Martin Buber 
The Legend of the Baal-Shem 

These twenty captivating stories about the founder of the Hasidic faith Israel ben Eliezer called the Baal-Shem or Master of God”s Name, provide a profound and charming account of the genesis of Hasidism, still Judaism”s most important religious movement. As a delicate and moving portrayal not only of the power of the Baal-Shem”s mystical faith, but also of Eastern European Jewish daily life,
The Legend of the Baal-Shem is an ideal introduction to Hasidic religious thought, and to Martin Buber”s own influential philosophy of love and mutual human understanding.