A Book of Life: Embracing Judaism as a Spiritual Practice - Hardcover

Strassfeld, Michael

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0805241248 ISBN 13: 9780805241242

Publisher: Schocken, 2002

Synopsis

A look at the Jewish way of life examines such topics as prayer, meditation, festivals, Sabbath laws and practices, work ethics, and how to keep kosher.

About this title

From the Back Cover

"Strassfeld presents the whole of Jewish life as a practice-path of attentiveness to the moment-to-moment possibility of connecting with the sacred. His conversational tone and wit support the enormous amount of information and guidance in his book, keeping it always accessible, engaging, and inspiring."
--Sylvia Boorstein, author of Pay Attention, For Goodness' Sake

"Strassfeld offers his readers a thoughtful blend of richly traditional Judaism and contemporary spiritual quest. You will learn a lot from this warm and open-hearted portrayal."
--Rabbi Arthur Green, author of These Are the Words: A Vocabulary of Jewish Spiritual Life

"A Book of Life wonderfully illuminates traditional Jewish teachings to make a set of practices come alive for our contemporary world. Strassfeld doesn't shy away from the difficult questions, the ones that compel us to bring our deepest values to our real and present experiences in order to have an authentic spiritual life."
--Sharon Salzberg, author of Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness

"Strassfeld presents the whole of Jewish life as a practice-path of attentiveness to the moment-to-moment possibility of connecting with the sacred. His conversational tone and wit support the enormous amount of information and guidance in his book, keeping it always accessible, engaging, and inspiring."
--Sylvia Boorstein, author of Pay Attention, For Goodness' Sake

"Rabbi Strassfeld has set a sumptuous table for students of Judaism in his Book of Life. Paying equal attention to ethics, spirituality, and ritual, Strassfeld gently guides readers through the practices of Judaism that lead to a mindful Jewish life. This book is perfect for congregations, for undergraduate courses, for conversion classes, and for searchers from every walk of life."
--Rabbi Burton L. Visotzky, Appleman Chair of Midrash and Interreligious Studies, Jewish Theological Seminary

"Over the years, Michael Strassfeld has consistently captured the liberal spiritual imagination of American life, and now he has done it once again in this thoughtful and comprehensive introduction to Judaism for our time. The necessary facts and lexicon of Jewish life are masterfully woven into a creative web of traditional Jewish wisdom and altogether novel interpretation. He covers the usual topics like prayer and holiday observance, but also the unusual ones--like work, speech, and ecological consciousness--in fact, pretty much every area where modern men and women seek out spiritual meaning and ethical guidance."
--Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, author of The Way into Jewish Prayer

Reviews

The author of this outstanding book is the rabbi of the Society for the Advancement of Judaism, the New York synagogue where Mordecai Kaplan started the Reconstructionist movement in 1922. He is also one of the authors of The Jewish Catalog, the bestselling handbook for Jewish practices, first published nearly 20 years ago. This follow-up is a far more sophisticated and comprehensive guide that adds meditation to traditional Jewish rituals. As he explores his thesis that "Judaism is meant to be a spiritual discipline," Strassfeld displays his considerable erudition by providing explanations based on Talmudic and Midrashic texts as well as Hasidic and mystical stories. Appropriately, the book opens with Jewish behavior prescribed for the beginning of the day and continues with prayers for the rest of the day, along with proposed meditations. After a thorough discussion of Shabbat rituals (to which Strassfeld suggests adding an environmental orientation), he analyzes Torah study, prayer and deeds of loving-kindness the three pillars on which the world rests, according to Judaism. This is followed by a detailed survey of Jewish holidays in which Strassfeld acknowledges differences among the Jewish denominations, as he spells out the customs and processes associated with each festival. He offers an ingenious and global examination of the life cycle, placing it in the context of the five books of Moses. Strassfeld writes clearly, making complicated matters comprehensible. This valuable book needs to be read and reread by all Jews, and by non-Jews who want to understand their Jewish neighbors.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Rabbi Strassfeld examines life as a spiritual path from morning to night, from one full year to a lifetime, believing that being a good Jew is to live a life of goodness and holiness. In this guide to behavior and values, Strassfeld explores such topics as sabbath laws and practices, speech (it can heal or damage), work ethics, and keeping kosher. In a section entitled "The Three Paths," the author discusses the study of Torah, the kinds of prayer (this includes a brief guide to Jewish liturgy), and deeds and loving-kindness. The author also describes the Jewish festivals, examines the ways to live a life of holiness, and discusses what he calls a "new religious Zionism." His sources include the Bible, Midrash, Talmud, and other Jewish writing, and the book is filled with prayers and blessings for every occasion. An invaluable study of Jewish law and rituals. George Cohen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

