How the wisdom of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov can change your life. Two hundred years ago, hundreds of Chassidim flocked to Rebbe Nachman of Breslov to hear his wisdom and follow his path in Jewish living. Today, tens of thousands of Jews flock to Rebbe Nachman's grave in Uman every year to pray, study his teachings, and imbibe the energy that is Breslov. It's true - Rebbe Nachman is more popular today than ever before. And for good reason. With his original teachings on joy, simplicity, faith, and many others, Rebbe Nachman is the ultimate mentor. With his understanding of human personality and constant encouragement, Rebbe Nachman is the consummate life coach. And with his encyclopedic knowledge of Torah and Kabbalah, Rebbe Nachman is the ideal spiritual guide. Rebbe Nachman shows everyone how to get the most out of life. Come hear what he has to say to you.

The Sages always told stories to convey some of the deepest secrets about God and His relation to the creation. Rebbe Nachman practiced this ancient method to perfection. More elaborate than any of his previous teachings, the stories are fast-moving, richly structured and filled with penetrating insights -- while spellbinding and entertaining. Rabbi Kaplan's translation is accompanied by a masterful commentary drawn from the works of Rebbe Nachman's pupils. For the first time the English-speaking reader has access to authentic interpretations of the stories.

Rabbi Nachman of Breslov (1772-1810) is best known for stories that possess profound depth and speak to the very soul. To others, his teachings shed light on some of the deepest mysteries. Here, is timeless wisdom, adapted by disciplines living in Jerusalem today, reaches out to us all: Never lose hope. Find joy and cause for happiness in everything that happens to you.

From the acclaimed author of The Jew in the Lotus comes an "engrossing and wonderful book" (The Washington Times) about the unexpected connections between Franz Kafka and Hasidic master Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav—and the significant role played by the imagination in the Jewish spiritual experience. Rodger Kamenetz has long been fascinated by the mystical tales of the Hasidic master Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav. And for many years he has taught a course in Prague on Franz Kafka. The more he thought about their lives and writings, the more aware he became of unexpected connections between them. Kafka was a secular artist fascinated by Jewish mysticism, and Rabbi Nachman was a religious mystic who used storytelling to reach out to secular Jews. Both men died close to age forty of tuberculosis. Both invented new forms of storytelling that explore the search for meaning in an illogical, unjust world. Both gained prominence with the posthumous publication of their writing. And both left strict instructions at the end of their lives that their unpublished books be burnt. Kamenetz takes his ideas on the road, traveling to Kafka’s birthplace in Prague and participating in the pilgrimage to Uman, the burial site of Rabbi Nachman visited by thousands of Jews every Jewish new year. He discusses the hallucinatory intensity of their visions and offers a rich analysis of Nachman’s and Kafka’s major works, revealing uncanny similarities in the inner lives of these two troubled and beloved figures, whose creative and religious struggles have much to teach us about the Jewish spiritual experience.

"Life makes warriors of us all. To emerge the victors, we must arm ourselves with the most potent of weapons. That weapon is prayer." --Rebbe Nachman of Breslov The "gentle weapon" of prayer can ease the soul and strengthen the heart, while bringing us closer to God and to a deeper understanding of ourselves. Two hundred years after he lived, the warm insights and generous wisdom of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov (1772-1810) continue to be a source of comfort for those in search of an uplifting perspective on life. "When you pray, hold nothing back from God. Pour out your heart with honest openness, as if you were speaking to your very best friend." --Rebbe Nachman of Breslov (1772-1810) A "little treasure" of prayers that will open your heart and soul and give voice to your deepest yearnings. Using the startling wisdom of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, written two hundred years ago, The Gentle Weapon will help you talk with God and enable you to hear your own voice as well. This spiritual gem makes a loving gift to friends, family or to ourselves when words of comfort are what's needed the most.

"When the summer begins to approach, go out to meditate in the meadows. When every bush of the field begins to return to life and grow, they all yearn to be included in your prayer." Rebbe Nachman emphasized the greatness of spontaneous, improvised prayer uttered in one's own language and springing from the heart -- hitbodedut. This handbook of his teachings on prayer includes Rabbi Kaplan's scholarly introduction setting hitbodedut in its context in the history of Jewish prayer and meditation.