Souls on Fire: Portraits and Legends of Hasidic Masters - Softcover

Elie Wiesel

Softcover

ISBN 10: 067144171X ISBN 13: 9780671441715

Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 1982

Synopsis

In Souls on Fire: Portraits and Legends of Hasidic Masters, Elie Wiesel reenters, like an impassioned pilgrim, the universe of Hasidism. "When I am asked about my Jewish affiliation, I define myself as a Hasid, " writes the author. "Hasid I was, Hasid I remain". Yet Souls on Fire is not a simple chronological history of Hasidism, nor is it a comprehensive book on its subject. Rather, Elie Wiesel has captured the essence of Hasidism through tales, legends, parables, sayings, and deeply personal reflections. His book is a testimony, not a study. Hasidism is revealed from within and not analyzed from the outside. "Listen attentively, " Elie Wiesel's grandfather told him, "and above all, remember that true tales are meant to be transmitted - to keep them to oneself is to betray them". As a critic appearing on the front page of The New York Times Book Review has written, "The judgment has been offered before: Elie Wiesel is one of the great writers of this generation". Wiesel does not merely tell us, but draws, with the hand of a master, the portraits of the leaders of the movement that created a revolution in the Jewish world. Souls on Fire is a loving, personal affirmation of Judaism, written with words and with silence. The author brings his profound knowledge of the Bible, the Talmud, Kabbala, and the Hasidic tale and song to this masterpiece, showing us that Elie Wiesel is perhaps our generation's most fervid "soul on fire".

About this title

From the Back Cover:

'These tales, although they are the kernel of a highly developed form of Jewish mysticism, have a basic human interest that transcends the dividing lines of religion.' -Albert H. Friedlander, Saturday Review

About the Author:

Elie Wiesel is the author of more than forty books, including his unforgettable international bestsellers Night and A Beggar in Jerusalem, winner of the Prix Médicis. He has been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States Congressional Gold Medal, and the French Legion of Honor with the rank of Grand Cross. In 1986, he received the Nobel Peace Prize. He is Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities and University Professor at Boston University.

About this edition

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Publication date: 1982
• ISBN 10: 067144171X
• ISBN 13: 9780671441715
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 288