Stepping Stones to Jewish Spiritual Living: Walking the Path Morning, Noon, and Night [Hardcover]

James L. Mirel (Author), Karen Bonnell Werth (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1998

In every moment of each day, we have the opportunity to bring the sacred into our everyday lives. We can perform acts of mindfulness and thanksgiving that can transform our lives and help us repair the world.

Stepping Stones to Jewish Spiritual Living provides spiritual activities, meditations, prayers, and simple rituals to accommodate any lifestyle and daily routine, giving us a chance to embrace God's creation throughout the day. Co-authored by a rabbi and a psychotherapist, it bridges the gap between faith and healing, tradition and innovation, acceptance of the past and transformation for the future.

Chapters are arranged according to the cycle of each day--from sunrise to midnight--and feature creative new rituals, inspiring passages from traditional Jewish texts, prayers, poems, blessings, acts of kavannah (spiritual intention), and more: Sunrise: Renewing our bodies with meditation and mindful breathing. Morning: Contributing to tikkun olam (repairing the world) by ethically pursuing our livelihoods and recognizing our social responsibilities. Afternoon: Giving thanks with blessings at meal times, and extending hospitality to family, friends, and community. Evening: Combining study and prayer with relaxation and leisure. Night: Confronting pain, loss, and death with rituals for healing and renewal for the future.

The book also includes special sections dealing with the sacred aspects of relationships, love and sexuality, mourning and loss, Kabbalah, and more.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A wonderful, practical, and inspiring guidebook to gently bring the riches of Jewish practice into our busy, everyday lives. Highly recommended." -- Rabbi David A. Cooper, author of God Is a Verb

"An exquisite guide to Jewish mindfulness." -- Lawrence Kushner, author of Invisible Lines of Connection: Sacred Stories of the Ordinary and other books

"Establishes ordinary daily life as a religious and spiritual journey, anchored by traditional and creative prayer. A unique gift is the artful inclusion of well-loved scripture." -- Sylvia Boorstein, author of That's Funny, You Don't Look Buddhist: On Being a Faithful Jew and a Passionate Buddhist

"The Judaic tradition of inculcating daily activities with holiness and purpose shines through these pages." -- Values & Visions

"Turns the mundane 24-hour day into a luminous gateway toward the sacred and the spiritual." -- Rabbi Arthur Waskow, Pathfinder of ALEPH, Alliance for Jewish Renewal; author, Godwrestling--Round 2

Product Details

• Hardcover: 168 pages
• Publisher: Jewish Lights Publishing; First Edition edition (June 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580230032
• ISBN-13: 978-1580230032
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,469,341 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Supurb, June 30, 2000

By 

Julie Boe - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stepping Stones to Jewish Spiritual Living: Walking the Path Morning, Noon, and Night (Hardcover)

This book was a special gift; it is one of the nicest things I've ever received. I refer back to it for spiritual inspirations, prayers, and meditations, more often than any other book I own. When I need a wake up call, I turn to this book. It is for everyday life, a guidebook in the true sense...for Jews who are wanting to renew their spiritual connection, for people who are considering conversion to Judaism, for anyone in need of spiritual renovation. It is infused with traditional Jewish reminders of the sacred nature of scripture. Enjoyable to read, uplifting, and with a very nice format. Not too wordy or narrow in focus -- this book gets to the point. Pick any page and what you read will impact the rest of your day. This is one of those books you will actually use; you will always know right where it is and it will not be covered with dust. Highly recommended for all who are seeking positive transformation in their lives.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spirituality Everyday, October 16, 2001

By 

spiritEd. "vickigh" (Long Beach, NY United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Stepping Stones to Jewish Spiritual Living: Walking the Path Morning, Noon, and Night (Hardcover)

A great book for seekers of more meaingful lives. Its very well organized and easy to use and understand. We have the opportunity to contemplate the meaning and purpose of our lives. Our synagogue will be using this book as a guide on our annual retreat next month.

5.0 out of 5 stars Life Changer, February 21, 2011

By 

Spencer A. Brooks (Phenix City, AL) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Stepping Stones to Jewish Spiritual Living: Walking the Path Morning, Noon, and Night (Kindle Edition)

This book is a life changer. It is full of insight and knowledge for everyday living. It gives you the knowledge to live your life following the right path. I have really enojoyed this book and will use it for years to come