"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."

ABOUT MY PEOPLE'S PRAYER BOOK PRAYER AS PETITION: THE PHILOSOPHIC BASIS FOR HALAKHIC PRAYER Daniel Landes INTRODUCTION TO THE LITURGY: WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN THE SERVICE Lawrence A. Hoffman HOW THE AMIDAH BEGAN: A JEWISH DETECTIVE STORY Lawrence A. Hoffman THE GENIZAH FRAGMENTS: HOW OUR ANCESTORS PRAYED IN THE ANCIENT LAND OF ISRAEL Joel M. Hoffman. INTRODUCTION TO THE COMMENTARIES: HOW TO LOOK FOR MEANING IN THE PRAYERS Lawrence A. Hoffman THE LITURGY 1. OPENING MEDITATION. 2. THE AMIDAH A. BLESSINGS OF PRAISE. 1. AVOT ("ANCESTORS") 2. G'VUROT ("GOD'S POWER") ¿Q¿ÍÊ7 3. K'DUSHAT HASHEM ("SANCTIFICATION OF GOD'S NAME") B. BLESSINGS OF PETITION 4. BINAH ("KNOWLEDGE") 5. T'SHUVAH ("REPENTANCE") 6. S'LICHAH ("FORGIVENESS") 7. G'ULAH ("REDEMPTION") 8. R'FU'AH ("HEALING") 9. SHANIM ("YEARS") 10. KIBBUTZ GALUYOT ("GATHERING THE EXILES") 11. MISHPAT ("JUSTICE") 12. MINIM ("HERETICS") 13. TSADIKIM ("THE RIGHTEOUS") 14. Y'RUSHALAYIM ("JERUSALEM") 15. DAVID ("DAVID") 16. T'FILLAH ("PRAYER") C.BLESSINGS OF THANKSGIVING 17. AVODAH ("SACRIFICIAL SERVICE") 18. HODA'AH ("GRATEFUL ACKNOWLEDGMENT") 19. BIRKAT KOHANIM/SHALOM ("THE PRIESTLY BLESSING/PEACE") 3. CLOSING MEDITATION 4. THE HAVINEINU About the Commentators List of Abbreviations Glossary