Description

Of all the Hebrew literature of modern times, the Tales of the Hasidim, with their immediately accessible yet underlyingly Kabbalistic message, have probably had the greatest impact on Jewish identity. American Jews’ rediscovery of their Eastern European folk ‘shtetl’ roots, and the positive images that the wider world has had through Fiddler on the Roof, Yentl, and Chagall, is largely due to the ability of thinkers like Martin Buber and Elie Wiesel to transmit the Tales of the Hasidim to a modern readership. This course examines the thematics and form of these tales and the broader cultural genre to which they belong. You will focus on the stories of the Baal Shem Tov and Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav, probing their literary force and spiritual intent, and setting them in the context of traditional Hebrew wonder tales and the world-view of the emerging Hasidic movement. You will also study Buber’s and Elie Wiesel’s versions of the tales and new tales that have sprung up among Hasidim today, a token of their ongoing effect on Jewish culture. No knowledge of Hebrew or Judaism is assumed.

Course requirement

There will be a midterm (30%) and two final essays (50%), and one or two thematic projects (20%) for which you will do library research, write up your findings and describe them briefly in class.

• Ben-Amos, Dan & Jerome R Mintz. (trans.) In praise of the Baal Shem Tov.
• Bloomington: Indiana U Press, 1970.
• Buber, Martin. Tales of the Hasidim. New York: Schocken, 1948, 2 vols..
• Kaplan, Aryeh (trans) Rabbi Nachman’s Stories. NY: Breslov Research Institute, 1983.
• Wiesel, Eli. Souls on Fire. New York: Random House, 1972.

• Band, Arnold. (ed) Nahman of Bratslav : the tales in Classics of Western Spirituality, New York: Pauline Press, 1980.
• Berlin, C. Studies in Jewish Bibliography, History and Literature. NY: Ktav, 1971.
• Buber, Martin. Ten Rungs: Hasidic Sayings. NY: Schocken, 1947.
• Dawidowicz, Lucy The Golden Tradition. Schocken, 1984 Baker Stacks DS/135/E8/D3
• Dresner, S H Levi Yitzhak of Berditchev. NY: Hartmore House, 1974.
• Elstein, Yoav. Structuralism in Literary Criticism: A Method and Application in Two Representative Hasidic Tales. UCLA PhD dissertation (unpublished), 1974.
• Friedman, M A Dialogue with Hasidic Tales. NY: Insight Books, Human Sciences Press, 1988.
• Glinert, Lewis. Hebrew in Ashkenaz: A Laanguage in Exile. New York: Oxford, 1994.
• Green, Arthur. Tormented Master. Woodstock, Vt: Jewish Lights, 1992.
• Hallamish, Moshe. An Introduction to the Kabbalah. SUNY Press. 1999
• Baker Stacks BM/526/H3413/1999
• Heschel, A J A Passion for Truth,
• Holtz, Barry W (ed) Back to the Sources, Simon & Schuster 1984.
• Hundert, Gershon D (ed) Essential Papers on Hasidism, NY: New York U Press, 1991.
• Kaplan, Aryeh (trans) Rabbi Nachman’s Stories. NY: Breslov Research Institute, 1983.
• Kaplan, Aryeh. (trans) Rabbi Nachman’s Wisdom. NY: Breslov Research Institute, 1973.
• Klein, Eliahu. Meetings with Remarkable Souls. Jason Aronson, 1995.
• Langer, Jiri. Nine Gates to the Chassidic Mysteries. New York: Behrman, 1961.
• Mintz, Jerome. Legends of the Hasidim: An Introduction to Hasidic Culture and Oral Tradition in the New World. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1968.
• Newman, Louis. The Hasidic Anthology: Tales and Teachings of the Hasidim. NY: Schocken, 1972.
• Nigal, Gedaliah. Magic, Mysticism and Hasidism, Northvale, 1994.
• Polsky, & Wozner, Everyday Miracles: The Healing Wisdom of Hasidic Stories, Jason Aronson, 1989.
• Rapoport-Albert, Ada. (ed) Hasidism Reappraised. London: Littman Library, 1996.
• Rosman, Moshe. Founder of Hasidism : a quest for the historical Ba'al Shem Tov Berkeley : U of California Press, 1996.
• Schwartz, Howard. Gates to the New City, New York: Avon, 1983.
• Steinsaltz, Adin. Beggars and prayers : Adin Steinsaltz retells the tales of Rabbi Nahman of Bratslav. New York : Basic Books, c1979.
• _____ The Long, Shorter Way: Discourses on Chasidic Thought. Jason Aronson, 1988.
• Schwartz, Howard. Gabriel’s Palace. NY: OUP, 1993.
• Wertheim, Aaron. Law and Custom in Hasidism. Jason Aronson, 1992.
• Wiskind-Elper, Ora. Tradition and Fantasy in the Tales of Reb Nahman of Bratslav. SUNY Press] 1998
• Baker Stacks BM/532/W57/1998

