The Book of Jewish Sacred Practices: CLAL's Guide to Everyday & Holiday Rituals & Blessings
354
The Book of Jewish Sacred Practices: CLAL's Guide to Everyday & Holiday Rituals & Blessings
354Hardcover
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Overview
As we have discovered, and as our sages have long known, there is no experience in the life of a Jew that cannot be marked in Jewish ways…. The book you hold in your hands is the result of the kinds of rituals we have sculpted together over the years. It is not a prayer book or even a compendium of obligatory Jewish rituals. Rather, it is a source for all to use creatively.—from the Introduction
Decades of experience by CLAL—The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership in connecting spirituality with daily life come together in this one comprehensive handbook. In these pages, you have access to teachings that can help to sanctify almost any moment in your day.
Offering a meditation, a blessing, a profound Jewish teaching, and a ritual for more than one hundred diverse everyday events and holidays, this guide includes sacred practices for:
- Lighting Shabbat candles
- Blessing your parents
- Running a marathon
- Visiting the sick
- Building a sukkah
- Seeing natural wonders
- Moving into a new home
- Saying goodbye to a beloved pet
- Making a shiva call
- Traveling ... and much more
Drawing from both traditional and contemporary sources, The Book of Jewish Sacred Practices will show you how to make more holy any moment in your daily life.
Contributors:
Rabbi Judith Z. Abrams, PhD • Rabbi Tsvi Blanchard, PhD • Rabbi Daniel Silberman Brenner • Shari Cohen, PhD • David M. Elcott, PhD • Rabbi Niles E. Goldstein • Michael Gottsegen, PhD • Rabbi Irving (Yitz) Greenberg, PhD • Rabbi Steven Greenberg • Rabbi Brad Hirschfield • Janet R. Kirchheimer • David Kraemer, PhD • Rabbi Jennifer E. Krause • Rabbi Irwin Kula • Rabbi Benay Lappe • Rabbi Natan Margalit • Rabbi David Nelson, PhD • Vanessa L. Ochs, PhD • Rabbi Rachel T. Sabath • Robert Rabinowitz, PhD • Andrew Silow-Carroll • Rabbi Lawrence Troster
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781683363422 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | TURNER PUB CO |
| Publication date: | 10/01/2001 |
| Pages: | 354 |
| Product dimensions: | 6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.00(d) |
About the Author
Vanessa L. Ochs is available to speak on the following topics:
- Jewish Ritual Innovation
- Haggadah
- Jewish Feminism
- What Makes a Jewish Home Jewish
- Raising Kids with Jewish Values
Rabbi Irwin Kula is president of CLAL—The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, a leading voice for religious pluralism in the Jewish community. A sought-after speaker, he was named by the PBS program Religion & Ethics Newsweekly as one of the "10 People to Watch" helping to shape the American spiritual landscape. Fast Company magazine listed him as one of the seventeen new economy leaders, and Forward newspaper named him one of the top fifty Jewish leaders in America. He received his rabbinic ordination from The Jewish Theological Seminary of America.
CLAL—The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership was founded in1974. A think tank, leadership training institute and resource center, CLAL convenesinterdisciplinary conversations that explore the Jewish and American futures, andenhances Jewish participation in civic and spiritual life in North America. Its facultyincludes rabbis from every denomination and scholars from a broad array of disciplines,including anthropology, political science and philosophy. CLAL combinesJewish texts and intellectual traditions with cutting-edge contemporary scholarship inits work to transform Jewish communities around the country.
Rabbi Tsvi Blanchard, PhD, is Director of Organizational Developmentat CLAL. He was ordained at the St. Louis Rabbinical College and received hisPh.D. in Psychology from St. Louis Universityand his Ph.D. in Philosophyfrom Washington University.
Rabbi Daniel Silberman Brenner is a Senior Teaching Fellow at CLAL. He received his M.A. in Hebrew Letters and his ordination from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College.
Shari Cohen, PhD, is a Senior Fellow at CLAL. She received her PhD in Political Science from the Universityof California, Berkeley.
Shari Cohen, PhD, is a Senior Fellow at CLAL. She received her Ph.D. in Political Science from the Universityof California, Berkeley.
Rabbi Niles E. Goldstein, formerly a CLAL Steinhardt Senior Fellow, received his M.A. from and was ordained at Hebrew Union College.
Michael Gottsegen, PhD, is Director of Internet Programs at CLAL. He received his PhD in Political Theory from Columbia Universityand is completing his PhD in Religion at Harvard University.
