musing

The prayer we recite when removing the Torah from the ark carries an important lesson about how to understand its ancient words across the expanse of time.

This meditation recited on Shabbat morning is the response of a poetic soul to the daily rising of the sun.

The morning blessing Yotzer Or teaches something fundamental about the Jewish conception of God, and the key to successful human relationships.

God does not show us love through indulgence or simple tenets of faith, but by illuminating the way to a holy life.

This often ignored section of the morning prayers aims to remind us that there is holy work to be done -- and we are the only ones who can do it.

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

These "verses of praise" seek to reorient us away from egocentrism.

In praying for something as fleeting and nearly invisible as dew, this Passover prayer honors the transition from abundance to enough-ness.

This poem, familiar to many worshippers as the closing hymn of the Shabbat service, conveys a complete framework for our relationship to God.