The Book of Jewish Sacred Practices

CLAL—The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership

Description

Discover how to make virtually any moment in your day a significant part of a meaningful Jewish life.

As we have discovered, and as our sages have long known, there is no experience in the life of a Jew that cannot be marked in Jewish ways…. The book you hold in your hands is the result of the kinds of rituals we have sculpted together over the years. It is not a prayer book or even a compendium of obligatory Jewish rituals. Rather, it is a source for all to use creatively.
—from the Introduction

Decades of experience by CLAL—The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership in connecting spirituality with daily life come together in this one comprehensive handbook. In these pages, you have access to teachings that can help to sanctify almost any moment in your day.

Offering a meditation, a blessing, a profound Jewish teaching, and a ritual for more than one hundred diverse everyday events and holidays, this guide includes sacred practices for:

• Lighting Shabbat candles
• Blessing your parents
• Running a marathon
• Visiting the sick
• Building a sukkah
• Seeing natural wonders
• Moving into a new home
• Saying goodbye to a beloved pet
• Making a shiva call
• Traveling ... and much more

Drawing from both traditional and contemporary sources, The Book of Jewish Sacred Practices will show you how to make more holy any moment in your daily life.

Acknowledgments viii
About the Contributors ix
Preface xi
Introduction: Renew the Old, Sanctify the New 1

EVERYDAY LIFE
Waking Up 8
Praying for What We Need 10
Washing Our Hands 14
Eating 16
Making a List of Things to Do 18
Preparing a Family Recipe 22
Going to Work 24
Organizing Your Room, Your House, Your
Office, Your Affairs, Your Life 28
Traveling 30
Keeping a Sense of Home When You Are on the Road 32
Spending Time with Family 34
Having Guests of Different Faiths at Our Table 38
Bringing Home a New Pet 40
Gardening 42

PARENTS AND CHILDREN
Hoping to Have a Child 46
Celebrating Pregnancy 50
Welcoming a New Child 54
Nursing 58
Guiding Our Growing Children toward Independence 60
Preparing for Your Bar or Bat Mitzvah 62
Sending a Child to College 66
Blessing One's Parents 68

RELATIONSHIPS
Falling in Love 72
Celebrating the Difference You've Made in Each Other’s Lives 74
Ending a Relationship 78
Healing Relationships 82
Receiving Guests 86
Blessing One’s Hosts 90

SPECIAL MOMENTS
Celebrating a Private Miracle 94
Celebrating Birthdays 96
Hearing Good News 98
Being a Guest at a Wedding 100
Seeing Natural Wonders 102
Standing at a Crossroads 106
Running a Marathon 110
Noticing a Change in the Seasons 114
Moving into a New House 118
Joining a Synagogue 122
Taking on a Jewish Name 126
Wearing a Tallit for the First Time 130
Retiring 132

HEALING
Praying for Healing 136
Visiting the Sick 138
Finding Hope in a Time of Illness 142
Treating a Patient 144
Starting to Work Out 148
Quitting Smoking 152
Creating Opportunities, Opening Doors 154

LIFE AND DEATH
Hearing of a Death 158
Making a Shiva Call 160
Remembering the Loss of Someone You Love 164
Moving Out of Mourning and Back into Life 168
Writing an Ethical Will 170
Saying Good-Bye to a Beloved Pet 172

LEARNING
Starting School 176
Beginning to Study Torah for the First Time 178
Studying Sacred Texts Each Day 182
Finishing an Important Book 186
Honoring a Teacher at the End of the Year 188

LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNAL LIFE
Building a Pluralist Jewish Community 192
Examining Ourselves as Leaders 196
Taking on New Responsibilities 200
Taking on a Volunteer Role 204
Holding a Meeting 208
Installing a New Communal Leader 210
Celebrating a New Community Building 214
Naming a Community 218
I

SRAEL
Going to Israel 222
Visiting Jerusalem 226
Sending Your Child to Israel 230
Returning from Israel 232

TZEDAKAH
Preparing Ourselves to Do Sacred Work 236
Donating Food and Clothing 240
Soliciting Support 242
Receiving Requests for Contributions 246
Making a Contribution 248
Dedicating a Wall or Plaque that Honors Donors 250
Wearing Your Commitments 254

HOLY DAYS
Shabbat 257
Lighting Shabbat Candles 258
Blessing Children on Shabbat 260
Rosh Hashanah 263
Changing Your Fate for the Coming Year 264
Preparing Your Prayers for the High Holidays 268
Casting Away Our Sins (Tashlikh) 272
Hearing the Shofar 276
Yom Kippur 279
Fasting 280
Sukkot 283
Building a Sukkah 284
Receiving Sukkah Guests 286
Waving the Lulav and Etrog 290
Taking Down a Sukkah 294
Simchat Torah 297
Dancing with the Torah 298
Chanukah 301
Lighting the Menorah 302
Rededicating Your Home on Chanukah 306
Purim 309
Preparing Mishloach Manot 310
Passover 313
Removing Chametz from One’s Home 314
Searching for the Afikoman (for Grown-Ups) 318
Counting the Omer 322
Yom Ha’atzma’ut 325
Celebrating Yom Ha’atzma’ut, Israel’s Independence Day 326
Shavuot 329
Studying Together on Shavuot 330
Rosh Chodesh 333
Celebrating Rosh Chodesh 334
About the Translations 337
About CLAL—The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership 338