Rabbi Irving (Yitz) Greenberg, PhD, is President Emeritus and co-founder of CLAL. He received ordination from Beth Joseph Rabbinical Seminary and his PhD in History from Harvard University.
Rabbi Steven Greenberg is a Senior Teaching Fellow at CLAL. He receivedhis rabbinical ordination from Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary ofYeshiva University.
Rabbi Brad Hirschfield is Director of Leadership and Communities at CLAL. He received ordination from the Institute of Traditional Judaism and his M.A. and M.Phil. in Ancient Jewish History from the Jewish Theological Seminary.
Janet R. Kirchheimer is Director of Community Development and Assistant to the President of CLAL. She received her B.S. in Business Administration from Central Connecticut State College.
David Kraemer, PhD, is a CLAL Associate. He received his M.A. and PhD in Talmud and Rabbinics from the Jewish Theological Seminary.
Rabbi Jennifer E. Krause is a CLAL Associate. She received her M.A. in Hebrew Literature from and was ordained at Hebrew Union College.
Rabbi Benay Lappe was a CLAL Spielberg Fellow and is a CLAL Associate. She received an M.A. in Rabbinic Literature and ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary.
Rabbi Natan Margalit, PhD, is the director of the Oraita Institute for Continuing Rabbinic Education of Hebrew College, and assistant professor of rabbinics at Hebrew College. His writings on rabbinic literature and on Judaism and the environment have appeared in several academic and popular journals.
Rabbi David Nelson, PhD, is a Senior CLAL Associate. He received his ordination from Hebrew Union College and his Ph.D. in Midrash from New York University.
Rabbi Rachel T. Sabath is a CLAL Associate. She was ordained at Hebrew Union College. She is completing a Ph.D. in Jewish Philosophy from the Jewish Theological Seminary.
Robert Rabinowitz, PhD, is a Senior Fellow at CLAL. He received his PhD in Philosophy from London University.
Andrew Silow-Carroll was a CLAL Spielberg Fellow. He received his B.A. in English from the State Universityof New York at Albany.
Rabbi Lawrence Troster was a CLAL Steinhardt Fellow. He received his M.A. and his rabbinic ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary.
Rabbi Judith Z. Abrams, PhD, an award-winning Jewish educator, is widely recognized for making the study of Judaism and its sacred texts accessible and relevant to our everyday lives. She is the founder and director of Maqom: A School for Adult Talmud Study (www.maqom.com) and a recipient of the Covenant Award for outstanding performance in the field of Jewish education. She teaches through the ALEPH rabbinic program and is author of Learn Talmud and Talmud for Beginners, among other books about Talmud and prayer. She is a popular speaker on the topics of Jewish learning and sacred literature.
Rabbi Irwin Kula is president of CLAL—The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, a leading voice for religious pluralism in the Jewish community. A sought-after speaker, he was named by the PBS program Religion & Ethics Newsweekly as one of the "10 People to Watch" helping to shape the American spiritual landscape. Fast Company magazine listed him as one of the seventeen new economy leaders, and Forward newspaper named him one of the top fifty Jewish leaders in America. He received his rabbinic ordination from The Jewish Theological Seminary of America.
Vanessa L. Ochs is the Ida and Nathan Kolodiz Director of Jewish Studies and associate professor of religious studies at the Universityof Virginia. A recipient of a fellowship in creative writing from the National Endowment of the Arts, she is author of several books, coauthor of The Jewish Dream Book: The Key to Opening the Inner Meaning of Your Dreams, and co-editor, with Rabbi Irwin Kula, of The Book of Jewish Sacred Practices: CLAL's Guide to Everyday & Holiday Rituals & Blessings (both Jewish Lights).
Vanessa L. Ochs is available to speak on the following topics:
- Jewish Ritual Innovation
- Haggadah
- Jewish Feminism
- What Makes a Jewish Home Jewish
- Raising Kids with Jewish Values
Read an Excerpt
Chapter One
EVERYDAY LIFE
WAKING UP
As soon as I sit up in bed and see
the light through the windows, I
am suddenly aware I'm alive and a
new day has begun. Then I say to
myself something like this:
"Thank you, God. I know You're
still out there
doing Your thing,
because here I am
again doing my
thing, thanks to
You." That's my
version of the
Modeh Ani prayer,
which appears in my siddur as: "I
render thanks unto Thee, everlasting
King, who has mercifully
restored my soul within me; Thy
faithfulness is beyond measure."
