Praying the Bible: Finding Personal Meaning in the Siddur, Ending Boredom & Making Each Prayer Experience Unique

by Rabbi Mark H. Levin

Overview

The Jewish prayer book, the siddur, nourishes a vibrant interface connecting the praying person, Jewish history and redemptive contemporary living. Long description: What is the mystery of the Jewish people? How has Jewish spirituality triumphed over times of persecution as well as the enticements of assimilation? Out of the depths of Jewish despair, the rabbis of the first century and after developed a restorative prayer tradition that has invigorated the Jewish people for two thousand years, in both flourishing environments like the Golden Age of Spain and times of persecution like the Nazi Holocaust. Relying on biblical quotations hidden in each prayer, they developed a poetic interaction squarely placing each praying person in God’s redemptive history. The problem is that most contemporary Jews are unaware of the power residing in their spiritual treasure chest. Praying the Bible is the key to opening the treasure chest. It explores and explains the prayers we read—over and over again—and gives those prayers new meaning. It illuminates the Jewish prayer book as churning with the existential realities of human life and the struggles of the Jewish people. It places the praying person in the living covenant with God, showing how the prayer book can address individual life circumstances with reference to both parallel historical events and daily realities. It provides insights that resonate equally with lay people eager to add depth and meaning to their prayer lives and rabbis looking for engaging sermon material.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781683366614
Publisher:	Turner Publishing Company
Publication date:	09/09/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	680 KB

About the Author

Rabbi Mark H. Levin is the founding rabbi of Congregation Beth Torah in Overland Park, Kansas, where he served as rabbi for over a quarter century. He writes religion columns for the Kansas City Star, studies medieval haggadahs, does pastoral care and teaches in the Kansas City area.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments v

Prologue ix

Introduction xi

1 Adonai Sefatai: What Does God Want from Me Anyway? 1

2 Adon Olam: No Lexapro or Xanax Needed 7

3 Avot: Ancestors-My Grandparents Were Great People 23

4 Gevurot: God's Power-Shcharansky Got It Right 36

5 Kedushah: Holiness-God Is Wholly Holy 48

6 The Thirteen Weekday Blessings: Jerusalem, Here I Come 59

Da'at: Knowledge First 61

Teshuvah: Repentance-Not for Yom Kippur Only 65

Selichah: After Repentance, Forgiveness 70

G'ulah: Redemption-The Ongoing Redeemer 72

Refu'ah: First God Heals 76

Shanim: Years-The Earth, Too, Is God's Creation 81

Kibbutz Galuyot: Gathering the Exiles-Sound the Shofar, Blow the Horn 85

Mishpat: Let Justice Run Down as Waters 90

Minim: Slanderers and Heretics-Hope Is the Key 94

Tzadikim: For the Righteous, the Pious, the Converts, and the Rest of Us-Trusting in God 98

Yerushalayim: Return to Jerusalem-Homecoming to Where I've Never Been 102

David: King David Blossoms on Jerusalem's Throne 107

Tefilah; Prayer-God, Are You Listening? 112

7 The Intermediate Blessings for Shabbat and Festivals: Kedushat Ha Yom-The Holiness of the Day 117

Introduction to the Intermediate Blessing for Erev Shabbat: Humanity at the Center of God's Intention 118

What Is Holiness? 121

Standard Intermediate Blessing for Shabbat: Drawing Closer to God 122

Introduction to the Intermediate Blessing for Shabbat Morning: Early Will I Seek You 127

An Additional Thought: And You Shall Rejoice-Yismechu 131

The Festival Intermediate Blessing: How Fortunate to Be Jews 135

Separating Holy from Holy. Distinguishing Sacred Time 140

8 Avodah: Accept Our Prayers and Sacrifices-Love, Love Me Do 143

9 Hoda'ah: Thanksgiving-We Thank You, the Source of Blessing 154

10 Birkat Kohanim/Shalom: The Priestly Blessing / Peace-The Beginning of the End 168

11 Personal Prayer: Reduce My Ego-Smaller Is Actually Larger 178

12 What the Words of Prayer Mean to Me 185

Notes 191

Suggestions for Further Reading 194