For the first time, a collection of short stories about the deeds of the founder of Hasidism, Baal Shem Tov, written by the founder of modern Hebrew literature, the greatest Jewish prose writer Shmuel Yosef Agnon (1888–1970), is being published in Russian. The author was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature “for his deep insight into the life of the Jewish people, which became the leitmotif of his work, and his skill as a storyteller,” as well as twice – the Israel Prize and the Bialik Prize. Born in Galicia, Agnon immigrated to Israel. His works have been translated into many languages and are widely known throughout the world. Agnon’s work is distinguished by subtle nuances in conveying the constantly changing life circumstances of the characters, their passions, poetic digressions and caustic satire. Agnon compiled the collection “Stories about the Baal Shem Tov” back in 1921, but the volume prepared for publication burned down along with the writer’s house. Subsequently, he partially restored his notes, but they were published many years after his death.