Sujets

• Rituals
• Philosophie et théologie
• Irwin Kula
• National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership
• List of Jewish prayers and blessings
• Jewish holiday
• Judaism
• Religion
• Practice

Informations

• Publié par: Turner Publishing Company
• Date de parution: 24 février 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781580235617
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

T HE B OOK OF J EWISH S ACRED P RACTICES
CLAL s Guide to Everyday Holiday Rituals Blessings

Edited by Rabbi Irwin Kula and Vanessa L. Ochs, Ph.D.
JEWISH LIGHTS Publishing Woodstock, Vermont
The Book of Jewish Sacred Practices:
CLAL s Guide to Everyday Holiday Rituals Blessings
2009 Quality Paperback Edition, Third Printing
CLAL is The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership.
2001 by CLAL
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
For information regarding permission to reprint material from this book, please mail or fax your request in writing to Jewish Lights Publishing, Permissions Department, at the address / fax number listed below, or e-mail your request to [e-mail] .
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
The Book of Jewish sacred practices: CLAL s guide to everyday holiday rituals blessings / edited by Irwin Kula and Vanessa Ochs.
p. cm.
ISBN-13: 978-1-58023-152-7 (quality pbk.)
ISBN-10: 1-58023-152-7 (quality pbk.)
1. Judaism-Prayer-books and devotions. 2. Jewish way of life. 3. Judaism-Customs and practices. 4. Jewish meditations. 5. Benediction-Judaism. 6. Benedictions. I. Kula, Irwin.
II. Ochs, Vanessa L.
BM665 .K85 2001
296.4-dc21
2001002553
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3
Manufactured in the United States of America
Cover design: Stacey Hood
Cover art: Exodus, by Michael Bogdanow
Cover art: Exodus ( 2000) was painted by Michael Bogdanow, an artist, lawyer and musician living in Lexington, Massachusetts. It is inspired by the Passover seder in which it is said that in each generation, every one of us must feel that he, that she, has personally gone out of Egypt. Bogdanow states that it reflects every human s crossing of every Red Sea throughout all time. The original is an acrylic painting on canvas and is part of the artist s Visions of Torah series of contemporary, spiritual paintings and reproductions inspired by Judaic texts.
Published by Jewish Lights Publishing
A Division of LongHill Partners, Inc.
Sunset Farm Offices, Route 4, P.O. Box 237
Woodstock, VT 05091
Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone]
www.jewishlights.com
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
About the Contributors
Preface
Introduction: Renew the Old, Sanctify the New
EVERYDAY LIFE
Waking Up
Praying for What We Need
Washing Our Hands
Eating
Making a List of Things to Do
Preparing a Family Recipe
Going to Work
Organizing Your Room, Your House, Your Office, Your Affairs, Your Life
Traveling
Keeping a Sense of Home When You Are on the Road
Spending Time with Family
Having Guests of Different Faiths at Our Table
Bringing Home a New Pet
Gardening
PARENTS AND CHILDREN
Hoping to Have a Child
Celebrating Pregnancy
Welcoming a New Child
Nursing
Guiding Our Growing Children toward Independence
Preparing for Your Bar or Bat Mitzvah
Sending a Child to College
Blessing One s Parents
RELATIONSHIPS
Falling in Love
Celebrating the Difference You ve Made in Each Other s Lives
Ending a Relationship
Healing Relationships
Receiving Guests
Blessing One s Hosts
SPECIAL MOMENTS
Celebrating a Private Miracle
Celebrating Birthdays
Hearing Good News
Being a Guest at a Wedding
Seeing Natural Wonders
Standing at a Crossroads
Running a Marathon
Noticing a Change in the Seasons
Moving into a New House
Joining a Synagogue
Taking on a Jewish Name
Wearing a Tallit for the First Time
Retiring
HEALING
Praying for Healing
Visiting the Sick
Finding Hope in a Time of Illness
Treating a Patient
Starting to Work Out
Quitting Smoking
Creating Opportunities, Opening Doors
LIFE AND DEATH
Hearing of a Death
Making a Shiva Call
Remembering the Loss of Someone You Love
Moving Out of Mourning and Back into Life
Writing an Ethical Will
Saying Good-Bye to a Beloved Pet
LEARNING
Starting School
Beginning to Study Torah for the First Time
Studying Sacred Texts Each Day
Finishing an Important Book
Honoring a Teacher at the End of the Year
LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNAL LIFE
Building a Pluralist Jewish Community
Examining Ourselves as Leaders
Taking on New Responsibilities
Taking on a Volunteer Role
Holding a Meeting
Installing a New Communal Leader
Celebrating a New Community Building
Naming a Community
ISRAEL
Going to Israel
Visiting Jerusalem
Sending Your Child to Israel
Returning from Israel
TZEDAKAH
Preparing Ourselves to Do Sacred Work
Donating Food and Clothing
Soliciting Support
Receiving Requests for Contributions
Making a Contribution
Dedicating a Wall or Plaque that Honors Donors
Wearing Your Commitments
HOLY DAYS
Shabbat
Lighting Shabbat Candles
Blessing Children on Shabbat
