During the last four years of his life, having faced a number of personal tragedies and ill with tuberculosis that would take his life, the Hasidic master Reb Nachman of Bratslav felt an urgent desire to impart to his followers his deepest hopes, dreams, and teachings. This outpouring of his soul took the form of stories, folktales, and fairytales that were often complex, convoluted, and enigmatic. These original tales appear to have no obvious Jewish content, yet to the initiated, reveal hidden truths of a deeply spiritual and mystical nature. Reb Nachman understood the power of storytelling to convey meaning and ignite the soul. “The tzaddik attempts to rouse the world from sleep by telling stories,” he wrote.
In this four-part course, we will explore some of Reb Nachman’s remarkable and mysterious stories, uncover their teachings, and discover the spiritual meanings that might awaken our own souls."
$100 | Taught by Rabbi Lavey Derby Tuesday nights: May 3, 10, 17, and 24 - 7 - 8:30 pm CT - on zoom
Meet Rabbi Lavey!
Lavey began to explore the world of Kabbalah and Eastern European Hasidism at the Hebrew University early in his studies, and this became the foundation of his own spiritual life. He is blessed to have had remarkable mentors and teachers on this journey, including Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi z”l, Rabbi David Cooper z”l, Rabbi Art Green, Sylvia Boorstein, Prof. Yosef Dan and Prof.
Melila Hellner-Eshed. He has been teaching Zohar and other mystical texts, the Hasidism of the Ba’al Shem Tov and his followers, as well as Jewish meditation and contemporary Jewish spiritual thought and practice for 40 years, with the hope of supporting others in their own Jewish spiritual quests and practices.
As the Director of Jewish Life at the Peninsula Jewish Community Center, Lavey founded and co-created Shalem, a Jewish Wellness initiative offering holistic wellness practices and programs inspired by and infused with Jewish spiritual wisdom.
Lavey was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary and is affiliated with the Jewish Renewal community. He is an eighth-generation direct descendent of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, for whom he is named, and comes from a family line of rabbis that traces back to the 16th century.