Overview

What would happen if a Hasidic rabbi from Eastern Europe suddenly found himself in the 'Old West' of the American 1850s? This is the question Bahir Davis answers in the delightful and often profound stories of The Light Giver, in which Reb Ya'ir, a Hasidic Jew from the Polish town of P'shyskha embarks on an adventure through the 'New World, ' trying to reach San Francisco, where he has been offered a position as rabbi. Along the way, he finds that the true purpose of his coming to America has little to do with his destination. Rather, it lies in the journey of discovery, in the meeting of different cultures, in the wisdom he gains from fugitive slaves, Native American medicine men, and settlers on the frontier. And we, the readers, benefit from the light that he shares from his own spiritual tradition. In each story, a different Jewish holiday is experienced and explored in a unique and inviting manner. An accomplished storyteller, Bahir Davis, a circuit-riding rabbi and founder of Rocky Mountain Hai in Lafayette, Colorado, skillfully combines his love of 'Old West' lore with his true vocation as a spiritual teacher in this wonderful book of Jewish wisdom for the American frontier. Praise for The Light Giver: What fun it is to follow Reb Bahir's rabbi-hero on his journey through the Wild West and the Jewish calendar. A wonderful read, it sneaks in solid teaching wrapped in a rollicking tale. - Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, founder of the Jewish Renewal Movement Jewish mystical stories were born at the strange, hazy crossroads between uncommon wisdom and common sense. The Light Giver hearkens back to the time when rabbis didn't lecture from podiums and write blog posts from iPads, but went on adventures into the wild, befriending runaway slaves and dodging Injun arrows, throwing themselves into the wide world because G-d created it all. Written in the fine tradition of Reb Shmuel Munkes and The Frisco Kid, the stories in this book are funny, sad, innocent and world-weary, and truly, truly wise. --- Matthue Roth, author of Yom Kippur A Go-Go: A Memoir At once funny, touching, and profound, The Light Giver takes us on a journey through the Jewish calendar, the Jewish spirit and into the Jewish soul. Rabbi Davis is by no means conventional, and this book is unlike any other. Within it there are sparks of Divinity waiting for us to unearth. This book is a delight to read and learn from. --- Mayim Bialik, actress and author of Beyond the Sling

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9780615611198

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BAHIR DAVIS is currently the rabbi and spiritual leader of Rocky Mountain Hai in Lafayette, Colorado.

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