From one of the world's most famous and respected rabbis-""apractical explanation of Jewish worship from a spiritual slant"" (Detroit Free Press).
For both the novice and for those who have been engaged in prayer for years, here is the one guide needed to practice Jewish prayer and understand the prayer book.
From the origins and meaning of worship to a step-by-step explanation of the daily prayers to the reason you're not supposed to chat with your friends during services, Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz answers many of the questions likely to arise about Jewish prayer. Here are chapters on daily prayer; Sabbath prayer; prayer services for the holidays; the yearly cycle of synagogueBible readings; the history and makeup of the synagogue; the different prayer rites for Ashkenazim, Sephardim, Yemenites, and other cultural/geographic groupings; the role of the rabbi and the cantor in the synagogue; and the role of music in the service.
By:
Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz
Imprint: Random House USA Inc
Country of Publication: United States
Edition: American ed.
Dimensions:
Height: 202mm,
Width: 132mm,
Spine: 30mm
Weight: 505g
ISBN: 9780805211474
ISBN 10: 0805211470
Pages: 464
Publication Date: 05 March 2002
Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Introduction / xvii PART ONE • Prayer CHAPER 1. The Prayer Book / 3 CHAPTER 2. The Essence of Prayer / 8 CHAPTER 3. Individual and Communal Prayer / 14 The Nature of Communal Prayer / 15 The Communality of Prayer / 18 Individuality of Prayer / 19 The Meaning of Communal Prayer / 22 Individual Prayer Within Communal Prayer / 24 CHAPTER 4. Men and Women / 26 The Commandment to Pray Applies to All / 26 Differences in the Concept of Prayer / 26 Historical Causes / 28 Women’s Prayer Texts / 30 The Women’s Gallery (Ezrat Nashim) / 31 CHAPTER 5. Kavvanah / 34 The Importance of Kavvanah / 34 Levels of Kavvanah / 35 Kavvanah and the Regularity of Prayer / 38 Achieving Kavvanah / 40 PART TWO • History CHAPTER 6. The History of the Siddur / 47 The Creation of Standard Prayer Texts / 48 Prayer in Mishnaic and Talmudic Times / 51 Liturgical Poets and Devotional Poetry (Piyyut) / 53 Suddurim and Mahzorim / 57 The Influence of the Kabbalah / 58 Recent Generations / 61 CHAPTER 7. Prayer Rites / 62 Antiquity of the Prayer Rites / 63 Justification for the Different Prayer Rites / 64 Prayer Rites Today / 66 Nusaḥ Ashkenaz—The Ashkenazic Rite / 66 Nusaḥ Sepharad—The Sephardic (Hasidic) Rite / 69 The Oriental (Sephardic) Rite / 71 The Yemenite Rite / 73 The Italian Rite / 75 Extinct Prayer Rites / 77 PART THREE • The Order of Prayer Services CHAPTER 8. Weekday Prayer Services / 83 Prayer and the Life Cycle / 83 The Daily Prayers / 84 Tikkun Ḥazot / 84 The Sharḥarit Service / 86 The Minḥah Prayer / 96 The Ma’ariv (Arvit) Prayer Service / 98 Shema Upon Retiring to Bed / 101 CHAPTER 9. Shabbat / 104 The Order of the Shabbat Day / 105 Shabbat Prayer Services / 107 The Friday Minḥah Prayer / 107 Kabbalat Shabbat—The Reception of Shabbat / 107 The Shabbat Ma’ariv Service / 110 The Shaḥarit Service / 112 Torah Reading / 114 The Musaf Service / 115 The Minḥah Service / 116 The Ma’ariv Service on Motza’ei Shabbat (“The Conclusion of Shabbat”) / 118 The Departure of Shabbat / 119 The Havdalah Ceremony / 120 After the Havdalah / 123 Shabbat Meals / 124 The Kiddush of Shabbat Eve, and the First