Customer Reviews

God's Favorite Prayers

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Prof. Tzvee Zahavy has written a fascinating, readable, and erudite book that only he could write. Steeped in Talmudic learning, Prof Zahavy has written a book that is part "Jewish Catalog" The First Jewish Catalog: A Do-It-Yourself Kit(A trilogy by Michael and Sharon Strassfeld), part autobiographical, part biographical, part an historical account, and significantly, it does all that while dealing with that most difficult of subjects - prayer - making it meaningful and relevant for Jewish and non-Jewish audiences alike. He invites the reader into the heart of Jewish spirituality, to learn about its idiom and imagery, its emotions and its great sweeping dramas. The author invites the reader to meet six ideal personalities of Jewish prayer and to get to know some of God's favorite prayers.

An ordained Orthodox Rabbi and the son of a Rabbi, Prof. Zahavy studied with many of the great lights of Modern Jewish Scholarship (both religious and secular), as well as with traditional Rabbis, and this breadth of experience is the basis for his unique personal insights.

The book is an outgrowth of a course he as given, most recently at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America.

Jews, Zahavy says, recite, sing and meditate prayers that derive from six distinct archetypes. He labels those six personalities: the performer, the mystic, the scribe, the priest, the meditator and the celebrity, and he goes on to define his terms and to give examples.

A prolific writer, Prof. Zahavy has written many academic articles and books. His readable English translation of the Talmud Tractate Hullin (mostly dealing with slaughtering of Kosher animals) is available on his blog [...].

The book will be of value to anyone trying to understand Jewish liturgy and prayer in general.

Tzvee Zahavy has been my rabbi for many years. No, he has no congregation, but all my questions are answered thoughtfully, with depth and with an ability to engage the questioner (me!) in learning. A scholar and a writer, he appeals to the former professor in me. This book feels as if we are talking together. There is no condescension, no obtuse reasoning and no preaching. This books asks how to enter prayer with different consciousnesses, how to be aware of other daveners and how to make the time spent in synagogue and prayer one that is worthwhile and meaningful. Entering this space with a guide like Tzvee Zahavy. and a book like God's Favorite Prayers broadens our experiences in prayer. Rereading segments is easy and thought provoking.

After taking a class with Dr. Zahavy, I am glad to be able to review our material - and recommend it to others - in this conversational, efficient, and above all creative and inspiring little book. As someone initially drawn to traditional Jewish prayer by its appeal to my heart, I have gone years looking for an approach to the study of prayer and pray-ing that matched my emotional inclinations. This book picks up where my intuitions left off and develops them into elegant ideas for which I am grateful.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading and learning from God's Favorite Prayers. Rabbi Zahavy shares his unique and fascinating perspective developed from years of study and immersion in our prayers. These insights into the types of personalities that inform our prayers also provide insights into my fellow congregants and myself. I found God's Favorite Prayers to be lively and entertaining yet thought provoking and informative. God's Favorite Prayers will surely be an important source for enriching one's prayer experience.

Professor Tzvee Zahavy spares us the dry description of prayer that has, for too long and too often, monopolized the airwaves. And yet, his work simultaneously maintains a highly intellectual discussion of prayer, rendering readers a thousand percent more self-assured about their understanding of liturgy. This is a must-read for anyone, Jewish or not, who has ever stepped foot into a Jewish prayer service. Across the board, we lack understanding of and/or engagement with prayer, rendering attendance utterly fruitless. This book sheds valuable insight on the words and themes that so many have grown up hearing time and time again, without really comprehending.

Zahavy's writing style is warm, approachable, and light-hearted. Not only does he invite us to re-think our own journeys, but also to experience his. A personal tale of searching for the perfect synagogue complements a historically contextualized description of prayer. Through him, we see the futility in believing that a perfect source of spiritual inspiration, in the form of a brick and mortar edifice, could exist. Rather, "perfect" is the worshipper's informed and enchanted relationship with prayer, itself a complex system of idealized influences. Zahavy empowers the reader with the idea that he or she-- and not a hypothetical rabbi, building, congregation, or neighborhood-- is responsible for, and able to achieve, an appreciation for God's favorite prayers.

I loved this book! Writing in an unpretentious, first-person voice, Rabbi Tzvee Zahavy brings the Jewish liturgies alive with charming anecdotes and insightful analysis. He introduces six archetypal rabbinical types -- the performer, the mystic, the scribe, the priest, the mediator and the celebrity -- and these personalities provide a framework for his wide-ranging commentary on traditional and contemporary Judaism. As a non-Jew, I learned a lot and I believe this book will appeal to anyone who considers themselves spiritual.

This is an autobiographical approach to the most fundamental and intimate aspect of daily Jewish life, praying, or as Rabbi Dr. Zahavy would call it, davening. Whether one knows him personally or not, a reader will enjoy the author's recounting of his lifelong appreciation of the significance of prayer in his own life. He also succeeds very well in presenting the lives of paradigmatic Jews who, like all members of the tribe, connect with God in sacred fashion.

Henry Frisch

"I greatly enjoyed Tzvee Zahavy's highly insightful and beautifully written volume, 'God's Favorite Prayers.' Professor Zahavy is remarkably adept at educating, enlightening, and entertaining readers about Jewish liturgy and spirituality. 'God's Favorite Prayers' would be a wonderful, deeply appreciated gift for the High Holidays . . . or any time!"

Robert H. Deluty, Ph.D., Associate Dean of the Graduate School, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

I enjoyed reading God's Favorite Prayers by Rabbi Dr. Tzvee Zahavy. This book, suitable for beginners as well as those with advanced knowledge, is extremely interesting. Dr. Zahavy educates the reader with a writing style that is truly entertaining. The book contains fascinating stories and also contains interesting facts. I learned a lot about these prayers and enjoyed the experience.