Prayer Musings

In Judaism, it is the journey, not the destination, that matters.

Why does the prayer recited on Hanukkah fail to make any mention of the holiday's central miracle?

This prayer calls on us to discover where the brokenness of the world overlaps with our particular human gifts.

The prayer's three paragraphs seem unrelated, but they lead us on the steps of a spiritual journey.

From the constriction of our places of pain, Psalm 118 invites us into the wide expanse of the divine presence.

Both the holidays when this prayer is recited are marked by courageous human action in making space for the miraculous.

Jewish mysticism sees the sanctification of wine as a spiritual practice to manifest God's presence in the world.

This prayer, traditionally recited in the evening, envisions God as a guide and shelter.

Recited at the end of Shabbat morning services, this beautiful poem does a lot with a little.

The two blessings recited prior to the Shema illustrate a fundamental duality in how Jewish spirituality relates to God.

The prefatory verse of the Amidah reminds us that while prayer is mostly written in the language of 'we,' it yearns to be experienced in the language of 'I.'

The final chapter of the Book of Psalms calls for a symphony of horns, drums, lyres and more.