A Guide to Jewish Prayer [Hardcover]

Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 19, 2000

One of the world's most famous and respected rabbis has given us the one guide we need to practice Jewish prayer and understand the prayer book.

From the origins and meaning of prayer to a step-by-step explanation of the daily services to the reason you're not supposed to chat with your friends during the service, 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 synagogue Bible readings; the history and make-up 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.

The book also contains a glossary, a bibliography, and biographical sketches of the rabbis who were instrumental in creating and ordering the prayers through the ages.

Rabbi Steinsaltz's guide is an essential volume both for the newcomer to Jewish prayer and for those who have been engaged in prayer for years.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

For readers who wish to learn about Jewish prayer, A Guide to Jewish Prayer is the first book to read, and the one that will be the cornerstone of any collection of books on the subject. Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, a world- renowned scholar of Judaic studies and the editor and translator of Random House's 22-volume edition of the Talmud, has written this Guide in order to "open the gates of Jewish prayer for those who want to know and comprehend both its essence and its structure, and the numerous details concerning the various prayer services." Beginning with magisterial essays on the nature of prayer and the history of the Siddur (the common Jewish prayer book), Steinsaltz then moves to a detailed description of the prayer services conducted over the course of the Jewish year, and ends with a series of essays about communal prayer, including chapters on the synagogue, prayer accessories, and the music of prayer. With a comprehensive glossary and short biographies of the many rabbis who have influenced the history of Jewish prayer, Steinsaltz's Guide provides every necessary resource for understanding prayer, for every conceivable reader--from the curious gentile to the devoted Jew. -- Michael Joseph Gross

From Publishers Weekly

Steinsaltz, one of this era's most influential rabbis (Simple Words), turns his attention to prayer, marrying straightforward how-to tips with reflections on the nature and meaning of Jewish prayer. The book opens with a discussion of individual versus communal prayer, with Steinsaltz explaining that although Jewish prayer heavily emphasizes community, there is a place in Judaism for individual prayer. Communal prayer expresses the needs and hopes of the entire nation of Israel, but individuals can and should still pray alone, with or without liturgy, in times of personal need. He also tackles gender. Men and women, he explains, are both obligated to pray (although women are not legally obligated to participate in the thrice-daily minyan). Steinsaltz offers a concise history of the Jewish prayer book, tracing the development of prayers from the Second Temple period to 20th-century prayers commemorating the Holocaust and Israeli Independence Day. In the book's valuable how-to section, he carefully examines weekdays, Sabbaths and holidays, explaining which prayers are said when and why. He introduces readers to "prayer accessories" such as the tallith (prayer shawl) and tefillin (phylacteries). The book concludes with a rousing discussion of Jewish music and its relation to prayer traditions. This guide will help both novices and experienced Jews to deepen their understanding of prayer. One caution: it is decidedly Orthodox in outlook. Non-Orthodox readers will find much of interest, but they will not find discussions of, for example, feminist language for God. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 464 pages
• Publisher: Schocken (September 19, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805241744
• ISBN-13: 978-0805241747
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,110,414 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Accessible, September 21, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: A Guide to Jewish Prayer (Hardcover)

Our Talmud group studied from Rabbi Steinsaltz's translations. He is a tremendous scholar, but writes accessibly for the layperson. Where some rabbis of this stature are cool and arrogant, R. Steinsaltz is warm. Most importantly, he makes *you* feel like a scholar, even if you don't read a bit of Hebrew.

--Yitzhak Ya'akov ben Yosef

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A help to better prayer, December 15, 2004

By 

Shalom Freedman "Shalom Freedman" (Jerusalem,Israel) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: A Guide to Jewish Prayer (Paperback)

There are a number of good books on the subject of Jewish Prayer. Seth Kadish's ' Kavvana' perhaps does most to explain the actual problems a Jew faces in praying in the proper way. There are books by Haim Donin, by Rabbi Munk who provides great insight into the meaning of the prayers, by many others. Rabbi Steinsaltz is a great Talmid Chacham and his work provides a most detailed explanation of the meaning of prayer and of various individual prayers. I have read parts of the work and learned from them . I highly recommend this work for all those who would know its meaning in a richer way.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent guide, September 5, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: A Guide to Jewish Prayer (Hardcover)

As most books of Even-Israel (or Steinsaltz) this is a highly readable book, clearly explaining the traditions and regulations of prayer. Read it once to get a basic grip, and then keep it as a reference work.