Souls on Fire: Portraits and Legends of Hasidic Masters

Hassidism, its tales, legends, and masters, has always been a source of mystery and confusion. "Souls on Fire" is a journey through Hassidism. Traveling from the source and further development of this unique Jewish religious manifestation is a joy when led by the mind and sould of Elie Wiesel. His personal and emotional input, the tales and legends included throughout the book, and his non-academic but rather humane approach (a typical Hassid) is the most sincere attempt in trying to understand and "speak of the unspeakable," sparkling light into a religious fervor born out of anguish and despair. The purpose is not to agree or understand, but rather to believe.

Elie Wiesel comes on his mother's side from a Hasidic family. The Hasidic heritage is something he has carried with him from his early childhood. One of its central aspects is the place given to storytelling as central element in the spiritual life. Wiesel who is one of the great poetic storytellers essentially retells the history of the movement through telling the stories of its leading figures. He begins of course with the great founder , the Baal Shem Tov, whose history is bound up with mystery and legend. He relates the story of the greats of the movement. One of his favorite figures is the Berditchever, Levi Yitzhak of Berditchev who was the great defender of the Jewish people. The love of Israel which the Berditcher exemplified involved his relating to God in a deeply personal way. He asked God time and again why Israel was being persecuted when this people, in Levi Berditchev's eyes were righteous. He may get angry with God, shout at Him or grow silent with Him but always maintains a relationship with God. This position is very much like the one Elie Wiesel adopts in the wake of the Shoah.
Wiesel retells the stories of the great teachers of the movement in a devout and yet passionate way. He gives too the very special character and feeling of each of the great Hasidism. He is honest and moving, and this work constitues yet another of those treasured books of Jewish learning and life which he has given to the world.

Wiesel managed to capture the essence of Hasidim in his re-telling of their tales - extremely personal, intimate relationship with the Divine. I enjoyed reading and re-reading this book over the years.

It's amazing how everything Wiesel touches turns to gold, and here, he's done it again.

The Chassidic masters Wiesel portrays were passionate about Judaism in a way any modern reader can relate to. Wiesel deftly brings that message home time and time again, evoking not only the syrupy nostalgia of most volumes of "Rebbe stories", but also a very immediate committment to Jewish life.

A masterpiece, this would also make an excellent gift for anyone interested in Jewish spirituality.