As I continue my morning ritual, I
do my own riffs on the traditional
morning prayers. As I put on
my glasses, I say: "Whoa! I can
see again!" for "Blessed art
Thou ... who openest the eyes
of the blind." As
I pull my body
out of bed: "I'm
standing on my
feet. Thank You!"
for "Blessed art
Thou ... who raisest
up those who
are bowed down." As I dress:
"Clean, fresh clothes!" for
"Blessed art Thou ... who clothest
the naked."
Meditation
[HEBREW TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]
Modeh ani l'fanekha.
Thank You, God, for waking me up and giving
me another day.
Ritual
After waking and saying your own version of Modeh
Ani, pause, even if it's only for a few seconds, to register:
it really is a miracle to be alive for this new day! It
doesn't really matter what language you use, or whether
you say it out loud or to yourself. Just stop and notice:
I'm awake, I can see, I'm getting up, I'm washing, I'm
dressing. Be aware of the feelings that come as you make
these observations. It is these feelings that generated the
traditional prayers in the first place.
Blessing
With every part of my being I praise the One who is clothed
in splendor and majesty, wrapped in light as in a garment,
unfolding the heavens like a curtain.
Teaching
How long will you lie there, lazybones? When will
you wake from your sleep? A bit more sleep, a bit
more slumber, a bit more hugging yourself in bed.
(Proverbs 6:9-10)
This assignment originated from the Baal Shem
Tov's advice that every Jew should make 100 blessings
a day. Did they have to be in Hebrew? Did
they have to be only for Jewish things? I explained
to the class that the idea of the homework was to
notice all the ways in which their lives were blessed
and that making 100 blessings would be so challenging
that they would not have any energy to
notice anything but blessing.
(Johanna J. Singer, "100 Blessings a Day," in Traditions by
Sarah Shendehnan and Avram Davis)
PRAYING FOR WHAT WE NEED
In theory, praying for what we
need should be easy. Who knows
better what we
need than we do?
However, we wonder:
is it okay to
ask for the very
private things
that are important
to us? Should
we be distinguishing between
what we want and what we need?
And we may wonder:
if we ask for
what we need and
are answered positively,
what are
we bound to do
in return?
[HEBREW TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]
Barukh atah she'asah
li kol tzorki
Blessed is the One who
provides for all my needs
Meditation
A Prayer for What I Need
We used to pray for wine, flour, oil.
We knew the deal:
We pleased You, and asked for the things,
we needed.
We expected You would come through.
I still need wine, flour, and oil,
But I do not ask for them.
(The market is just down the street.)
This does not mean You are off the hook.
As I see it, the deal stands:
My coming through,
My asking for what I cannot get alone.
These are the staples:
Love, health, work, protection.
And this is what I need now: __________________.
I need to have the courage to call out to You
when I am in need.
I need You to be ready to hear me.
[HEBREW TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]
Min ha'meitzar karati Yah, anani
va'merchav Yah.
I have called You from tight places,
You answered me with expansiveness.
Ritual
As you begin each day, either during the traditional
Amidah prayer or, perhaps, as you wait for your coffee,
set aside a fixed time to focus upon what you need that
you cannot achieve or acquire on your own. Then ask,
"Please, God, this is what I need now: ______________."
Blessing
(After you have prayed for what you need)
[HEBREW TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]
Va'ani t'filati l'kha Adonai ayt ratzon, elohim b'rov
chasdekha, aneini.
Hear my prayer now, and in Your compassionate ways,
please answer me.
[HEBREW TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]
Barukh atah she'asah li kol tzorki.
Blessed is the One who provides for all my needs.
[HEBREW TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]
Barukh atah shomei'a t'filah.
Blessed is the One who hears my prayer.
Teaching
[HEBREW TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]
Karov Adonai l'khol kor'av.
God is close to all who call out.
(Ashrei)
According to R. Eliezer: If people pray only according
to the exact text of the prayer and add nothing
from their own minds, the prayer is not complete.
(Babylonian Talmud: Mishnah Brakhot 4:4)
WASHING OUR HANDS
Hand washing separates us from
what came before and prepares us
for what's to come;
it symbolizes our
becoming conscious
of what we
do and who we
are. The most familiar
time for the
ritual washing of
hands is before meals, but there
are other traditional times for special
hand washing
rituals. These
include waking up
in the morning
and returning
home from a cemetery.
[HEBREW TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]
Al netilat yadayim
Upon washing our hands
Meditation
Source of Blessing, may the washing of my hands
cleanse me and direct my hands to doing deeds of
righteousness.
Ritual
First, you may wish to remove any rings you are wearing.
Then take a cup (preferably one with two handles)
and fill it with water. With your left hand, hold the
cup and pour three times over your right hand. Switch
hands, repeat, lift up your hands, and then say the
blessing.
