Ethical tales from the kabbalah

"Fifty-four charming and evocative tales, especially translated from Hebrew for this volume, recapture a rich yet virtually forgotten chapter in the history of Jewish narrative. They form the important transitional link between the esoteric mystical teachings of the sixteenth-century kabbalists and the populist tales of the eighteenth-century Eastern European Hasidim.". "Aryeh Wineman's introductory essay presents the historical setting and the ethos of the community that produced this body of Jewish imaginative writing. The author's running commentary further enhances the reader's appreciation of this captivating material."--BOOK JACKET.