The Light And Fire of the Baal Shem Tov

This is a life in stories of Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov (1700-1760) the founder of Hasidism. The Baal Shem Tov or the Besht as he is commonly called led a revival in Judaism that put love and joy at the center of religious life and championed the piety of the common folk against the rabbinic establishment. He has been recognized as one of the greatest teachers in Jewish history and much of what is alive and vibrant in Judaism today in all denominations derives from his inspiration. Abraham Joshua Heschel who was descended from several illustrious Hasidic dynasties wrote: "The Baal Shem Tov brought heaven to earth. He and his disciples the Hasidim banished melancholy from the soul and uncovered the ineffable delight of being a Jew."