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In Praise of the Baal Shem Tov (Shivhei ha-Besht)
This is the first English translation of Shivhei ha-Besht, the earliest collection of legends about Israel Baal Shem Tov, first printed in 1814. The tales depict wonder-working, battles with demons, visionary ascents and the Besht's relations with disciples. With notes by two folklorists, it is a key primary source for the Hasidic imagination and Jewish folk mysticism.






