Table of Contents

Preface Translator's Note Introduction The Printer's Preface The Writer's Preface 1. Rabbi Eliezer 1a. Rabbi Eliezer: A Second Version 2. Rabbi Eliezer and the Viceroys Daughter 3. The Birth of the Besht 4. The Besht's Education and Youth 5. Rabbi Adam and the King's Banquet 6. The New Coat of Rabbi Adam's Wife 7. The Secret Manuscripts and Rabbi Adam's Son 8. The Besht's Marriage 9. The Besht and the Robbers 10. The Vengeful Robber 11.The Besht's Journey to the Holy Land 12. The Besht and the Frog 13. The Besht Serves as Rabbi Gershon's Coachman 14. The Besht Reveals Himself 15. The Rabbi Reveals Himself to the Sect of the Great Hasidim 16. The Besht Locks up the Secret Manuscripts 17. The Beginning of the Writer's Manuscript 18. Fingernails 19. The Besht's Seclusion 20. The Besht Exorcises a Madwoman 21. The Besht's Prayer Produces Rain 22. The Besht Curses a Madwoman 23. The Besht Exorcises Demons from a House 24. The Innkeeper's Death 25. The Besht Attracts Followers 26. The Besht and the Physician 27. The Besht Predicts a Need for Bloodletting 28. Rabbi Gershon, the Besht, and the Zohar 29. Elijah the Prophet Reveals Himself to the Besht 30. The Stolen Horse 31. The Besht Reveals Himself to Rabbi David of Kolomyya 32. The Melamed's Dream 33. The Delayed Homecoming 34. The Besht's Trembling in Prayer 35.The Besht's Trembling in Prayer: A Second Version 36. The Besht's Trembling in Prayer: A Third Version 37. The Besht's Trembling in Prayer: A Fourth Version 38. A Sincere Prayer 39. The Besht's Trembling in Prayer: A Fifth Version 40. The Dream of Rabbi Joseph Ashkenazi 41. The Besht in the Messiah's Heavenly Palace 42. The Palace of the Bird's Nest 43. The Besht and His Guests 44. The Wailing of the Shekinah 45. The Destruction of Balta 46. Rabbi Gershon Imitates the Besht 47. Rabbi Jacob Joseph Recognizes the Greatness of the Besht 48. Rabbi Jacob Joseph Is Expelled from Shargorod 49. The Ascetic Fasting of Rabbi Jacob Joseph 50. Rabbi Jacob Joseph Observes the Sabbath in Shargorod 51. The Protective Prayers 52. The Asceticism of Rabbi Jacob Joseph 53. The Voyage of Rabbi Gershon 54. Rabbi Gerson's Sin 55. Prayers for Rain in Jerusalem 56. A Quarrel in Safed 57. Rabbi Lipeh Quarrels with Rabbi Gedaliah 58. The Mocking Song 59. The Sick Girl 60. The Blood Libel 61. The Dance of the Hasidim 62. The Great Maggid and the Besht 63. The Death of Rabbi Eliezer Rokeah 64. The Book Hemdat ha-Yamin 65. The Dream of Rabbi Jacob Joseph 66. The Besht and Shabbetai Tsevi 67. Rabbi Isaac Drabizner 68. Perjury 69. The Oxen of Rabbi Barukh 70. The Stolen Halter 71. The Shohet Who Was a Drunkard 72. The Death of Rabbi Abraham the "Angel" 73. Rabbi Abraham as a Sandek 74. Rabbi Abraham as a Mohel 75. The Wife of Rabbi Abraham 76. The City of Adultery 77. The Advice of the Great Maggid 78. The Prayers of the Hasidim 79. The Two Brothers 80. Sounding Out the Nature of the Besht 81. The Lithuanian Jew and the Besht 82. The Besht and the Rabbi Sa'adyah Gaon 83. The Besht's Sermon 84. The Besht Banishes Demons 85. The Rabbi's Wife in Labor 86. The Church That Caught Fire 87. The Hose-Maker 88. The Sin of Pride 89. Two Hasidim Visit Hell 90. The Court in Heaven 91. The Besht and the Angel of Death 92. The Repentant Rich Man 93. The Defective Tefillin 94. The Tefillin Written by Rabbi Isaac 95. The Righteous Woman 96. The Righteous Woman and Her Sons 97. The Blessing of Rabbi Pinhas 98. The Besht's Combat with a Witch 99. A Choice of Punishment 100. The Revenant 101. The Redemption of Sparks 102. The Reader's Stand of Rabbi Samson 103. The Dismissed Arrendator 104. The Besht's Devekut 105. The Besht Resuscitates a Child 106. The Magical Enkindling of a Tree 107. The Choice 108. The Fish and the Dog 109. The Dance of Rabbi Yudel 110. Rabbi Nachman's Sigh 111. Rabbi Nachman's Prayer 112. Rabbi Jacob Joseph's Prayer 113. Pure Prayers 114. The Interruptions of the Besht's Vision 115. Rabbi Leib's Death 116. Rabbi Aaron in Heaven 117. The