I am so grateful for the opportunity to read to you again from The Tremble of Love, to meet at the inner well of love,  be nourished and share our love with others.

Set in what is now western Ukraine, The Tremble of Love, A Novel of the Baal Shem Tov illuminates timeless themes.  Central to this story of one of history’s most revered and revolutionary spiritual leaders is the power of Love in the face of destructive forces.

It is my deep wish that our connection through The Tremble of Love add to the love and longing for peace surrounding that region and our world.

I shall be gifting readers, i.e., listeners, a short recording (video and audio) every other week.  These will be short standalone passages from various parts of the book.  In this second recording, I read the the beginning of Chapter One of The Tremble of Love, when we first meet young Srolik.

The words below are spoken by the Baal Shem Tov later in the story, but  feel so relevant now that I am including them here.

“I faced the human capacity for cruelty and destruction.  At the same time, I experienced the inherent desire of life to endure and flourish.  Perhaps that is what a soul is: a spark of pure impulse to live and thrive.  Nonetheless, we have to choose, again and again.  A man can close his eyes and only perceive darkness, a woman can close her heart and only know hatred and terror.  Or we can choose to focus on the light and increase it.  This choice is at the heart of being human.”

Now, the opening to Chapter One. Below the video is an audio option if you prefer to just listen.

Audio only:

From one of the novel’s early readers, DR. PAULA GREEN, founder and senior advisor, Karuna Center for Peacebuilding:

“The message of the Baal Shem Tov―ecstatic seeker, compassionate healer, mediator, mystical teacher, and peacemaker―is as needed today as it was in his lifetime: our capacity to love and care for the other is the path to lasting peace and harmony.”

 Paula Green, who died last month, was an inspired, courageous, tireless advocate for peace whose work around the globe impacted countless souls.  I would not be surprised if Paula from her side of the veil were sending this world loving energy on behalf of peace. 

If you have not yet read The Tremble of Love,  learn more here. You can find information where to get hardcover, paperback, eBook or audiobook editions here.

Please, if you are inspired by these recordings and by The Tremble of Love, A Novel of the Baal Shem Tov,  share the word with friends and others who may be interested.  And if you haven’t yet, do JOIN MY INNER CIRCLE to make sure to receive coming recordings.

And for those who have already read The Tremble of Love, A Novel of the Baal Shem Tov, or are rereading the novel now, please consider leaving a review on Amazon (even if you got the book elsewhere) and/or Goodreads.  Reviews help the book reach more souls!

May we know and be the power of Love.

Ani