In this book Martin Buber completed his great lifework of recreating and interpreting Hasidism. Here he makes explicit the place of Hasidism among world religions, and its significance for the modern world, by a series of illuminating contrasts with Biblical prophecy, Spinoza, Freud, Sankara, Meister Eckhart, Gnosticism, Christianity, Zionism and Zen Buddhism. -- From publisher's description.

Hasidism, a controversial, mystical-religious movement of Eastern European origin, has posed a serious challenge to mainstream Judaism from its earliest beginnings in the middle of the eighteenth century. Decimated by the Holocaust, it has risen like a phoenix from the ashes and has reconstituted itself as a major force in the world of ultra-Orthodox Judaism. Philosopher Martin Buber found inspiration in its original tenets and devoted much of his career to making its insights known to a wide readership. First published in 1958, Hasidism and Modern Man examines the life and religious experiences of Hasidic Jews, as well as Buber's personal response to them. From the autobiographical "My Way to Hasidism," to "Hasidism and Modern Man," and "Love of God and Love of Neighbor," the essays span nearly half a century and reflect the evolution of Buber’s religious philosophy in relation to the Hasidic movement. Hasidism and Modern Man remains prescient in its portrayal of a spiritual movement that brings God down to earth and makes possible a modern philosophy in which the human being becomes sacred.

This very accessible introduction to hasidism as a movement opens a new window on its mystical underpinnings. It discusses the origins and dissemination of hasidism and the literature that facilitated this; the theological basis of hasidism and the mystical significance of the tsadik; the major figures of hasidism; and the complex links to kabbalah and Sabbatianism. The discussion of the intellectual and social implications highlights the eighteenth century as a key period in modern Jewish history.

Approaches Hasidism as an important stage in Jewish mysticism, rather than as a mere reaction to or result of historical and social forces.

A must-read book for understanding this vibrant and influential modern Jewish movement Hasidism originated in southeastern Poland, in mystical circles centered on the figure of Israel Ba’al Shem Tov, but it was only after his death in 1760 that a movement began to spread. Today, Hasidism is witnessing a remarkable renaissance around the world. This book provides the first comprehensive history of the pietistic movement that shaped modern Judaism. Written by an international team of scholars, its unique blend of intellectual, religious, and social history demonstrates that, far from being a throwback to the Middle Ages, Hasidism is a product of modernity that forged its identity as a radical alternative to the secular world.

Famous Zionist philosopher Martin Buber introduces the Western audience in his modern masterpiece. This book is a result of forty years of study, and Buber interprets the ideas and motives that underlie the great Jewish religious movement of Hasidism and its creator, Baal-Shem. Buber’s interpretation of Hasidic stories and teachings influenced the revival of it’s practices in a new generation to turn to Hasidic teachings, and his collection Hasidism continues to affect Jewish scholarship worldwide. With his lasting work in both Hasidism and Zionism, Buber imagined a renewal in the Jewish faith, and his philosophies and idealisms enrich the pages of this book, making it a must-read for any Jewish or religious scholar.

Here the author completes his great lifework of the re-creation and interpretation of Hasidism, the popular communal mysticism that arose and flourished among the Jews of Eastern Europe in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Shows that the God of the Bible and of Hasidism is the loving God whose love includes the demand that man make real his humanity through bringing every aspect of his life into his relation to God.