"The prayer book is our Jewish diary of the centuries, a collection of prayers composed by generations of those who came before us, as they endeavored to express the meaning of their lives and their relationship to God. The prayer book is the essence of the Jewish soul."
This stunning work, an empowering entryway to the spiritual revival of our times, enables all of us to claim our connection to the heritage of the traditional Jewish prayer book. It helps rejuvenate Jewish worship in today’s world, and makes its power accessible to all.
Vol. 9—Welcoming the Night: Minchah and Ma’ariv (Afternoon and Evening Prayer) features the authentic Hebrew text with a new translation designed to let people know exactly what the prayers say. Introductions tell the reader what to look for in the prayer service, as well as how to truly use the commentaries and to search for—and find—meaning in the prayer book.
Framed with beautifully designed Talmud-style pages, commentaries from many of today’s most respected Jewish scholars from all movements of Judaism examine Minchah and Ma’ariv from the perspectives of ancient Rabbis and modern theologians, as well as feminist, halakhic, Talmudic, linguistic, biblical, Chasidic, mystical, and historical perspectives.
This ninth volume breaks new ground in exploring the anxiety, urgency and opportunity for imagination that combine in the threshold moment of nightfall. Rife with metaphors, the evening liturgy highlights spirits that haunt the night, but also God’s promise to "lie us down to peace" and awaken us to life. The thematic undercurrent of it all is the human search for meaning in an uncontrollable universe, where day does indeed become night, where life will someday be death, and where good sometimes borders on evil. Bidding the day good-bye in anticipation of nighttime darkness, Minchah and Ma’ariv underscore the mystery of the twilight moment and the opportunity for insight that it brings.
Vol. 9—Welcoming the Night: Minchah and Ma’ariv (Afternoon and Evening Prayer) features the traditional Hebrew text with a new translation that lets people know exactly what the prayers say. Introductions explain what to look for in the prayers, and how to truly use the commentaries to find meaning in the prayer book. Commentaries from eminent scholars and teachers from all movements of Judaism examine Minchah and Ma’ariv from the viewpoints of ancient Rabbis and modern theologians, as well as a myriad of other perspectives.
Even those not yet familiar with the prayer book can appreciate the spiritual richness of Welcoming the Night: Minchah and Ma’ariv. My People’s Prayer Book enables all worshipers, of any denomination, to create their own connection to 3,000 years of Jewish experience with the world and with God.
