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The Religious Thought of Hasidism: Text and Commentary (Sources and Studies in Kabbalah, Hasidism, and Jewish Thought, V. 4)

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Hasidism continues to fascinate us, and there is no lack of books on the movement, its leaders and their ideas.Most of these books heve been books about Hasidism, that is, secondary or tertiary sources, wherein the reader relies on the interpretation of the author rather than on the writings of the Hasidic masters themselves. This book, thankfully, is different. The Hasidic masters speak in their own voices, in translations that bring the often enigmatic texts to life for the intelligent reader. The texts are arranged by subject, and the citations are given for those who wish to consult the original texts. Each topic is preceded by a very useful introductory essay.The footnotes are helpful. If you cannot read the Hasidic texts by yourself, you need this book. If you can study the texts by yourself in the original, you will still welcome this book,for it will make your task easier and refer you to areas of which you may be unaware. If you purchase one book on Hasidism, this should be the one.

Rabbi Lamm presents in this work essential Hasidic writings. He organizes the material by theme , and writes an introduction to each particular subject. His grasp and understanding of the material is first- rate and he guides the reader to a deeper understanding of each particular theme written about. He too makes selections from the Hasidic teachers which are longer and more detailed than in previous anthologies. The work provides a new depth in understanding Hasidic thought.