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The Path of Blessing: Experiencing the Energy and Abundance of the Divine

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This warm and articulate book describes how the ancient Jewish spiritual practice of blessing offers us a way of becoming aware of God's Presence in our daily lives. Rabbi Prager discusses each of the six Hebrew words which begin every blessing, revealing layers of meaning embedded in the Hebrew words, and stripping away layers of impediments which American culture and English translations have placed in our way. The blessing becomes a moment of mindfulness, a meditation, which brings our attention to the Source of Life in the most mundane actions- eating, drinking, on waking up and going to sleep, on seeing a rainbow, or smelling the fragrance of a flower or shrub. The book is a doorway into a world of wonder, a world in which we stop, awakened to God's Presence in the world and in ourselves. We say blessings of gratitude, not that The Source of All needs our blessings, but because those moments enrich our lives with glimpses of sacred awareness. This is a book which can be read by spiritual seekers of all faiths and all levels of experience. I have read the book three times and have seen something new in each reading. In addition, the end notes are a wonderful resource for further study.

Rabbi Marcia Prager is an active Reconstructionist and Jewish Renewal Teacher, a storyteller in the tradition of great Hassidc Rebbes. Listening to the voice of the Shekhinah, applying the teachings of Baal Shem Tov -- "Enter into every letter with all your strength, God dwells in every letter and as you enter it, you become one with God" -- Rabbi Marcia Prager explores the opening words of a Jewish blessing -- Barukh Ata Adonay Eloheynu Melech Ha'olam (Blessed art Thou, Lord our God, King of the Universe) -- and takes us into another dimension, one of mystical and spiritual fulfillment. This is real "kavvanah!" A wonderful guide for the enrichment of our daily life, not through the obsessed materialism of our era, but through the use of spiritual practice of blessing. It is so simple and at the same time so deep and profound.

The Path of Blessing is an extraoridinary journey into the depths of the importance of blessings. Rabbi Marcia Prager delves into the historical and esoteric roots of each letter of each word. This process forces the reader to awaken new layers of awareness about how you think---and about how you can give more meaning to blessings. This book can awaken the soul to give and receive blessings more fully---so that each moment of life is enriched....I read the book straight through...while others I know have read it in bits and pieces----whatever works for you...make sure you take it all in !!!

"A simple Hebrew blessing is a powerful thing - a one-minute, deeply meditative exercise exploring the nature of the Creative Force we call God and the dynamic relationship between God, human consciousness, and the unfolding universe. Far from a mindless mumble, each word of a Hebrew blessing is crafted to touch deep centers of awareness and receptivity within us. Each word is a stepping-stone inviting us to explore a rich treasury of images and associations."

This premise is where Marcia Prager's book begins - and then she takes the reader on a wonderful journey, exploring the practice of brakhot (blessings) and how it contributes to bringing kedusha (the sacred) into every aspect of our lives. She gives us a sense of the richness and depth of the Hebrew language as she explores the letters and words we use to begin a blessing; she encourages us to be fully present in the moment, with kavvanah (focused intention) and an inner turning toward God.

Many of us were taught to translate Barukh Ata Adonay, Eloheynu Melekh Ha'Olam, as "Blessed art Thou, Lord Our God, King of the Universe." Prager leads us through explorations of each word, its levels of meaning and associations, until her translation has evolved into "A Fountain of Blessings are You, The-Eternal-Breath-of-Life-Beyond-and-Within, Divine Expansiveness Concentrated within our World, Channeling Creative Power to Manifest as the Mystery of Consciousness becoming Time-Space." Not only does she expand and deepen the meaning of each word, she makes them come alive - so that a brakah becomes a doorway that can open into a truly sacred moment.

I love this book - I have been studying it, delighting in it, and being transformed by it. It is beautifully written; Prager draws on teaching stories and examples from many historical sources, as well as her own contemporary perspective. It is also a deeply inspiring book, inviting the reader to participate fully and with joy in the path of blessing. Before she invites us to craft new brakhot of our own, Prager summarizes, "Through our brakhot our lives are enriched. Infused with holy energy, our souls arise to partake of the adventure of the universe. We bless the Source of Life and we are blessed."

Today I started reading Marcia Prager's "The Path of Blessing" for the second time. I have been referring to it many times since the first reading and still feel that it has more to say to me. Rabbi Prager's knowledge of the Hebrew language is extensive and she is able to share that knowledge clearly and in a way that holds the readers interest easily from the first page to the last. And that last page contains one of the most powerful, succinct definitions of God I have ever read. It remains a joyful reference source for almost every blessing I might wish to use in my life and also contains a formula for making my own brakhot. I am delighted to have this book!

Rabbi Prager's book is a blessing itself, filled with heart, rejuvenating old traditions into new forms so that we can integrate the Divine into our daily lives. I especially appreciated her inclusion of a table of Hebrew letters (for those of us not trained in that beautiful, evocative language). I highly recommend this book for anyone who wishes to incorporate this kind of *kavannah* into daily practice.

If you have ever hoped to find a book that would help you be more present in the moment, be more grateful for the blessings in your life, or face each day with renewed hope, Marcia Prager's book, "The Path of Blessing," would be the book for you. Prager reminds us of the value of blessings - how we might begin to experience the world in a different way after learning more about and including blessings in our daily practice and becoming more aware of the blessings bestowed on us. She writes "Imagine if at every moment we each embraced the world as the gift it is". We learn where God is in all this when we read "On the path of blessing, we are reminded that the whole world is an expression of divine energy." Prager also includes a handy appendix of blessings for specific occasions (eating bread, drinking wine, seeing a rainbow, lighting holiday candles, etc.). No matter where you are on the path of your learning or practice, this book will deepen your awareness of the bounty of blessings that is available to us, if we only tap in to it.

Three years ago, I took two classes from Marcia Prager, and came away from those classes wishing that I could share her teachings with every Jew in the world. Now she has made it possible to give that gift, by condensing the essence of that material into a potentially life-changing book for almost anyone who reads it.Written in a clear and engaging style, this book takes the reader on a magical mystery tour of the deep hidden meanings of the first 6 words of every ordinary Hebrew blessing. Seemingly simple words that you may have thought you knew are transformed into gleaming keys of light that unlock doors to great secrets of the Universe.While you can open any page at random and find yourself transfixed, this is a book that is best read from cover to cover to truly experience the full impact of its power. In some ways, even reviewing it does it a disservice. It simply must be read.

This book is both inspiring and informative. Rabbi Prager speaks to the heart of the reader, to the soul of the reader and to the mind of the reader. Even the less-learned in Jewish teachings are welcomed in by her careful explanation of "code" terms. Ihaving taken Rabbi Prager's class on the Path of Blessing several years ago, it is a wonderful and welcome treat to have her material in book form, to refer to over and over again.

Rabbi Arlene M. Schuster

We owe it to ourselves and to our children to read and emrace the Path of Blessings. Reb Marcia writes as lyrically as she speaks. It is as if her wisdom leaps from the pages and takes the reader on a magic carpet ride along the path of mindfulness. She opens new paths of inner wisdom that were formerly only accessible to great scholars. She returns holikness to essential Jewish thought that had become mundane. She cradles the reader with awe.

For everyone concerned about Jewish continuity, this book is a must. As Reb Marcia says, "theological skills and vocabulary should grow as we do. Poor teaching in childhood not only robs us of the desire to explore further, but can leave us unaware that there is a "futher" to explore." If you are searching for an open gateway to Jewish spirituality, this book is your blessing.