DAWNING

Only that day dawns to which we are awake.
–Thoreau


We begin with the act of waking up. The Shulhan Arukh, the classic code of Jewish law, urges us to arise at dawn, at the moment of transition from night to day. Sunrise is a clear reminder that this is a moment of transition, a moment repeated every day and yet never exactly the same. Though we have substituted the face of the clock for the face of the sun, we can still rise to greet the dawn of our new day whenever we actually get up. It is a moment of transition from sleep to awareness; a moment to orient ourselves for a new day. For humans, the new day means life and consciousness. By opening our eyes each morning, we become awake to the world and to our being.


Getting Up on the Right Spiritual Side of the Bed

Even as we struggle to awaken and shake off the vestiges of sleep, we begin to engage the new day. Our mind goes to our "to list for the day while we engage in the mundane tasks of getting ready. As we shower, dress, make coffee, and prepare lunch, our mind is trying to focus on the many things we need to do at work, the errands we need to accomplish, and the problems and challenges ahead. Nevertheless, we can orient our day and thus have an impact on its quality by taking a brief moment for reflection. We can create a spiritual "to do" list. To whom do we want to be sure to express love, caring, warmth, friendship, or just appreciation on this day? How can we be slightly more conscious in our behavior toward others? To what spiritual place can we be a little closer at the end of this day? This spiritual reckoning requires just a moment–as we wash our hands or take a shower, as we put all the things we need for the day in our briefcase. Find a moment that seems right for you and create a daily ritual. What follows are a number of suggested rituals for awakening to the day, some traditional and some contemporary. They are suggestions for practice. You may use these to create your own ritual or liturgy, or you may simply set aside time for silent reflection and meditation. Make your own choices but understand that how you start the day can make a difference.


To renew your faith in the morning, do not involve yourself in any worldly activity or speech when you get out of bed; just go to the bathroom, wash, then meditate, thinking of the Creator of the world with full concentration–that God is One, Single, and Unique.

Look through your window at the sky and the earth and recall the verse "Lift up your eyes on high and see–who created all this?" (Isa. 40:26), and think that God created it all out of absolute nothing- ness. And think, "How many are Your works, O Lord, with wisdom have You made them all; the earth is full of Your creations" (Psalm 104:24). Think of how great God's works are, in the creation of the heaven and the earth and all that is in them–inanimate and animate–plants, animals, humans, creatures great and wonderful. "God created the ocean and all that is in it, the awesome whales, God formed the mountains and created winds and fire" (Kitzur Shnei Luhot ha-Brit).


Modeh ani–An awakening ritual Upon waking up, say: Modeh ani lefanekha melekh hai ve-kayam she-hehezarta bi nishmati be-hemlah, rabbah emunatekha. "I give thanks to You, Source of life and existence, that you have once again placed my soul within me, great is your faith (in me)."

Alternatively: "As the sun rises to reawaken the world, let wonder and possibility be the blessing of my life this day renewed."

The modeh ani prayer reflects a belief that God renews creation daily. We too are seen as a beriah hadashah, "a new creation." There is a traditional belief that the soul leaves the body during sleep and "checks in with the home office" up in heaven. This prayer is, then, an expression of gratitude to God for literally returning our soul to us each morning. Traditionally, too, sleep was seen as analogous to death and therefore we are thankful to awaken alive for a new day.


The Hasidic master, the Apter Rebbe, when asked why he had not begun the morning service even though it was already noon, replied: "I woke up this morning and began to praise God, saying, 'I offer my thanks before You [the modeh ani]; but immediately I began to wonder: Who am I? And who is the You before Whom I am I? I'm still pondering this, and haven't been able to go onward.' " [Jewish Spiritual Practices, p. 78]

Washing the hands Water is a symbol of life, because it nourishes all living things. It is also a symbol of birth, as it reminds us of the fluids that accompany birth. It is used as a means of symbolic cleansing in a variety of settings. It is a traditional Jewish practice to wash our hands upon awakening by first taking a cup of water in one hand and pouring it over the other hand, then switching hands and repeating the process. (Some people do this three times for each hand.) Ritually anointing our hands is a symbol of the renewal of creation as well as a spiritual cleans- ing in preparation for the work of the new day.

