Well of Living Insight: Comments on the Siddur

The custom of having a place to wash upon entering a synagogue is one worthy of renewal.

We who live in community make the sacred journey every day from “I” to “we.”

In the most literal meaning of “Israel,” I am thankful to be one of those who wrestles or struggles with God.

The fundamental work of liturgical prayer, then, is to create conditions of heart, mind, and soul in which the siddur words we utter might flourish.

The lifeblood of Judaism is reinterpretation, and both the Kabbalists and the Hasidic authors were great masters of it.

Each day, as we tie these straps around our fingers like rings, we recall that we are all baʿaley teshuvah, returnees who have been invited back into this relationship of great trust and intimacy, even though we may not feel that we deserve it. The One who knows us better than we know ourselves believes in our penitence more than we do.

I just need to keep pushing that doorway open, ever a little bit more, and not to be afraid.

The way of Jewish tradition was always one of cumulative upbuilding.

great privilege and blessing in my life that I am able to express the longings of my soul in the rich and ancient language of our people.