Opens up the traditional Jewish prayer book as a spiritual resource....This groundbreaking new series involves us in a personal dialogue with God, history and tradition, through the heritage of prayer.

ABOUT MY PEOPLE'S PRAYER BOOK ANXIETY AND OPPORTUNITY: THE MOOD OF NIGHTTIME PRAYER Lawrence A. Hoffman INTRODUCTION TO THE LITURGY: THE SHAPE OF MINCHAH AND MA'ARIV. Lawrence A. Hoffman THE HALAKHIC STATUS OF MINCHAH AND MA'ARIV Daniel Landes INTRODUCTION TO THE COMMENTARIES: HOW TO LOOK FOR MEANING IN THE PRAYERS Lawrence A. Hoffman THE LITURGY 1. MA'ARIV (WEEKDAY AND SHABBAT). A. OPENING VERSES I. PSALM 134 II. MISCELLANEOUS VERSES III. V'HU RACHUM ("HE IS MERCIFUL") B. THE SH'MA AND ITS BLESSINGS I. BLESSING ON CREATION: MA'ARIV ARAVIM ("WHO BRINGS ON EVENING") II. BLESSING ON REVELATION: AHAVAT OLAM ("ETERNAL LOVE") III. BLESSING ON REDEMPTION: EMET VE'EMUNAH ("TRUE AND TRUSTWORTHY") IV. BLESSING FOR A SAFE NIGHT: HASHKIVENU ("LIE US DOWN TO PEACE") V. A FIFTH EVENING BLESSING: BARUKH ADONAI L'OLAM ("BLESSED IS ADONAI FOREVER"). C. ANNOUNCEMENT OF SACRED TIME D. THE AMIDAH. I. A HAVDALAH IN THE AMIDAH FOR SATURDAY NIGHT II. THE K'DUSHAT HAYOM ("SANCTIFICATION OF THE DAY") FOR SHABBAT MA'ARIV III. THE MA'ARIV BLESSING FOR PEACE: BIRKAT SHALOM E. MAGEN AVOT ("PROTECTING OUR ANCESTORS") F. THE SYNAGOGUE KIDDUSH. G. COUNTING THE OMER I. KAVVANAH (INTRODUCTORY MEDITATION) II. BLESSING ON COUNTING III. COUNTING IV. PSALM 67 V. ANA B'KHO'AKH ("BY THE MIGHT") VI. KAVVANAH (CLOSING MEDITATION) H. CLOSING PRAYERS I. PSALM 27 II. PSALM 49 2. MINCHAH (ADDITIONS FOR SHABBAT) A. THE AMIDAH. I. THE K'DUSHAT HAYOM ("SANCTIFICATION OF THE DAY") FOR SHABBAT MINCHAH II. TSIDKAT'KHA TSEDEK ("YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS IS RIGHT") FOR SHABBAT MINCHAH About the Contributors List of Abbreviations Glossary