Sick Woman 118. The Adulterer 119. The Besht Cures by Bloodletting 120. The Death of Rabbi Joseph the Melamed 121. The Parable of the Dog 122. The Present Generation 123. A Dowry 124. Rabbi Abraham and the Besht 125. A Combat in Magic 126. A Combat in Magic: A Second Version 127. The Jewish Thief 128. The Besht's Funeral 129. Rabbi Nahman Travels to the Holy Land 130. Rabbi Mendele Visits With Rabbi Jacob Joseph 131. The Prayers of Rabbi Mendele and Rabbi Fridel 132. The Heavy Load of Honor 133. Rabbi Nachman's Cold Mikveh 134. Iniquities and Prayers 135. The Preacher's Sermon 136. A Madman Feigns Death 137. The Martyrs 138. The Adulterous Woman 139. The Delayed Homecoming: A Second Version 140. The Besht, the Merchant, and the Robbers 141. The Besht Discharges a Shohet 142. The Optimism of Rabbi Nahman 143. Rabbi Nahman Prays Minah 144. Feeling the Tefillin 145. The Height of Prayer 146. Ascension to Heaven 147. The Besht's Second Coming 148. The Perpetual Error 149. The Ring 150. Rabbi Motil 151. Rabbi Gershon's Enemies 152. The Wandering Soul 153. Dream Teaching 154. The Forbidden City 155. The Hunchback 156. The Forbidden Country 157. The Spiritual Cure 158. The Stolen Stockings 159. Writing Down the Besht's Torah 160. The Besht and his Son 161. The Generosity of the Besht 162. The Demons 163. The Guest Who Snored 164. The Impure House 165. The Preacher Who Spoke Evil of the Jews 166. The Dead Man in Hell 167. The Servant's Evil Thoughts 168. "Streams of Wisdom" 169. Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Nahman 170. The Contaminated Bed 171. Rabbi Tsevi's Dream 172. The Protective Tefillin 173. Rabbi Jehiel Mikhel 174.The War Between the Greeks and the Ishmaelites 175. The Flickering Candle 176. The Poverty and Generosity of the Besht 177. The Shabbetian Shohet 178. The Hen Shohet 179. The Melamed's Death 180. The Invisibility of the Besht 181. Rabbi Moses' Death 182. Rabbi Zusman 183. The Death of the Arrendator's Wife 184. The Bastard 185. Praying Word for Word with the Besht 186. The Defective Mezuzah 187. The Amulet 188. The Devoted Weaver 189. The Turnip 190. Two Rabbis David 191. The Angel Hadarniel  192. The Young Martyr 193. Rabbi Gershon in the Holy Land 194. Storytelling and Ma'aseh Merkavah 195. Man in the World 196. The Demon 197. Competing for the Arrendeh 198. The Imprisonment of Israel Shāfir 199. The Preacher Cancels Charges Against a Rabbi 200. The Sermon of Rabbi Moses 201. The Angels' Request 202. Rabbi Moses the Mohel 203. The Besht Chokes on his Food 204. A Charm for Easy Delivery 205. Heavenly Garments 206. The Besht in the Mikveh 207. The Kind Boy 208. Gematria 209. Rabbi Nahman of Kosov 210. The Flight of the Besht 211. The Chief Arrendators 212. A Tenth for a Minyan 213. The Fall of the Chief Arrendators 214. The Bear 215. The Exceptional Horse 216. The Death of Rabbi David Forkes 217. A Brand Plucked Out of the Fire 218. The Rabbi's Lolkeh 219. The Hasid who Prayed in the Fields 220. The Besht Saves a Drowning Man 221. The Council of Four Lands 222. The Blessing of a Poor Man 223. "The Hour has Come But Not the Man" 224. Jonah 225. The Three Brothers 226. Hearing at Will 227. The Sinner 228. Rabbi Nahman and the Besht 229. The Besht as Rabbi's Nahman's Guest 230. The Parable of the King's Crown 231. The Blind Boy 232. The Paralyzed Woman 233. The Son Who Hit His Father 234. Charity 235. The Besht Prevents a Blood Libel 236. The Gentile Who Blessed the Jews 237. The Language of the Animals 238. The Loose Woman 239. The Besht and the Old Priest 240. Rabbi Isaac of Berdichev 241. Rabbi David Forkes' Dream 242. A Glass of Wine 243. The Besht's Dinner 244. The Besht Resuscitates a Child: A Second Version 245. The Doctor 246. The Careless Shohet 247. The Besht's Death 248. Rabbi Leib Kessler's Offer 249. The Besht's Son 250. The Fish and the Dog: A Second Version 251. The Burning of Rabbi Jacob Joseph's Books Glossary A Selected Bibliography The Legends and Their Sources Index of Motifs Notes Index