Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav (1772-1810) is widely considered to be one of the foremost visionary storytellers of the Hasidic movement. The great-grandson of the Ba'al Shem Tov, founder of the movement, Rabbi Nachman came to be regarded as a great figure and leader in his own right, guiding his followers on a spiritual path inspired by Kabbalah. In the last four years of his life he turned to storytelling, crafting highly imaginative, allegorical tales for his Hasidim. Three-time National Jewish Book Award winner Howard Schwartz has masterfully compiled the most extensive collection of Nachman's stories available in English. In addition to the well-known Thirteen Tales, including "The Lost Princess" and "The Seven Beggars," Schwartz has included over one hundred narratives in the various genres of fairy tales, fables, parables, dreams, and folktales, many of them previously unknown or believed lost. One such story is the carefully guarded "Tale of the Bread," which was never intended to be written down and was only to be shared with those Bratslavers who could be trusted not to reveal it. Eventually recorded by Rabbi Nachman's scribe, the tale has maintained its mythical status as a "hidden story." With utmost reverence and unfettered delight, Schwartz has carefully curated A Palace of Pearls alongside masterful commentary that guides the reader through the Rabbi's spiritual mysticism and uniquely Kabbalistic approach, ultimately revealing Rabbi Nachman to be a literary heavyweight in the vein of Gogol and Kafka. Vibrant, wise, and provocative, this book is a must-read for any lover of fairy tales and fables.

Auteur

Howard Schwartz is a prolific author of fiction, poetry and children's literature, as well as an editor of fourteen volumes of Jewish parables and tales. He is a three-time National Jewish Book Award winner for Next Year in Jerusalem, The Day the Rabbi Disappeared, and Tree of Souls.

Contenu

FOREWORD: People of the Stories by Rami Shapiro PREFACE INTRODUCTION I THE MAJOR STORIES The Lost Princess The Pirate Princess The Enchanted Tree The Bull and the Ram The Prince Who Was Made of Precious Gems The Missing Portrait The Spider and the Fly The Rabbi and His Son The Clever Man and the Simple Man The Merchant and the Pauper The Prince and the Slave The Master of Prayer The Seven Beggars II ADDITIONAL STORIES The Tale of the Bread The Hanukkah Guest The Tzaddik of Sadness Destined to be a Thief The Rich Man and the Thief The Tale of the Pact The Tale of the Diamond The Palace Beneath the Sea A Tale of Delusion The Perfect Saint The Mysterious Painting Hungarian Wine III THE PARABLES The Angel of Losses The Menorah of Defects The Prince Who Thought He was a Rooster The Synagogue in Jerusalem The Soul of the World The Coming of the Messiah A Parable of Father and Son Fable of the Rose and the Thistle Harvest of Madness Capturing the Bird The Tale of the Millstone The Foundation Stone The Princess of the Torah The Fable of the of the Spider Web What Am I Holding? The Parable of the Eggs The Tale of the Wolf The Map of Time and Space The Heart of the World The Fable of the Two Birds The Last Resort The Tale of the Candles When a Candle is Blown Out The Wise Son and the Foolish Son The King and the Peasant The Condemned Prince The Tale of the Letter The Three Messengers The Royal Messenger The Wheel of Creation IV DREAMS AND VISIONS The Endless Forest Dream of the Shofar Dream of the Brides The Tzaddik Who was Shunned The Vision of the Man in the Circle The Sea of Wisdom Unable to Teach The Dream of the Birds Dream of a Throne The Sacrifice A Dream of Disgrace Dream of a Visitor The Accusation The Man Who Had Died Dream of a Wedding V FOLKTALES TOLD BY REB NACHMAN The Treasure The Fixer The Jealous Minister The Road to the Cemetery A Tale of Two Artists VI TALES OF HASIDIM TOLD BY REB NACHMAN The Sabbath Guests The Baal Shem Tov and the Preacher Capturing the Bird The Opposition of the Birds The Journey of the Dead Merchant The Hasid Who Had Died A Tale of Understanding For the Sake of a Cat The Plank and the Pillar of Fire VII HASIDIC TALES ABOUT REB NACHMAN Bound to Reb Nachman The Chamber of Souls Reb Yisroel the Dead A Vision of Light The Tale of the Plums The Scribe The Sabbath Fish The Lost Tale The Journey to Kamenetz The Sword of the Messiah The Master of the Field The Tale of the Lamp A Hidden Saint A Healing Verse An Argument with the Evil One The Tale of the Question Divining from the Zohar The Mysterious Old Man The Rabbi's Attendant in the World-to-Come The Book that was Burned A Letter from the Beyond Reb Nachman's Chair Reb Nachman's Tomb The Soul of Reb Nachman VIII STORIES RETOLD FROM UNFINISHED TALES OF REB NACHMAN A Garment for the Moon The Souls of Trees The Celestial Orchestra The Mountain of Fire The Lost Tzaddik The Golden Dove The Tale of the Deer The Princess of Light The Hollow of the Sling APPENDICES I The Art of Telling and Retelling II The Exile of the Shekhinah III How the Ari Created a Myth and Transformed Judaism IV Cosmic Cataclysms in Judaism V Important Dates in Reb Nachman's Life VI Glossary VII Hebrew Bibliography VIII English Bibliography