Blessing
[HEBREW TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]
Barukh atah Adonai eloheinu melekh ha'olam, asher
kidshanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu al netilat yadayim.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, whose mitzvot make our lives holy
and who gives us the mitzvah of washing our hands.
Teaching
Tradition specifies that for ritual washing, the water
be poured over the hands by human agency, not by
machine or faucet. The point is that awakening consciousness
cannot be accomplished by mechanical
means. Usually you pour water on your own hands
(on the right hand first), but pouring can also be
done by someone else as a mark of love or friendship.
It is also customary to be silent from the
moment of washing until the challah is broken and
eaten. The mind is concentrated, and consciousness
focuses on the bread and the meal to follow.
(Irving [Yitz] Greenberg, The Jewish Way)
EATING
The Rabbis of the Talmud once
said different blessings for
each kind of food. For delicacies,
our rabbis said:
"Blessed are You
who created all
kinds of delicacies
for delight."
For meats and
eggs, they said:
"Blessed are You
who created life
to give life." For
bread: "Blessed
are You who
brings out bread
from the earth." While some rabbis
taught that only the proper "formula"
could be recited over
specific foods, others took a more
pragmatic view,
saying, "If you
were to see a loaf
of bread and say,
'What a fine loaf
this is! Blessed is
the Holy One
who created it!'
you would have
fulfilled your obligation
to bless"
(Babylonian
Talmud: Brakhot 6).
[HEBREW TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]
Barukh ... she'ha'kol
n'hi'yeh b'dvaro
Blessed are You ... whose
word calls all things
into being
Meditation
When I sit down at the table, the Divine Presence
stands behind me. When I say a blessing, the Divine
Presence pushes forward to receive my words.
(Adapted from Zohar IV:186b)
Ritual
Before you are about to eat, pause just long enough to
compose a blessing that recognizes the specific food that
you are about to enjoy. As an example, our rabbis offer
the blessing of a simple shepherd named Benjamin who
made a sandwich and said, "Brikh rachamana marai d'hai
pita." "Blessed be the Master of this bread."
(Babylonian Talmud: Brakhot 40b)
Blessing
[HEBREW TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]
Barukh ... she'ha'kol n'hi'yeh b'dvaro.
Blessed are You ... whose word calls all things into being. (Offer the)
traditional blessing for specific foods, or add your own blessing to
heighten your awareness of the source of your food.
Teaching
Rabbi Yosi the Elder would not have his meal
cooked until he prayed to God for sustenance.
Then he waited a moment. Then he would say,
"Now that the Sovereign has sent sustenance,
let us prepare it."
(Zohar 11:62b)
When you have eaten and you are satisfied,
bless God for the good earth that has been
entrusted to you.
(Deuteronomy 8:10)
Let us take time to bless that which gives us life—sweet
as the fruit from Eden's tree, filling as Sarah's
cakes, savory as Jacob's stew, plentiful as the
manna in the wilderness, liberating as the crunchy
matzah, fresh as the first harvest brought to the
Temple, heavenly as the taste of the World to Come
in the Shabbat challah.
(CLAL Faculty)
MAKING A LIST OF THINGS
TO DO
Each morning my father consults
his list of things to do, which is
numbered clearly and prioritized
on a long yellow
pad. "Buy milk
and shredded
wheat" may be
number one, or
"Exercise bike at
the JCC." Some
days, other important
items appear, such as
doctors' appointments, anniversaries,
birthdays, shiva calls, and
preparations for
holidays and vacations.
One thing
is for sure: If it
isn't on the list, it
probably will not
get done.
[HEBREW TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]
Talmud Torah k'neged
kulam
Study Torah, embracing
all of life
Meditation
To do:
Teach children Pray with intensity
Honor parents Make peace
Be where I am needed And, most of all,
Make study a priority Talmud Torah k'neged
Welcome guests kulam.
Visit the sick Study Torah:
Help those who are The embrace of all life,
starting out Leading to all that we
Honor the dead value.
Ritual
Imagine beginning your day by writing out a sacred "to
do" list, reminding you that opportunities to perform
life's holiest tasks are not beyond you, not "in the heavens,"
but are right here in your daily encounters with
family, friends, and strangers. What if you made your
own "to do" list and noted the deeper dimensions and
ethical implications presented by your own tasks—buying
groceries, calling a lonely friend, repairing the
car, paying bills, going for a checkup? Start out with
the traditional sacred "to do" list. Then add the
specific tasks you must perform this day, each a
sacred opportunity.
