Customer Reviews

Under the Table: Jewish Pathways of Spiritual Growth (And How to Get Up : Jewish Pathways of Spiritual Growth)

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This book is based on the parable of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov about the prince who thought he was a turkey (or rooster, in some versions, but Greenbaum translates it turkey) and sat under the table naked, clucking and squawking and refusing to act like a normal human being. A wise sage was able to cure him by first sitting under the table with him, pretending that he, too, was a fowl. Slowly, step by step, he convinced the prince that even if he was a turkey, he could still dress, eat, and sit at the table like a person. Because the sage related to the prince by first "meeting him where he was at," the sage was able to cure his delusions.

What Avraham Greenbaum does in this book is, to take each step in the prince's recovery, and apply it to the steps that we take in our own spiritual growth. Very clever! And a fine introduction to the practical application of Breslov Hasidic teachings in daily life. We are, all of us, lving under various delusions that we are something less than we really are, and these delusions prevent us from being all we can be.

As an added note, this story is why my nickname on Amazon is "rooster613" -- the "613" referring to the 613 commandments. Yes, Avraham, I know you think the story was about a turkey, not a rooster -- but first heard it as a rooster, and I'm not about to call myself "turkey613" -- so we will have to agree to disagree on the exact barnyard bird referred to in the story. But really, that little detail doesn't really matter -- it's still a great book!