Legendy Židů - svazek 2

The supreme importance of the oral Torah, without which the Torah would never be complete, is evidenced by a charming Hasidic story recounted by the modern Israeli philosopher and historian Gershom Scholem. When the famous Yisrael ben Eliezer, called the Baal Shem Tov, had something of great importance to accomplish for the benefit of all creation, he went to a particular spot in the forest, built a fire and immersed himself in deep meditation. When he had finished his prayers, he returned home and found that his wish had been granted. When the Magid of Mezritch, known as Dov Ber, was to do the same a generation later, he also headed to that spot in the forest. He was no longer allowed to make fire, but he had mastered the devekut and was able to connect directly with the heavenly power in his spirit. This too brought the desired result. Then, again a generation later, Rabbi Moshe Leib of Sassov needed to perform the same task. He could not light a fire and he no longer knew the secret meditation techniques, without which prayer is impossible. But he knew the place in the forest - and surprisingly, even that was enough. In his castle, another generation later, Rabbi Yisrael of Rizhin sat on his golden stool and thought seriously. He realized that he was not allowed to light a fire, that he did not know how to pray, and that he did not know the secret place in the forest, but he thought that he was able to tell about it. And he found that it worked too. The second volume of Legends of the Jews is the shortest of the four. It's mostly about the fate of the Jews in Egypt. It first introduces us to Joseph, who works his way up from slave to powerful steward of the land of Egypt, then recounts the harrowing struggle of Job, and finally the entire Egyptian anabasis of Moses, culminating in the glorious exodus of the Jews from Egypt.

Czech edition