Medizin zwischen Mythos und Magie

Abstract The tzaddik, a central figure in Hasidism, is revered as a »mysterious Rabbi« and acts as an adviser and particularly also as a healer. While both worldly medicine and its state agencies are rejected, he works with methods rooted in Practical Kabbalah. They focus on the use of magical words such as the names of God or of angels to which the Baal Shem, the Master of the Name, has access. Under the influence of their power he not only inscribes amulets and speaks prayers, but also tells, or becomes the protagonist of, stories with which he also mobilizes the divine forces. This contribution concentrates on the therapeutic function of story-telling, using examples both from the traditional Hasidic literature, the Shivhei ha-Besht for instance, and modern Jewish stories that draw on Hasidic literature, such as the work of Georg Langer and Joseph Roth.