This volume is part of "The Way Into. . ." series designed as a "guided tour" of Jewish faith, people, history, and beliefs. Dr. Lawrence A. Hoffman is Rabbi and Professor of Liturgy at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. The subject here is Jewish prayer, which the author calls "a discipline and a work of art."
God is beyond description, but devout believers can use the words "great, mighty, and awesome" as a starter. Jewish prayer, according to Dr. Hoffman, is an act of personal piety — a response to all that we have been given. Abraham Joshua Heschel once challenged believers to live in a state of "radical amazement." What does this mean? The author takes a stab at it: "Prayer in the Jewish mode, then, is like painting with oils or playing the violin. We may have a natural talent to respond to the universe with awe, but that talent needs to be nurtured to the point where it becomes an art."
Dr. Hoffman discusses the various ways Jews pray in the synagogue, at home, and through blessings in the midst of everyday life. He observes: "Appreciating the universe without saying a blessing is a sin, because it is like pillaging God's universe. But if we pause to say a blessing over a wonder of nature, thereby demonstrating our appreciation of whatever we are saying a blessing over, God releases it into our care."
Dr. Hoffman also discusses the Jewish ideas that serve as a foundation for prayer including human nature, destiny, and life after death. Becoming a prayerful person requires patience and discipline. It also means "fitting ourselves into the flow of sacred time." Best of all is Abraham Joshua Heschel's view that "To pray is to dream in league with God."
