‘The prayer book is our Jewish diary of the centuries, a collection of prayers composed by generations of those who came before us, as they endeavored to express the meaning of their lives and their relationship to God. The prayer book is the essence of the Jewish soul.’ This stunning work, an empowering entryway to the spiritual revival of our times, enables all of us to claim our connection to the heritage of the traditional Jewish prayer book. It helps rejuvenate Jewish worship in today’s world, and makes its power accessible to all. Framed with beautifully designed Talmud-style pages, commentaries from 11 of today’s most respected Jewish scholars from all movements of Judaism examine Seder K’riat Hatorah from the perspectives of ancient Rabbis and modern theologians, as well as feminist, halakhic, Talmudic, linguistic, biblical, Chasidic, mystical, and historical perspectives. This fourth volume of the series unfolds the many layers of meaning in Seder K’riat Hatorah, the ritual and prayers surrounding the communal reading of Torah. More than any other section of the prayer book, the Torah service reflects all of Jewish history. Vol. 4 helps us to understand how the reading of Torah is an affirmation, powerful and dramatic, of the continuing covenant between the community of Israel and God. Vol. 4—Seder K’riat Hatorah (The Torah Service) features the authentic Hebrew text with a new translation designed to let people know exactly what the prayers say. Introductions tell the reader what to look for in the prayer service, as well as how to truly use the commentaries, to search for—and find—meaning in the prayer book. Even those not yet familiar with the prayer book can appreciate the spiritual richness of Seder K’riat Hatorah. My People’s Prayer Book enables all worshipers, of any denomination, to encounter their own connection to 3, 000 years of Jewish experience with the world and with God.
Table of Content
ABOUT MY PEOPLE’S PRAYER BOOK INTRODUCTION TO THE LITURGY: THE READING OF TORAH— RETELLING THE JEWISH STORY IN THE SHADOW OF SINAI Lawrence A. Hoffman CELEBRATING THE PRESENCE OF THE TORAH: THE HISTORY AND MEANING OF READING TORAH Ruth Langer THE THEORY AND HALAKHAH OF READING TORAH Daniel Landes INTRODUCTION TO THE COMMENTARIES: HOW TO LOOK FOR MEANING IN THE PRAYERS. Lawrence A. Hoffman THE LITURGY 1. INTRODUCTION: REMOVING THE TORAH FROM THE ARK. A. SETTING THE STAGE: ON ONE HAND, GOD’S GREATNESS I. ‘THERE IS NO GOD LIKE YOU’ (EIN KAMOKHA) II. ‘FATHER OF MERCY’ (AV HARACHAMIM) III. “WITH THE MOVING OF THE ARK” (VAY’HI BINSO’A HA’ARON) B. SETTING THE STAGE: ON THE OTHER HAND, GOD’S MERCY I. THE THIRTEEN ATTRIBUTES (ADONAI, ADONAI) II. “MAY THE WORDS OF MY MOUTH” (YIHYU L’RATSON) III. “I OFFER MY PRAYER” (VA’ANI T’FILLATI) C. SETTING THE STAGE: KABBALISTIC INSERTION ON GOD’S GREATNESS AND GOD’S MERCY I. “BLESSED IS THE NAME” (B’RIKH SH’MEIH) D.AFFIRMING GOD WHILE TAKING THE TORAH I. “HEAR O ISRAEL” (SH’MA YISRA’EL) II. “OUR GOD IS ONE” (ECHAD ELOHEINU) III. “PROCLAIM ADONAI’S GREATNESS” (GADLU) E. THE HAKAFAH: TAKING THE TORAH TO THE READER’S STAND: “GREATNESS, POWER, GLORY…ARE YOURS” (L’KHA ADONAI) 2. READING TORAH: THE ALIYOT A. SUMMONING THE ALIYOT: “MAY HE HELP, SHIELD, AND SAVE” (VA’AZOR V’YAGEN) B. BLESSINGS OVER TORAH C. SPECIAL CASES (DELIVERANCE FROM DANGER, BAR/BAT MITZVAH) D.“MAY THE ONE WHO BLESSED” (MI SHEBERAKH) E. CONCLUDING AFFIRMATION OF TORAH: “THIS IS THE TORAH” (V’ZOT HATORAH) 3. HAFTARAH BLESSINGS A. BLESSING BEFORE B. BLESSINGS AFTER 4. PRAYERS FOR THE COMMUNITY A. FOR THOSE OF ANTIQUITY: “MAY SALVATION ARISE” (Y’KUM PURKAN) B. FOR THE COMMUNITY TODAY I. “MAY SALVATION ARISE” (Y’KUM PURKAN) II. “MAY THE ONE WHO BLESSED” (MI SHEBERAKH) C. FOR THE GOVERNMENT: “THE ONE WHO GRANTS SALVATION” (HONOTEN T’SHUAH) D. FOR A MONTH OF BLESSING: BLESSING OF THE NEW MOON (BIRKAT HACHODESH) E. FOR OUR MARTYRS: “IN HIS GREAT MERCY, MAY THE FATHER OF MERCY” (AV HARACHAMIM) 5. CONCLUDING PRAYERS: RETURNING THE TORAH TO THE ARK A. REJOICING IN TORAH: “HAPPY IS THE ONE” (ASHRE) B. ISRAEL’S PRAISE OF GOD I. “LET THEM PRAISE” (Y’HAL’LU) II. “HIS MAJESTY IS ABOVE” (HODO AL ERETS) C.THE UNIVERSE’S PRAISE OF GOD (PSALM 29): “DAVID’S PSALM” (MIZMOR L’DAVID) D. “AND WITH ITS RESTING” (U’V’NUCHOH YOMAR) About the Contributors List of Abbreviations Glossary About Jewish Lights
About the author
Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, Ph D, has served for more than three decades as professor of liturgy at Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion in New York. He is a world-renowned liturgist and holder of the Stephen and Barbara Friedman Chair in Liturgy, Worship and Ritual. His work combines research in Jewish ritual, worship and spirituality with a passion for the spiritual renewal of contemporary Judaism.He has written and edited many books, including All the World: Universalism, Particularism and the High Holy Days; May God Remember: Memory and Memorializing in Judaism—Yizkor, We Have Sinned: Sin and Confession in Judaism—Ashamnu and Al Chet, Who by Fire, Who by Water—Un’taneh Tokef and All These Vows—Kol Nidre, the first five volumes in the Prayers of Awe series; the My People’s Prayer Book: Traditional Prayers, Modern Commentaries series, winner of the National Jewish Book Award; and he is coeditor of My People’s Passover Haggadah: Traditional Texts, Modern Commentaries (all Jewish Lights), a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award.Rabbi Hoffman is a developer of Synagogue 3000, a transdenominational project designed to envision and implement the ideal synagogue of the spirit for the twenty-first century.Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, Ph D, is available to speak on the following topics:A Day of Wine and Moses: The Passover Haggadah and the Seder You Have Always Wanted Preparing for the High Holy Days: How to Appreciate the Liturgy of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur The Essence of Jewish Prayer: The Prayer Book in Context and Worship in Our Time Beyond Ethnicity: The Coming Project for North American Jewish Identity Synagogue Change: Transforming Synagogues as Spiritual and Moral Centers for the Twenty-First Century Click here to contact the author.More ebooks from the same author(s) / Editor
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