Rosh Hashanah
Changing Your Fate for the Coming Year
Preparing Your Prayers for the High Holidays
Casting Away Our Sins (Tashlikh)
Hearing the Shofar
Yom Kippur
Fasting
Sukkot
Building a Sukkah
Receiving Sukkah Guests
Waving the Lulav and Etrog
Taking Down a Sukkah
Simchat Torah
Dancing with the Torah
Chanukah
Lighting the Menorah
Rededicating Your Home on Chanukah
Purim
Preparing Mishloach Manot
Passover
Removing Chametz from One s Home
Searching for the Afikoman (for Grown-Ups)
Counting the Omer
Yom Ha atzma ut
Celebrating Yom Ha atzma ut, Israel s Independence Day
Shavuot
Studying Together on Shavuot
Rosh Chodesh
Celebrating Rosh Chodesh
About the Translations
About CLAL-The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership
About Jewish Lights
Copyright
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This book has been the effort of the entire CLAL faculty, which represents all denominations of Judaism. It exemplifies CLAL s mission to help build vital Jewish communities in the twenty-first century that are pluralist and inclusive, to develop new forms of Jewish thought and practice, to stimulate volunteer and professional leaders to imagine the Jewish future, and to enhance Jewish participation in civic and spiritual life.
Special thanks to CLAL faculty and administrative staff-project manager Janet R. Kirchheimer, who oversaw all aspects of the book; Hannah Gastfreund, who typed and laid out the entire manuscript; and Ruth Bregman and Dr. David Kraemer for their technical assistance.
Rabbi Irwin Kula and Dr. Vanessa L. Ochs envisioned the concept and orchestrated the development of the book, and we are deeply appreciative of Vanessa Ochs s expertise in editing.
We are also grateful to CLAL s many students and participants who played an important role in the evolution of these sacred practices and rituals that link our heritage with contemporary life, renewing the old and sanctifying the new.
Donna M. Rosenthal
Executive Vice Chairman
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS
Rabbi Judith Z. Abrams, Ph.D ., is a CLAL Associate. She was ordained at the Hebrew Union College and received her Ph.D. in Rabbinic Literature from Baltimore Hebrew University.
Rabbi Tsvi Blanchard, Ph.D ., is Director of Organizational Development at CLAL. He was ordained at the St. Louis Rabbinical College and received his Ph.D. in Psychology from St. Louis University and his Ph.D. in Philosophy from Washington University.
Rabbi Daniel Silberman Brenner is a Senior Teaching Fellow at CLAL. He received his M.A. in Hebrew Letters and his ordination from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College.
Shari Cohen, Ph.D ., is a Senior Fellow at CLAL. She received her Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley.
David M. Elcott, Ph.D ., formerly Academic Vice President at CLAL, received his Ph.D. in Modern Jewish History from Columbia University.
Rabbi Niles E. Goldstein , formerly a CLAL Steinhardt Senior Fellow, received his M.A. from and was ordained at Hebrew Union College.
Michael Gottsegen, Ph.D ., is Director of Internet Programs at CLAL. He received his Ph.D. in Political Theory from Columbia University and is completing his Ph.D. in Religion at Harvard University.
Rabbi Irving (Yitz) Greenberg, Ph.D ., is President Emeritus and co-founder of CLAL. He received ordination from Beth Joseph Rabbinical Seminary and his Ph.D. in History from Harvard University.
Rabbi Steven Greenberg is a Senior Teaching Fellow at CLAL. He received his rabbinical ordination from Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary of Yeshiva University.
Rabbi Brad Hirschfield is Director of Leadership and Communities at CLAL. He received ordination from the Institute of Traditional Judaism and his M.A. and M.Phil. in Ancient Jewish History from the Jewish Theological Seminary.
Janet R. Kirchheimer is Director of Community Development and Assistant to the President of CLAL. She received her B.S. in Business Administration from Central Connecticut State College.
David Kraemer, Ph.D ., is a CLAL Associate. He received his M.A. and Ph.D. in Talmud and Rabbinics from the Jewish Theological Seminary.
Rabbi Jennifer E. Krause is a CLAL Associate. She received her M.A. in Hebrew Literature from and was ordained at Hebrew Union College.
Rabbi Irwin Kula is President of CLAL. He received his B.H.L., his M.A. in Rabbinics, and his ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary.
Rabbi Benay Lappe was a CLAL Spielberg Fellow and is a CLAL Associate. She received an M.A. in Rabbinic Literature and ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary.
Rabbi Natan Margalit was a CLAL Steinhardt Fellow. He was ordained at the Jerusalem Orthodox Seminary.
Rabbi David Nelson, Ph.D ., is a Senior CLAL Associate. He received his ordination from Hebrew Union College and his Ph.D. in Midrash from New York University.
Vanessa L. Ochs, Ph.D ., is a Senior CLAL Associate. She received her Ph.D. in the Anthropology of Religion from Drew University.