Shabbat Meal / 126 Preparations for the Kiddush / 127 Some of the Laws and Customs of the Kiddush / 128 The Second and Third Shabbat Meals / 130 Study on Shabbat Afternoon / 131 Melaveh Malkah / 132 Special Sabbaths / 133 Shabbat Mervarkhim / 133 Shabbat Rosh Ḥodesh / 134 Shabbat That Falls on Festival Days / 136 Shabbat Ḥol ha-Mo’ed / 137 Shabbat of Ḥanukkah / 139 Shabbat Rosh Ḥodesh on Ḥanukkah / 140 The Arba Parshiyyot (“Four Portions”) / 140 Shabbat on Days When Taḥanun Is Not Recited / 142 Shabbat ha-Gadol / 142 Shabbat Teshuvah (Shuvah) / 143 The Sabbaths of Evil Dispensation / 144 The Sabbaths of Comfort / 144 Other Sabbaths / 145 CHAPTER 10. Festivals / 146 Festival Days / 146 The Three Pilgrimage Festivals / 147 The Second Days in the Diaspora / 148 Festival Prayers in General / 150 The Ma’ariv Service / 150 The Shaḥarit Service / 153 Torah Readings / 153 The Musaf Service / 154 The Minḥah Service / 155 Conclusion of the Festival / 156 The Pesaḥ Festival / 156 The Beginning of the Pesaḥ Festival / 156 The Pesaḥ Seder / 157 The Shaḥarit Service / 161 The Musaf Service / 162 The Minḥah and the Ma’ariv Services / 162 The Second Day of Pesaḥ (in the Diaspora) / 162 The Seventh Day of Pesaḥ / 163 The Last Day of Pesaḥ (in the Diaspora) / 164 The Shavu’ot Festival / 165 Shavu’ot Prayer Services / 166 The Second Day of Shavu’ot (in the Diaspora) / 168 The Sukkot Festival / 168 Sukkot Prayer Services / 170 The Second Day of Sukkot (in the Diaspora) / 171 Shemini Atzeret and Simḥat Torah / 172 Shemini Atzeret (in the Diaspora) / 173 Simḥat Torah / 174 CHAPTER 11. Days of Awe / 177 Rosh ha-Shanah—The New Year Festival / 178 The Minḥah Service on Rosh ha-Shanah Eve / 180 The Ma’ariv Service / 180 Kiddush and the Festive Meal / 182 The Shaḥarit Service / 183 Torah Readings / 184 Teki’ot—The Blowing of the Shofar / 185 The Musaf Service / 188 The Minḥah Service / 192 Tashlikh / 192 The Second Day of Rosh ha-Shanah / 192 Prayer Services on the Second Day of Rosh ha-Shanah / 194 Yom Kippur—The Day of Atonement / 195 Yom Kippur Eve / 197 Kol Nidrei / 198 The Ma’ariv Service / 201 The Shaḥarit Service / 203 Torah Readings / 204 The Musaf Service / 205 The Minḥah Service / 207 The Ne’ilah Service / 208 Conclusion of the Festival / 211 CHAPTER 12. Special Days / 213 Rosh Ḥodesh—The New Moon / 213 Ḥol ha-Mo’ed—The Intermediate Days of a Festival / 217 Ḥol ha-Mo’ed of Pesaḥ / 219 Ḥol ha-Mo’ed of Sukkot / 220 Ḥosha’na Rabbah / 221 Shabbat Ḥol ha-Mo’ed / 222 Hanukkah / 222 Rosh Ḥodesh During Hanukkah / 225 Purim / 225 Shushan Purim / 227 Fast Days / 229 The Ninth of Av (Tish’ah be-Av) / 229 Memorial Fast Days / 233 The Twentieth of Sivan—A Fast Day of Remembrance / 236 Fast Days for Repentance and Atonement / 237 Other Fixed Fast Days / 239 Nonfixed Fast Day / 240 Special Time Perios / 243 The Ten Days of Repentance / 243 The Month of Nisan / 244 The Counting of the Omer / 244 The Three Weeks (Bein ha-Meitzarim) / 245 The Month of Elul / 245 Days of Joy / 246 Local Purims / 247 Lag ba-Omier—The Thirty-third Day of the Omer Period / 247 The Day of Independence and Jerusalem Day / 248 Other Days When Taḥanun Is Not Recited / 249 CHAPTER 13. Torah Readings / 253 The Cycle of Torah Readings / 254 Taking the Torah Scrolls Out of the Ark / 256 The Order of Calling Up to the Torah / 258 Blessings for the Torah / 260 Torah-Reading Customs / 263 Hagbahah (“Raising”) and Gelilah (“Winding”) of the Torah Scroll / 265 Returning the Torah Scrools to the Ark / 267 The People Called Up to the Torah Reading / 268 The Torah Scroll / 270 Wrappings and Decorations of the Torah Scroll / 274 The Pointer (Yad) / 276 Cantillation of the Torah Reading (Ta’amei he-Mikra) / 277 Emperor Accents / 279 King Accents / 279 Minister Accents / 280 PART FOUR • The Synagogue and Communal Prayer CHAPTER 14. The Synagogue / 285 Ancient Origins of the Synagogue / 285 Ancient Synagogues / 286 Synagogues Outside the City / 287 The Structure of the Synagogue / 288 The Women’s Gallery / 290 Orientation / 290 Synagogue Accessories / 292 The Holy Ark / 292 The Bimah / 292 Ner Tamid—The Eternal Light / 293 The Prayers Lectern / 293 Candles and Lamps / 294 The Basin / 294 Seating / 295 Additional Accessories / 295 Synagogue Architecture / 297 Ornamentation / 298 Small Synagogues / 300 Minyanim / 301 The Shtibel / 302 Synagogue Laws / 303 The Synagogue and the Beit Midrash (“House of Study”) / 305 Official Functions and Appointments / 306 Head of the Synagogue (Rosh ha-Knesset) / 306 Parnas / 307 Gabbai / 308 Ḥazzan—Cantor / 309 Shammash / 309 Ba’al Keriah—Torah Reader / 310 Meturgeman—Interpreter / 311 The Ten Batlanim / 312 Rabbi / 312 Other Use of the Synagogue / 313 Talmud Torah—Torah Study School for Children / 214 Communal Meetings / 315 Weddings and Circumcision Ceremonies / 316 Beit Din—Religious Court / 316 Guest House / 317 CHAPTER 15. The Shaliaḥ Tzibbur / 318 The Role of the Shaliaḥ Tzibbur and Its Origins / 318 The Ḥazzan / 319 The Shaliaḥ Tzibbur as Emissary to God / 321 Various Demands on the Shaliaḥ Tzibbur / 324 The Choir / 325 Ḥazzan versus Ba’al Tefillah / 328 The Kavvanah of the Shaliaḥ Tzibbur / 329 CHAPTER 16. Prayer Accessories / 332 Prayer Garments / 332 Head Coverings / 333 The Tallit / 336 When and by Whom the Tallit Is to Be Worn / 337 Significance of the Tallit and Its Blessing / 339 The Tzitzit / 341 Laws and Customs of the Tzitzit / 342 Making the Tzitzit / 344 Making the Tallit / 346 The Tallit Band (Atarah) / 347 The Tallit Bag / 348 The Blue Thread (Tekhelet) / 348 Tefillin / 349 Making the Tefillin / 351 The Content of the Commandment of Tefillin / 354 The Manner of Donning Tefillin / 358 Blessings and Recitations / 361 Tefillin of Rabbenu Tam / 363 Some Laws and Customs of Tefillin / 363 The Prayer Sash / 365 Hand-Held Objects / 366 The Siddur / 367 The Arba’ah Minim (“Four Species”) / 368 CHAPTER 17. The Music of Prayer / 370 Music and Prayer / 370 Music in the Temple / 370 The Loss of Ancient Music / 372 Evolution of Prayer Music / 373 Melodies of Oriental Congregations / 374 Ashkenazic Cantorial Music / 376 New Melodies / 378 Styles of Prayer Music / 381 Musical Expression in Prayer / 382 Appendices Glossary of Terms / 387 Biographies / 410 Bibliographical Notes / 415 The Jewish Months and the Festivals and Special Days That Occur in Each of Them / 419 Index / 420
RABBI ADIN STEINSALTZ is the author of a landmark commentary on the Talmud, as well as many books of Jewish thought. He lives in Israel.
Reviews for A Guide to Jewish Prayer
"""A practical explanation of Jewish worship from a spiritual slant."" —Detroit Free Press ""Readers familiar with Rabbi Steinsaltz's high level of descriptive prose, which appeals to people with varying levels of Jewish knowledge, will find this volume similarly of great interest."" —The Jewish Week"
