From Publishers Weekly
Lamm, who is president of Yeshiva University, offers a monumental and magisterial history of Hasidism. When it emerged in the 18th century under the leadership of Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov (usually referred to as the Besht), Hasidism combined the mystical elements of Kabbalah with scrupulous observance of Torah and halakah. Because Hasidism was a strongly messianic movement, many critics accused it of not taking seriously enough halakic regulations concerning prayer and worship. Lamm's invaluable collection of primary documents narrates Hasidism's theological development. Each of the book's 18 chapters focuses on intellectual topics ranging from "God and Providence" and "The Soul" to "Evil and Suffering" and "Exile and Redemption." Lamm introduces each chapter with a brief historical and theological essay, then gathers the writings of various Hasidic teachers, from the 18th to the 20th centuries, on these topics. For example, the section on the soul opens with reflections on the "ten sefirot of the Jewish soul," by Rabbi Shneur Zalman (1745-1813), and includes a meditation on the soul by Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav (1772-1811), a grandson of the Besht, concluding with Rabbi Elimelekh of Lizhensk's (1717-1787) reflections on "the soul as wife." Included here are also the writings of the Besht and his successor, the Maggid of Mezeritch (1710-1772), who continued his teacher's emphases on asceticism and mysticism. Lamm's collection opens the pages on a fascinating chapter in religious history and practice. Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
This immense anthology of the wisdom of the Hasidic teachers and sages, with extended commentary and relevant scholarly material, is almost unprecedented as a resource in English, with the possible exception of Louis Newman's Hasidic Anthology (1934). Readers not already familiar with these teachings in Hebrew should benefit tremendously from this carefully annotated collection of advice on every subject, from the nature of the godhead to the body. Recommended for most collections.Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Unrivaled in its scope The Religious Thought of Hasidism is a veritable encyclopedia of Hasidic religious thought, covering the major themes of Hasidic theological discourse asenunciated by the seminal thinkers of the first three generations, with occasional selections from the later periods. It provides a detailed sketch of the historical background of the early Hasidic movement and charts its central ideas within the wider intellectual and historical context of Jewish religious and mystical thought.. "The Religious Thought of Hasidism presents thoroughly annotated translations of selected passages, arranged according to topic. Introductory sections provide an overview and a context for the material in each chapter and a general introduction does the same for the volume as a whole.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Lamm, who is president of Yeshiva University, offers a monumental and magisterial history of Hasidism. When it emerged in the 18th century under the leadership of Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov (usually referred to as the Besht), Hasidism combined the mystical elements of Kabbalah with scrupulous observance of Torah and halakah. Because Hasidism was a strongly messianic movement, many critics accused it of not taking seriously enough halakic regulations concerning prayer and worship. Lamm's invaluable collection of primary documents narrates Hasidism's theological development. Each of the book's 18 chapters focuses on intellectual topics ranging from "God and Providence" and "The Soul" to "Evil and Suffering" and "Exile and Redemption." Lamm introduces each chapter with a brief historical and theological essay, then gathers the writings of various Hasidic teachers, from the 18th to the 20th centuries, on these topics. For example, the section on the soul opens with reflections on the "ten sefirot of the Jewish soul," by Rabbi Shneur Zalman (1745-1813), and includes a meditation on the soul by Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav (1772-1811), a grandson of the Besht, concluding with Rabbi Elimelekh of Lizhensk's (1717-1787) reflections on "the soul as wife." Included here are also the writings of the Besht and his successor, the Maggid of Mezeritch (1710-1772), who continued his teacher's emphases on asceticism and mysticism. Lamm's collection opens the pages on a fascinating chapter in religious history and practice. (Mar.)

Library Journal

This immense anthology of the wisdom of the Hasidic teachers and sages, with extended commentary and relevant scholarly material, is almost unprecedented as a resource in English, with the possible exception of Louis Newman's Hasidic Anthology (1934). Readers not already familiar with these teachings in Hebrew should benefit tremendously from this carefully annotated collection of advice on every subject, from the nature of the godhead to the body. Recommended for most collections.

Library Journal

Zuroff, a Nazi war crimes researcher and the director of the Israel office of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, surveys the search for Nazis from the end of World War II until the present. After describing his own evolution from a Holocaust scholar to a Nazi hunter, Zuroff proceeds to analyze the inner workings and behind-the-scenes efforts of various Nazi hunters to locate and prosecute Third Reich functionaries and sympathizers. The book includes an engrossing account of the efforts to locate Dr. Joseph Mengele and verify his death of and efforts of locate Nazis-in-hiding in Australia, Canada, Britain, and Sweden. The author concludes with a hope that the efforts for the Simon Wiesenthal Center and other groups to identify and prosecute Nazi functionaries, scattered in a number of nations, will continue to be successful. For larger public and specialized collections.-Mark W. Weber, Kent State Univ. Libs., Ohio

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