Tales of Rabbi Nachman
| Tales of Rabbi Nachman (Sipurei Ma`asiyot) by Title Page and Contents |
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Contents |
Title Page [edit]
Book of
STORY TALES
Which we have been privileged to hear from the mouth of Rabbeinu Hakadosh, the Hidden and Concealed Light, Nachal Novea Mekor Chokhmah/The Flowing Stream, The Wellspring of Wisdom[1], HaRav Rabbi NACHMAN ztzuk"l of Breslev, grandson of the Ba`al Shem Tov Hakadosh and compiler of the books Likutei Moharan and several other compendiums.
Go out and see the might of your master[2], who illuminates for us the heavenly Torah to enliven as [sure as] it is this day[3] to the world without end. Nor has our God forsaken us in our servitude, but extended kindness to us in each generation, and has sent us deliverers and rabbis and tzadikei yesodei `olam/righteous ones, foundation of the world[4] to teach us the way. His first [mercies] have come to pass[5] and yet His mercies have not ceased[6] at any period or time. And he has performed charity for us, drawing water from the wellsprings of salvation[7]. Ancient things, words which are the secret of the world[8], under wonderful and awesome clothings. See and understand and look at his wonderful and awesome way. It is an inheritance for us from our holy forefathers who were during ancient times in Yisrael. For so was the way of the upper holy ones, harvesters of the field[9], who raised their hands and hearts to God, to clothe and conceal the hidden things of the King in story tales according to the generation and according to the times, knowing the understanding of times, to know what Yisrael should do. Until [Mashiach] arises and delivers Tziyon and returns to build the ruins of Ariel. "In time it will be said to Ya`akov and to Yisrael, 'Mah pa`al El/What has God wrought!?'"[10]
In the year 575 l"pk [Jewish year 5575]
Contents [edit]
- Introductions
- Tale 1: The Lost Princess
- Tale 2: The Emperor and the King
- Tale 3: The Son Who Could Not Walk
- Tale 4: The King Who Decreed Conversion
- Tale 5: The King's Son Who Was Made of Precious Stones
- Tale 6: The Portrait
- Tale 7: The Spider and the Fly
- Tale 8: The Rabbi and His Son
- Tale 9: The Sophisticate and the Simpleton
- Tale 10: The Burgher and the Pauper
- Tale 11: The King's Son and the Maid's Son Who Were Exchanged
- Tale 12: The Prayer Leader
- Tale 13: The Seven Beggars
- Talks Following the Story Tales
Other Online Editions [edit]
Chinese
English
- Story Tales from Ancient Years (
PDF), published by Kulanu Chaverim and NaNach.org, Meron, Israel, 2011, a free softback and on-line PDF. Contains versions of material published on this page.
- Rabbi Nachman of Bratzlav's Tales: A Critical Translation from the Yiddish with Annotations and Commentary (PDF), by Martin Irving Mantel, PhD dissertation, Princeton Univ., 1975.
Persian
Hebrew
- Hebrew Wikisource
- at Hebrew University Archives, DJVu scan of the original Hebrew/Yiddish 1816 version
- at Nanach.org (PDF)
- at Breslev.eip.co.il, TXT delimited by line breaks
- at Breslev.org, TXT
Hindi
Yiddish
Additional Resources [edit]
,ספר סיפורי מעשיות -- The first printed edition by Rabbi Natan Shternhartz, Ostrog?, 1816. A digitized scan can be found at: http://aleph500.huji.ac.il/nnl/dig/books/bk001124825.html (Jewish National and (Hebrew) University Library).
,ספר סיפורי מעשיות Keren Hadfasah D’Chasidei Breslev, Jerusalem, 2002. A Newly typeset edition of the original 1816, including the Second Introduction from the second printing and “many corrections."
Rabbi Nachman’s Stories, Translated by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, Breslov Research Institute, Jerusalem, 1985. A pleasant read, containing many explanatory notes, though some liberties are taken that deviate from the originals.
See Also [edit]
- Sichot Haran #147-151 gives background of when the stories were told, and reveals some of the allusions in the tales.
- Chayey Moharan #25: "Today I said three things contrary to what the world says..."
