Who is the chassid? He has fascinated the 20th century Jew and much of
the n0n-Jewish world. In recent years, he has been exhaustively
researched, fictionalized, dramatized, painted and photographed in the attempt
to define or capture his fervor and philosophy, his outlook and ethos, the joy
and the devotion which characterize his life.
But why not ask the chassid himself? he will tell you: the chassid is a
Jew. A Jew is defined by the Torah. A Jew who not only refers to
Torah for guidance and inspiration, but one who lives it fully and
unequivocally, from his most lofty spiritual moments to the mundanity of the
market-place. A Jew who in living Torah, in applying it to every facet of
his being, has given us the Chassid.
There is no better way to convey the unique and often subtle
"chassidic dimension" to the wisdom of Torah than to tell a story.
Hence, ONCE UPON A CHASSID - a collection of stories, anecdotes, conversations
and sayings culled from the immense sea of writings, transcribed talks, letters
and diaries of seven generations of Chabad - Lubavitch Rebbes and their leading
chassidim. A sampling of chassidic lore selected for its concise and rich
encapsulation of the fundamentals of how the chassid thinks, feels and
lives. Listen to the chassid. Let him tell you who and what he is.