In addition to the traditional prayer, we may add a kavanah, a word or concept, a poem or meditation, or even a chant, to "direct" our attention to the extraordinary holiness of an ordinary moment. The word kavanah has the inner meaning of "direction" or "intention," but a better translation for English speakers is "a focus."


KAVANAH

Water flows over these hands
May I use them skillfully as I construct and shape this day
[based on a prayer by Thich Nhat Hanh]

Or:

Ve-yehi noam Adonai eloheinu aleinu, u-ma'aseh yadainu konenah aleinu, u-ma'aseh yadainu konenaihu.

"May the favor of Adonai our God be upon us, let the work of our hands prosper, O prosper the work of our hands!" [Psalm 90:17]

While slowly drying your hands, recite the berakhah/blessing:

Barukh attah Adonai eloheinu melekh ha-olam asher kidshanu be-mitzvotav ve-tzivanu al netilat yadayim.

"Praised are You, Eternal One, our God, source of the universe who has made us holy through the commandments and commanded us concerning the washing of hands."

Washing the face and mouth A person should wash her face, her hands, and her feet every day for the sake of her Maker, as is said, "Adonai has made everything for God's own purpose" (Prov. 16:4). [Talmud, Berakhot 50b]

In addition to the hands, some wash the face upon arising, and the Mishneh Berurah, a commentary on the Shulhan Arukh, says that just as we anoint our hands we should also rinse our mouths. For most of us, the mouth is the most significant vehicle in our interaction with others in the world. Rinsing the mouth, in this case, is not intended to cleanse it, but to purify it symbolically in preparation for the words we will vocalize during the day. (Some Jews, therefore, observe the custom of being silent before they wash in the morning.)


KAVANAH

May I see the image of the Holy One reflected in this face and in the faces of all those whose eyes will reflect mine this day.
May the words of my mouth be pleasing to all who have listening ears.
May I take care of this body, Your creation, and a vessel for the holy.


Although this anointing of the hands, face, and mouth is only symbolic, you might choose to use the above kavanot or "focusings" during your morning shower.

Attitudes toward the body The body is the soul's house. Shouldn't we therefore take care of our house so that it doesn't fall into ruin? [Philo, The Worse Attacks the Better, section 10]

While traditional Judaism believes in a soul that survives beyond death, the body is not seen as the enemy of spirituality or even as something that weighs down the spirit. The body is the vessel that contains the soul; it is also the vehicle that creates opportunities to serve God and to effect tikkun olam, the repair of the world. For Judaism, all of life is part of God's world–a corollary of monotheism–since there is only one God who created everything in the universe. This is true of even the most mundane and seemingly base activities. Thus there is a blessing to be recited after going to the bathroom in the morning. (Traditionally, the blessing is said after each visit to the bathroom.) The blessing expresses an appreciation for the workings of the human body and the delicate balance that maintains it, something we often take for granted.


Praised are You, Eternal One, our God, source of the universe, who has formed a human with wisdom, and created in her openings and vessels. It is well known before Your glorious throne, that if one of these is opened or if one is closed that it would be impossible to exist. Praised are You, who heals all creatures in a wondrous fashion.


Judaism's concern with care of our bodies is also reflected in issues of physical appearance and well-being. Societal standards determine what constitutes modest attire, and many of the specific statements in our tradition no longer seem applicable. In broad terms, however, the tradition attempts to maintain an appreciation for the beauty of the body and its sensuality while consistently reminding us that we are more than just bodies. Each of us is created in the Divine image. It is natural for us to want to be attractive to others and to be noticed by those around us.

Unlike secular society, Judaism does not have an idealized model of beauty. We are all created in God's image. In all our diversity, fat and thin, tall and short, we are all equally God's creations. As the vessel that holds our soul, Judaism seeks most of all to have our outside selves be a reflection...

Edition details

• Publisher: Schocken
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0805241248
• ISBN 13: 9780805241242
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 528