The Legend of the Baal-Shem

Martin Buber, a Jewish philosopher, spoke directly to the most profound human concerns in all his works. Included in his discussions was Hasidism, a mystical-religious movement founded in Eastern Europe by Israel ben Eliezer, called the “ Baal-Shem” (the Master of God's Name). Living in the first part of the 18th century in Podolia and Wolhynia, the Baal-Shem braved scorn and rejection from the rabbinical establishment and attracted followers from among the common people, the poor, and the mystically inclined. Buber offers a sensitive and intuitive account of Hasidism, followed by 20 stories about the life of the Baal-Shem. This delightful recording can be listened to not only as a collection of myth but as a key to understanding the central theme of Buber's “ I and Thou” philosophy.