The Art of Jewish Prayer (Hardcover)

by Yitzchok Kirzner (Author), Lisa Aiken (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
Once you've studied this volume, prayer will never be the same. Now when I pray, flashbacks from The Art of Jewish Prayer constantly accompany me. It is for those who really want to know why they're praying and what they're saying. Rabbi Kirzner's The Art of Jewish Prayer is the book we've been praying for. --Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald, Director, National Jewish Outreach Program

We desperately need a teacher and guide to lead us through the rich, challenging, and rewarding world of prayer. Rabbi Yitzchok Kirzner does this -- and much more -- in his magnificent work, The Art of Jewish Prayer. He takes us by the hand, as it were, and explores many of the layers of meaning of our basic daily prayer, the Shemoneh Esrai -- how each paragraph, each word, weaves a remarkable tapestry of spiritual striving and growth, personal and national yearning in the context of six millennia of history. After studying this book, your prayer will never be the same; nor will you. --Rabbi Nisson Wolpin, Editor, The Jewish Observer --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Description
Prayer will never be the same once you read this book!

A book on prayer unlike any other -- refreshing, relevant, exciting, deep and invigorating. Each down-to-earth page is filled with stimulating insights that make prayer come alive, that transform it into the most relevant of human activities, that make it what it should and can be -- moments of strength and power, the miracle of man's ability to talk to God and know that God is actually listening. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Jason Aronson (February 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0876686528
• ISBN-13: 978-0876686522
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,760,127 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A well written and thought provoking work., December 10, 1998

By	Joel Kirzner (Hotlanta, GA... Traffic, Sprawl and Cynthia Mckinney) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Art of Jewish Prayer (Paperback)

I have to admit, I at first purchased this book because the author had the same last name as mine! After reading it, though, I found much of the content extremely enlightening. As an orthodox Jew, I pray a lot--three times a day to be exact! Having literature that focuses on the sheer art of prayer is tremendously helpful. All too often we say words bereft of any meaning or clearity. This book examines the seemingly "mundane" verses by uncovering their historical and cultural significance. I recommend this book not only to fellow synagogue attenders but to anyone curious about the Jewish religion.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A explication of the ' Shmoneh Esreh', August 29, 2005

By	Shalom Freedman "Shalom Freedman" (Jerusalem,Israel) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Art of Jewish Prayer (Hardcover)

This work centers on the central part of Jewish prayer,the Shmoneh Esreh, or Amidah. These are eighteen actually nineteen blessings said in the three daily prayers of the weekday service. The authors provide a clear and insightful description of the meaning of each of the blessings. They discuss the meaning of the words, the relation of each blessing to others, the theme of the prayer, and its historical background.
This an outstanding introductory guide.
For me the test of any Jewish ' sefer' of this kind is whether it is possible to not simply increase one's learning through reading it, but also strenghten one's sense of the meaning and depth of the Jewish tradition.
This Sefer handily passes the test.