The Way Into Jewish Prayer - Hardcover

Hoffman, Rabbi Lawrence A.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 158023027X ISBN 13: 9781580230278

Publisher: Jewish Lights, 2000

Synopsis

An accessible introduction to the reasons for and the ways of Jewish prayer.

The Way Into Jewish Prayer helps us to explore the reasons for and the ways of Jewish prayer. It opens the door to 3,000 years of Jewish prayer, making available all you need to feel at home in the Jewish way of communicating with God.

About this title

Review:

The Way into Jewish Prayer by Dr. Lawrence Hoffman, a rabbi and liturgical expert, offers an instructive and empathic orientation to the rewarding and perplexing experience of prayer. Throughout, Hoffman stresses that "Prayer is not simply a question of what Jews say to God. It is also about the God who is at the other end, listening." He begins with a survey of the many images of God--male and female, grand and humble--that have helped Jews throughout history to believe they are not alone. He moves on to consider the pragmatic, American question of how prayer works, arguing for the legitimacy of both fixed prayer and spontaneous prayer. Then Hoffman explains the prayerful symbolism of the synagogue in sharp detail, and the application of this symbolism in various Jewish traditions: Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, and Reconstructionist. Ultimately, Hoffman argues that all forms of Jewish prayer are geared toward finding the sacred in the ordinary. Prayer, he writes, is a way of making choices to "remain deeply human, warmly empathetic, on fire with courage, and alive with hope." --Michael Joseph Gross

From the Inside Flap:

The Way Into

In 14 volumes, The Way Into Series offers an accessible and highly usable guided tour of the Jewish faith, people, history and beliefs in total, an introduction to Judaism that will enable you to understand and interact with the sacred texts of Jewish tradition. Each volume is written by a leading contemporary scholar and teacher, and explores one key aspect of Judaism. The Way Into enables all readers to achieve a real sense of Jewish cultural literacy through guided study.

About this edition

• Publisher: Jewish Lights
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 158023027X
• ISBN 13: 9781580230278
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 208