Observation ·
Why the Word “Amen” Has Changed So Little in Its 2,500-Year History
By PhilologosIts meaning in the Bible is “Truly said!” or “So be it!” After that it acquired its intense liturgical emotion, and then hasn't changed much since.
Prayer
Latest Mosaic Content for Prayer
Observation ·
The Significance of Supplication
By Atar HadariAn ancient rabbinic dispute pitted eminent scholars against one another. The Taḥanun prayer is rooted in that story of public shame and private distress.
Observation ·
The Mysteries of the Sh’ma
By Rabbi Meir SoloveichikIt's at once the most famous affirmation of Jewish belief—no other sentence in Judaism is more powerful—and the most misunderstood.
Observation ·
The Happiest Psalm of Them All
By Atar HadariIn a biblical book many of whose poems express anxiety and apprehension, Psalm 104 is a confident and joyous singalong.
Observation ·
Why Some Rabbis Have Loved the Sabbath Prayer “Shalom Aleykhem”—and Some Haven’t
By Atar HadariThe promise and peril of calling angels to bless your Sabbath table.
Observation ·
Two Anthem-Like Views of What Judaism Boils Down To
By Atar HadariThe two great liturgical songs of Yigdal and Adon Olam offer rival attempts to summarize the essence of Judaism.
Observation ·
One of the Most Spectacular Songs of Praise in the Jewish Liturgy
By Atar HadariNishmat starts with the wide-open sky and the wings of eagles; it ends deep inside the recesses of the body, in our vital organs.
Observation ·
The Siddur Is a Battlefield
By Atar HadariThe ancient priesthood, the Pharisees, the kabbalists, the Ḥasidim—each of these and more have made a stand in the prayer book for what they think Judaism should be.
Observation ·
The Personal Prayer at the Heart of the High Holy Days
By Atar Hadari“Here am I, poor in deeds," it begins. Where did it come from and, more importantly, what does it say to us?
