A book that charts a clear path to a more
spiritually rich practice of Judaism-from
the coauthor of
the best-selling Jewish Catalogs.
For all the cycles of life, best-selling
author Rabbi Michael Strassfeld presents traditional Jewish
teachings as a guide to behavior and values. Where the
tradition is replete with rituals (for example, the Sabbath),
he describes them and shows how they can enrich spiritual
living. Where rituals are sparse or nonexistent (for example,
returning home at the end of the workday), he suggests new ones
gleaned from his own study and experience.
Strassfeld also brings the principles of
“insight meditation” to Jewish life, using this
practice to recover and reconstruct Judaism’s spiritual
dimension. He describes a Judaism that encourages within us a
spiritual awareness as we participate in both traditional
Jewish practices and the mundane activities of daily life. By
engaging with Jewish tradition in ways that recapture its
original kavanah, or intention, we will, Strassfeld maintains, achieve
the two fundamental goals of Judaism-to become better human
beings and to be in God’s presence. (Hardcover published
in 2002 by Schocken Books, ISBN 0-8052-4124-8.)
“Outstanding.... 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.”
—Publishers
Weekly
“An invaluable study of Jewish law
and rituals.”
—American Library
Association’s Booklist
Michael Strassfeld, coauthor of the three volumes of The Jewish Catalog and of A Night of Questions: A Passover Haggadah and author of The
Jewish Holidays: A Guide and Commentary, is the rabbi of the Society for the Advancement
of Judaism, a synagogue in Manhattan.
