Seventeen years have passed since the tragic death of Professor Joseph Weiss, when the appearance of the volume of his collected studies in English proves once again how central and dominant his work is in the study of Hasidism. The lapse of time has not diminished the impact of his new ideas and approaches, and it seems that in many cases recent scholarship still operates within the parameters set down a generation or more ago by him. I have no doubt that this new volume will re-emphasize the importance of reading and re-reading Joseph Weiss's works if a scholarly, historically accurate and philologically sound approach to Hasidism is to be sought.

Two subjects were central to Weiss's study of Hasidism. One was the understanding of the unique figure of Rabbi Nahman of Braslav, the grandson of Rabbi Eliezer Besht, the founder of Hasidism; the second was the emergence of Hasidism in its early stages, from the groups which preceded and surrounded the Besht until the organization and teachings of the young movement were streamlined by the work of the Great Maggid, Rabbi Dov Baer of Mezhirech, in the third quarter of the eighteenth century. As to the first subject, Weiss's studies were collected and edited by M. Piekarz and published in Hebrew (The Bialik Institute, Jerusalem, 1971), whereas his studies of early Hasidism were until now scattered in various journals (especially the Journal of Jewish Studies, which he edited for many years), and many have remained unpublished. David Goldstein presents us with a collection of these papers, some published for the first time. Of special importance are the additions to several of Weiss's studies which Goldstein found in his papers, and printed together with the previously published studies. Reading this book together with the Piekarz volume, the scholar can finally have a clear picture of the results of Professor Weiss's diligent and intuitive concept of the history and development of the Hasidic movement.

One of the most brilliant contributions of Professor Weiss to the study of Hasidic origins is his thesis concerning the social stratum from which this movement emerged, and the impact of its spiritual problems on the later development of Hasidism.