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Mile Chai Judaica |
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Fifty-two
Stories about Our Great Chasidic Rabbis
By: Sterna Citron
ISBN: 0-8766-8350-2
Page count: 320 pages
Size: 6.00 x 9.00
Binding: Hardcover
List Price: $35.00
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Jewish tradition is rich in
stories, many of which center around the lives and work of
the great chasidic rabbis, known as rebbes. As a child,
Sterna Citron, who descends from distinguished rabbinic
families, was surrounded by these stories. Each night at
bedtime, her father, the late Rabbi Eli Chaim Carlebach, a
member of one of the most outstanding rabbinic families of
Germany, would tell her stories. Fifty-two of these stories,
many of which appear here for the first time in English, are
now collected in Why the Baal Shem Tov Laughed: Fifty-two
Stories about Our Great Chasidic Rabbis.
Sterna Citron has the gift of telling stories so that both
adults and children enjoy them. Her voice is fresh and light
without being condescending. She has ensured that the
stories she retells will delight and entertain anyone who
reads them. Indeed, the book is designed for family reading.
The stories could be read one per week, on the Sabbath or
any night, for an entire year. The book concludes with a
helpful glossary to define the Hebrew and Yiddish terms
used.
The stories are arranged in chronological order by rebbe,
from the founder of Chasidism, the Baal Shem Tov, to the
late Lubavitcher rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson. Each
section begins with brief biographical information on the
rebbe to help place the stories in time and circumstance.
There are many lessons and morals to be learned from the
stories. The power of a blessing is illustrated in "Chaim
Meir Shlomo." In "The Amulet" we see a rebbe's power of
foresight. We are shown in "The Strange Wedding Gifts" that
no good deed goes unrewarded and in "Why the Baal Shem Tov
Laughed" that God rewards the righteous. In addition, the
reader is given a strong sense of how chasidim have lived
from their earliest communities to the present.
Why the Baal Shem Tov Laughed: Fifty-two Stories about Our
Great Chasidic Rabbis is a treasure trove of chasidic
wisdom. Just as the rebbes often taught their pupils in such
a way that they didn't know they were being taught, through
her delightful voice, Sterna Citron brings to life the
spiritual giants who have influenced a large portion of the
Jewish people, passing on their legacies and memories to the
modern generation of Jews.
About the Author
Sterna Citron comes from distinguished families on both her
paternal and maternal sides. Her late father, Rabbi Eli
Chaim Carlebach, was a scholar, writer, and publisher. The
Carlebach family was one of the most outstanding rabbinic
families of Germany. Her maternal grandfather, Rabbi Shneur
Zalman Schneerson, was descended from the founder of Chabad
Chasidism, the Baal HaTanya, and from Reb Levi Yitzchak of
Berdichev. He was the cousin of the present Lubavitcher
rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson.
Mrs. Citron is a teacher at Bais Yaakov High School for
Girls in Los Angeles, California, as well as the editor of
The Jewish Reader, a magazine for children. Previously she
was one of the editors of A Student's Obligation: Advice
from the Rebbe of the Warsaw Ghetto by Kalonymus Kalman
Shapira and of Light of Life, a compendium of the writings
of Rabbi Chaim ben Attar
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Why the Baal Shem Tov
Laughed
Fifty-Two Stories About Our Great Chasidic Rabbis
by Sterna Citron 52 stories based on the legends of the great Chasidic
Rabbis.
302 Pages
"…These chasidic stories are not only heartwarming and encouraging but
also can serve as a source for our own character building. While reaching
the goals of these saintly individuals may be unrealistic, the principles
they established and manifested in their lives should serve as guidelines
for us. Even the fact that we cannot achieve their greatness should not
deter us from at least trying to emulate them."
- Dr. Abraham J. Twerski |
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YOUR INTERNET PRICE:
$27.49 reg $36 |
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