Celebrating the Jewish Year: The Spring and Summer Holidays

Paul Steinberg

Description

2009 National Jewish Book Award Winner, Jewish Family Literature

JPS’s holiday books take us through the joys, spirit, and meaning of the seasons. As we move from season to season, Paul Steinberg shares with us a rich collection of readings from many of the Jewish greats—Maimonides, Rashi, Nehama Leibowitz, Irving Greenberg, Shlomo Carlebach, Marge Piercy, Elie Wiesel, Martin Buber, Abraham Joshua Heschel, Arthur Green, and others—and he guides us in discovering for ourselves the many treasures within each text. Some of the readings teach us about the history of each holiday, as well as its theological, ethical, agricultural, and seasonal importance and interpretation; others give us inspiration and much food for thought. These stories, essays, poems, anecdotes, and rituals help us discover how deeply Jewish traditions are rooted in nature’s yearly cycle, and how beautifully season and spirit are woven together throughout the Jewish year.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie
• Jewish studies

Informations

• Publié par: The Jewish Publication Society
• Date de parution: 12 janvier 2009
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780827609938
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

Celebrating the Jewish Year The Spring and Summer Holidays

Celebrating the Jewish Year

The Spring and Summer Holidays Passover The Omer Shavuot Tisha b’Av

Paul Steinberg Edited by Janet Greenstein Potter

JPSis a nonprofit educational association and the oldest and foremost publisher of Judaica in English in North America. The mission of JPS is to enhance Jewish culture by promoting the dissemination of religious and secular works, in the United States and abroad, to all individuals and institutions interested in past and contemporary Jewish life.

Copyright © 2009 by Paul Steinberg

First edition. All rights reserved.

No part ofthis book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechan- ical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, except for briefpassages in connection with a critical review, without permission in writing from the publisher:

The Jewish Publication Society 2100 Arch Street, 2nd floor Philadelphia, PA 19103 www.jewishpub.org

Design and Composition by Masters Group Design

Interior artwork by Adam Rhine, with permission frm the artist, www.HebrewArt.com

Cover artwork by Adam Rhine, with permission from Sounds True, 413 S. Arthur Avenue, Louisville, CO 80027

Manufactured in the United States ofAmerica

ISBN: 978-0-8276-0876-9 (volume 1) ISBN: 978-0-8276-0849-8 (volume 2) ISBN: 978-0-8276-0850-4 (volume 3)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Steinberg, Paul. Celebrating the Jewish year / Paul Steinberg ; Janet Greenstein Potter, editor. — 1st ed. v. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. Contents: v. 1. The fall holidays: Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot ISBN 978-0-8276-0842-9 (alk. paper) 1. Fasts and feasts—Judaism. 2. Calendar, Jewish. I. Potter, Janet Greenstein. II. Title. BM690.S72 2007 296.4’3—dc22 2007010805

Publisher’s Note: With few exceptions, the essays taken from other sources are as they appear in their original. As a result, there are variations in spelling and language from piece to piece.

JPS books are available at discounts for bulk purchases for reading groups, special sales, and fundraising purchases. Custom editions, including personalized covers, can be created in larger quantities for special needs. For more information, please contact us at [e-mail] or at this address: 2100 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103.

To my teachers

There is one who ascends with all these songs in unison— the song of the soul, the song of the nation, the song of humanity, the song of the cosmos—resounding together, blending in harmony, circulating the sap of life, the sound of holy joy.

—Abraham Isaac Kook

Contents

Acknowledgments Introduction Framework of This Book

Part 1: Spirituality in Time and Place From the Desert to the Heart

Part 2: Passover Freedom and Responsibility Passover in the Bible Traditions in the Month of Nisan Understanding Matzah and Hametz Preparing Our Homes and Hearts for Passover The Seder Mystical Dimensions of the Seder The Passover Love Song

Pathways Through the Sources Midrash: Against All Odds Midrash: The Divine in the Most Unlikely Places Babylonian Talmud: The Downfall of Our Enemy Babylonian Talmud: A Spirited Seder The Zohar: As Below, So Above Maimonides: The Nature of the Festival Don Yitzchak Abarbanel: Growing Up into Leadership Kli Yakar: Stages of Spiritual Redemption Nehama Leibowitz with Rashi: Freed to Be Jews Neil Gillman: Accompanied into Bondage

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