These are my own gleanings from the book by Joel Lurie Grishaver, Stories We Pray: insights into the inner-work of Jewish worship (2012, Torah Aura Productions). I hope they encourage you to buy the book. I have paraphrased in order to clarify my own understanding, but there are also direct quotations from the book. The notes […]
These are my own gleanings from a profound book (both spiritually and practically by Zalman Shachter-Shalomi, The Gates of Prayer: Twelve Talks on Davennology (2011, Albion / Andalus, Boulder). I hope they encourage you to buy the book. I have paraphrased in order to clarify my own understanding, but there are also direct quotations from
The Gates of Prayer: Twelve Talks on Davennology – notes on Reb Zalman’s book Read More »
These are my own gleanings from a classic text by Zalman Shachter-Shalomi, First Steps to a New Jewish Spirit: Reb Zalman’s guide to recapturing the intimacy & ecstasy in your relationship with God (2003, Albion / Andalus, Boulder). I hope they encourage you to buy the book. I have paraphrased in order to clarify my
First Steps to a New Jewish Spirit – notes on Reb Zalman’s book Read More »
Notes on the essay by Abraham Joshua Heschel in Review of Religion vol. 9 no. 2, January (1945) 1. Prayer as an answer “We do not refuse to pray; we abstain from it.” “We cannot make Him visible to us, but we can make ourselves visible to Him. So we open our thoughts to Him.” “To
‘Prayer’ – A.J. Heschel (1945) Read More »
Exploring God as Transcendent and God as Immanent, I began to wonder how this might relate to Buber’s formulation of I-Thou and I-It. Having decided that I don’t think they map on top of each other, I am experimenting with a matrix like this: I’ve called it the T2-I2 matrix—Transcendence-Thou-Immanence-It. The T2-I2 matrix stimulated some
Transcendence, Immanence, I-Thou, I-It Read More »
Introduction before leyning Chapter 15 of Exodus Today is Shabbat Shirah—the shabbat of song, because it’s the week when we read Shirat Hayam—the Song of the Sea, the story of when the Israelites escaped through the miraculously parted sea, while behind them, Pharoah, his army, and their horses drowned. Moses and Miriam led the Israelites
Beshallach 5784 – God of now Read More »
Music and audio © 2 Dec 2023 Alexander Massey – All Rights Reserved אֱלהַי נְשָמָה שֶנָתַתָ בִי טְהורָה הִיא נֵר יְהוָה, נִשְמַת אָדָם חֹפֵשׂ, כָל-חַדְרֵי-בָטֶן כִי-אַתָה, תָאִיר נֵרִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהַי, יַגִיהַ חָשְכִי Ch: My God, the soul you have given me is pure. [Berachot 60b, morning prayer] 1: The soul of a person is the
Invocation for strength, and songs of hope Adonai, Adonai No.2 – Invoking God’s 13 attributes of mercy – connecting directly with those qualities that we want to experience, and embody them, emphasising the warmth of God’s love. Adonai Roi (Ps 23) – Yah is my shepherd … Ana B’choach – A mystical poem, using seven
Jewish songs in a time of crisis Read More »
Here is the programme that Matthew Faulk and I performed on 26 June 2023 to the Oxford group of the Council of Christians and Jews. Good evening, and welcome. Many of tonight’s song lyrics are from texts shared by Jews and Christians: there are seven psalms, two passages from Exodus, and one from Jeremiah. From
CCJ Oxford Soirée (June 2023) Read More »
Music and audio © 21 May 2023 Alexander Massey – All Rights Reserved Buy the sheet music (voice & piano, 2 copies) – $4.95 “May the words of my mouth, and the song in my heart, be pleasing to you, my God, my Rock and my Redeemer.” (Ps 19:14) These words are used at the
Yih’yu L’ratzon – May the words of my mouth Read More »