the impatient reply from within. "Everything is in perfect condition. There's no
need for any repairs" |
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The Master Key
By Rabbi Shlomo Yosef Zevin
Finally, the great moment arrived. It was the morning of Rosh Hashanah, and Rabbi Ze’ev stood on the reading platform in the center of the Baal Shem Tov’s synagogue amidst the Torah scrolls, surrounded by a sea of tallit-draped bodies. |
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The Ladder
By Eliezer Steinman
Their leader spotted a beautiful bird perched atop a tall tree. "Come," he said to his disciples, "I wish to capture this bird, so that we may delight in her song and gaze upon her wondrous hues" |
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The Man Who Crossed the River with a Kerchief
By Yanki Tauber
"Perhaps I can help you," said the Baal Shem Tov. On small slips of paper he wrote, in simple Yiddish, "morning prayers," "addition for Mondays and Thursdays," "for Shabbat," and inserted them in the innkeeper's siddur |
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The Baal Shem Tov's Mysterious Journey to Leipzig
By Tuvia Bolton
A tall thin man, wrapped in a black cloak, suddenly appeared at the open door. He looked silently around the room, walked to a corner and just stood there, staring at the Baal Shem Tov |
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The Baal Shem Tov on Love
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The Truth About the Baal Shem Tov
By Tzvi Freeman
There are many myths and legends about the Baal Shem Tov. Even the most fantastic ones, they say, are true. But there's one, very popular, myth that's not true: the Modern Jewish Legend of the Baal Shem Tov... |
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Thirty-Six Aphorisms of the Baal Shem Tov
Everything is by Divine Providence. If a leaf is turned over by a breeze, it is only because this has been specifically ordained by G-d to serve a particular function within the purpose of creation. |
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The Fork in the Road
From the writings & talks of Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak of Lubavitch
"In Vilna one was taught how to study," recalled the Rebbe. "In Mezeritch one could learn
how to pray..." |
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The Splattered Gem
Told by Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak of Lubavitch
“Grind, mix, pour, squander the entire gemstone,” commanded the king. “Who knows? Perhaps a single drop will enter the mouth of my son, and he will be healed!” |
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The Longer Shorter Way
Based on the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe
As the most direct and simple line between two points, it is misleadingly the surest way to town; but in truth, the "direct approach" is a dead end |
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Bonaparte and the Chassid
Told by Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak of Lubavitch
"You are a spy for Russia!" thundered Napoleon, and placed his hand upon my chest to feel the pounding heart of a man exposed |
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Faith and Reason
By Yanki Tauber
The fact that you cannot rationally understand something is no reason not to study it. |
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The Physical World According to Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi
Based on the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe
Which is loftier--spirit or matter? the soul or the body? The teachings of Rabbi Schneur Zalman, founder of Chabad chassidism, extol the first over the second, and then second over the first, offering a unique and life-altering vision of reality |
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Jacob's Stuff
By Yanki Tauber
Matter before spirit? |
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Is Judaism a Theocracy?
By Yanki Tauber
The human psyche is home to two contrasting drives: a striving for freedom, and an impulse to submit to authority. Which should be given priority over the other? Or, to otherwise state the question: in what sort of environment would the Torah prefer to see the Jew—as a member of a free society, or as the subject of an authoritarian regime? |
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Alienation and Faith
By Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
We detect two tendencies of thought on the place of alienation and loneliness in the Jewish analysis of the emotions. To state this contrast is not to formulate an opposition; simply to open another gate... |
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The Master of Song
Told by Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak of Lubavitch
The room fell utterly silent. All were caught in the thrall of the melody, a melody of yearning and resolve, of ascent and retreat... |
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The Ascent of the Tzaddik
By Zvi Yair
I no longer see
A table, a chair, a lamp...
Only letters do I see |
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Twenty-Eight Teachings from Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi
(free translation)
This is what man is all about; this is the purpose of his creation and of the creation of all the worlds, sublime and lowly -- to make for G-d a dwelling in the physical world ... A little bit of light dispels a lot of darkness ... |
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A Story of Three Sisters
By Tzvi Freeman
They cherished these dresses dearly until, one day, they heard that in America the style was to wear short skirts. Now their dresses no longer seemed so beautiful... |
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The Lamplighter
Told by Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak of Lubavitch
“The flame is not yours,” said the Rebbe, “you are just its carrier. The lamp is ready to be lit—you need only touch it with the flame.” “Should I grab him by the throat?” asked the chassid. “By the throat, no,” replied the rebbe. “By the lapels, yes.” |
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A Man I Met in Shul
By Yaakov Brawer
He had his tallit over his shoulder and was obviously preparing for prayer. I gave him little thought until three and a half hours later when I got ready to leave for home. He was standing in the same place with his tallit still over his shoulder... |
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The Dancing Jews
By Eliezer Steinman
The Baal Shem Tov was once asked: "Why do Chassidim burst into song and
dance at the slightest provocation? Is this the behavior of a sane person?" |
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Knowledge
By Tuvia Bolton
“What have you been doing for the last year?” asked the incensed father-in-law. “What have you accomplished wasting your time by those wild men?” “I learned that G‑d creates the world,” answered the young man. |
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One On One
At Belitza everyone gets off the wagon and proceeds on foot. But I, fearing that father would again forget me, remain on the wagon. |
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Playing At "Rebbe-Chassid"
By Yanki Tauber
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Spiritual Warrior
By Jay Litvin
I find this battle terrifying, because I have no idea where it will lead. It forces me to confront the plaguing question: if I truly let G-d in, what will He do to me once He is there? Who will I be? |
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Chassidic Feminist
My Personal Experiences
By Rivkah Slonim
I would describe myself as a Chassidic feminist. The two terms are not mutually exclusive, though their combination is not without tension... |
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The Abnormality of Jewish Life
By Yaakov Brawer
People intuitively equate "normal" with good. In fact, normal is very bad. A person achieves normalcy when the molecules that comprised his being are in thermodynamic equilibrium with the environment, which is to say he is dust |
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Barrels in the Snow
By Tuvia Bolton
He was full of gratitude to the wagon driver, but his gratitude did not keep
him warm. After a few minutes huddled between the barrels, he was abruptly
reminded that he was still freezing to death, and not being able to move didn’t
help any. |
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Man Alive
A Chai Elul story
By Yanki Tauber
"Life" may be extremely difficult to define, but it is instantly recognizable |
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