Schedule

Week1:

Topic: Introducing Hasidism
Reading :
Dawidowicz The Golden Tradition. 5-27
Green, ‘Teachings of the Hasidic Masters’ in Holtz, pp 361-401
Hundert, Essential Papers on Hasidism [selections]
Buber, Ten Rungs: Hasidic Sayings.
Buber, Tales of the Hasidim. 2 vols.. [selections]
Founder of Hasidism [selections]

Week 2:

Topic: The Hasidic Tale: Form and Function
Reading:
Georges, R. ‘Toward an understanding of storytelling events’, J of American Folklore 82, 326 (1969), pp 313-328.,
Dundes, Alan. ‘From etic to emic units in the structural study of folktales’, J of American Folklore 75 (1962), pp 95-105
Newman, The Hasidic Anthology:, introduction.
Friedman, A Dialogue with Hasidic Tales. [selection]
Buber, ‘Interpreting Hasidism’, Commentary 36:3, Sept 1963.
Scholem, ‘Martin Buber’s interpretation of Hasidism’ in idem The Messianic Idea in Judaism
Oppenheim, "The meaning of Hasidut: Martin Buber and Gershom Scholem, J of the American Academy of Religion, 49:3, 1981.

Week 3:

Topic: The Tales and the Hebrew folktale tradition
Reading:
Nigal, ‘New light on the Hasidic tale and its source’ pp 345-353
Nigal, Magic, mysticism and Hasidism [selections]
Rapoport-Albert, A. ‘Hagiography with footnotes: Edifying tales and the writing of history in hasidism’, History and Theory, Beiheft 27, 1988.

Weeks 4 and 5:

Topic: "In praise of the Baal Shem Tov"
Reading:
Ben-Amos & Mintz [selections]
Grözinger ‘Basic recensions of the Shivhei HaBesht’ in Rapoport- Albert, pp 354-363.
Barnai, J. ‘Some clarifications on the Land of Israel stories of "In Praise of the Baal Shem Tov"’, Revue des Etudes Juives, 146, 1987.


Midterm assignment: How is the Gentile and the Land of Israel represented in Shivkhei HaBesht (12 pages)

Topic: The Tales of Rabbi Nahman
Reading:
Green, Tormented Master, especially Excursus II
Steinsaltz, Beggars and prayers [this will be our basic source for commentary]
Kaplan, Rabbi Nachman’s Stories. [this will be our basic source for the tales themselves]
Band, The Tales of Rabbi Nahman of Bratslav
Berger, A. ‘Approaches to Rabbi Nachman and his tales’ in Berlin, Studies pp 11-19.
Kaplan, Chasidic Masters , 103-121
Schwartz, Gates to the New City, 35-48
Wiskind-Elper. Tradition and Fantasy... [selections]

Week8:

Topic: The Later Tales
Reading:
Schwartz, Howard. Gabriel’s Palace. pp. 245-271, 347-355
Buber, Tales of the Hasidim. Pt 1, pp. 203-234, Pt 2, 52-69, 270-289 (and relevant pp in intros to both parts)
Heschel, A Passion for Truth [selections]
Langer, Nine Gates to the Chassidic Mysteries.
Wiesel, Souls on Fire, pp 89-112, 140-163, 228-254 (R Levi Yitzchok, R Yisroel of Rizhin, R Mendel of Kotsk)

Weeks 9 and 10:

Topic: The Tales and their Cultural Impact
Reading:
Mintz, Legends of the Hasidim. pp 25-158
Langer, Nine Gates to the Chassidic Mysteries, foreword, intro
Katz, Steven "Buber's Misuse of Hasidic Sources" , in idem Post-Holocaust Dialogues (NYU, 1983)
Mendes-Flohr, P ‘Fin-de-siecle orientalism, the Ostjuden and the aesthetics of Jewish affirmation’, in Studies in Contemporary Jewry, Bloomington, 1984.
Polsky, & Wozner, ch 2-3 ‘The pyschology of the Hasidic story. The drama of the story’
Shmueli ‘The appeal of Hasidism for American Jewry today’, Jewish J of Sociology 11, 1969, pp 5-30
Dresner, ‘Hasidism through the eyes of three masters’
Buber ‘My way to Hasidism’

Two 8 pp projects, each counting for 25% of the grade , for last day of exam period:

(a) "How are wealth and intellectualism portrayed, in terms of morality or spirituality, in Rabbi Nachman's tales?"
(b) What has been the effect of Hasidism on the outside world?

Attendance

Regular and punctual attendance is expected. If there are unavoidable reasons to miss a class, please inform me at least a day in advance.