Blessing
(When you have completed writing your list)
[HEBREW NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]
Eitz chaim hi la'machazikim bah.
Torah is a tree of life, embracing us as we embrace it.
Blessed are You who sanctifies us with mitzvot and commands us
to make Torah concrete in our lives.
Teaching
Rabbi Yose said: "Apply yourself to study Torah, for
it is not yours by inheritance, and let all your deeds
be in the name of heaven."
(Pirkei Avot 2:17)
[HEBREW NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]
Dor l'dor y'shabach ma'asekha,
u'gvurotekha yagidu.
Every generation will praise Your works to the next
and will speak of Your powerful deeds.
(Ashrei)
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments viiiAbout the Contributors ixPreface xiIntroduction: Renew the Old, Sanctify the New 1EVERYDAY LIFEWaking Up 8Praying for What We Need 10Washing Our Hands 14Eating 16Making a List of Things to Do 18Preparing a Family Recipe 22Going to Work 24Organizing Your Room, Your House, YourOffice, Your Affairs, Your Life 28Traveling 30Keeping a Sense of Home When You Are on the Road 32Spending Time with Family 34Having Guests of Different Faiths at Our Table 38Bringing Home a New Pet 40Gardening 42
PARENTS AND CHILDRENHoping to Have a Child 46Celebrating Pregnancy 50Welcoming a New Child 54Nursing 58Guiding Our Growing Children toward Independence 60Preparing for Your Bar or Bat Mitzvah 62Sending a Child to College 66Blessing One's Parents 68
RELATIONSHIPSFalling in Love 72Celebrating the Difference You've Made in Each Other's Lives 74Ending a Relationship 78Healing Relationships 82Receiving Guests 86Blessing One’s Hosts 90
SPECIAL MOMENTSCelebrating a Private Miracle 94Celebrating Birthdays 96Hearing Good News 98Being a Guest at a Wedding 100Seeing Natural Wonders 102Standing at a Crossroads 106Running a Marathon 110Noticing a Change in the Seasons 114Moving into a New House 118Joining a Synagogue 122Taking on a Jewish Name 126Wearing a Tallit for the First Time 130Retiring 132
HEALINGPraying for Healing 136Visiting the Sick 138Finding Hope in a Time of Illness 142Treating a Patient 144Starting to Work Out 148Quitting Smoking 152Creating Opportunities, Opening Doors 154
LIFE AND DEATHHearing of a Death 158Making a Shiva Call 160Remembering the Loss of Someone You Love 164Moving Out of Mourning and Back into Life 168Writing an Ethical Will 170Saying Good-Bye to a Beloved Pet 172
LEARNINGStarting School 176Beginning to Study Torah for the First Time 178Studying Sacred Texts Each Day 182Finishing an Important Book 186Honoring a Teacher at the End of the Year 188
LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNAL LIFEBuilding a Pluralist Jewish Community 192Examining Ourselves as Leaders 196Taking on New Responsibilities 200Taking on a Volunteer Role 204Holding a Meeting 208Installing a New Communal Leader 210Celebrating a New Community Building 214Naming a Community 218
ISRAELGoing to Israel 222Visiting Jerusalem 226Sending Your Child to Israel 230Returning from Israel 232
TZEDAKAHPreparing Ourselves to Do Sacred Work 236Donating Food and Clothing 240Soliciting Support 242Receiving Requests for Contributions 246Making a Contribution 248Dedicating a Wall or Plaque that Honors Donors 250Wearing Your Commitments 254
HOLY DAYSShabbat 257Lighting Shabbat Candles 258Blessing Children on Shabbat 260Rosh Hashanah 263Changing Your Fate for the Coming Year 264Preparing Your Prayers for the High Holidays 268Casting Away Our Sins (Tashlikh) 272Hearing the Shofar 276Yom Kippur 279Fasting 280Sukkot 283Building a Sukkah 284Receiving Sukkah Guests 286Waving the Lulav and Etrog 290Taking Down a Sukkah 294Simchat Torah 297Dancing with the Torah 298Chanukah 301Lighting the Menorah 302Rededicating Your Home on Chanukah 306Purim 309Preparing Mishloach Manot 310Passover 313Removing Chametz from One’s Home 314Searching for the Afikoman (for Grown-Ups) 318Counting the Omer 322Yom Ha’atzma’ut 325Celebrating Yom Ha’atzma’ut, Israel’s Independence Day 326Shavuot 329Studying Together on Shavuot 330Rosh Chodesh 333Celebrating Rosh Chodesh 334
About the Translations 337About CLAL—The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership 338