A central verse in Jewish liturgy comes from Psalm 22.4: ואתה קדוש יושב תהלות ישראל, “And you, Holy One, are enthroned upon Israel’s praises.” That is, God is not just Melekh Ha’Olam automatically. As a medieval saying goes, אין מלך בלא עם, “There is no king without a people.” Only a community of worship can… Read more »

I will interrupt my progress through the morning prayers to reflect on the unusual Sukkot liturgy known as Hoshanot, which we chant while marching around the synagogue holding Lulav and Etrog. Depending on your mood, these prayers can feel either fun and funky or just bizarre. Jews have been doing this parade since Temple times,… Read more »

כל הנשמה תהלל י’ה! Let every breath praise the Lord! For the third message in a row – with a couple more to come – here is another interpretation of this last verse in the book of Psalms. The Talmud legislates that we say blessings of gratitude and celebration whenever we experience sensory and physical… Read more »

כל הנשמה תהלל י’ה! Let every breath praise the Lord! Returning to the beloved Psalm 150, the final chapter of David’s praises. The chapter ends with the summons to “every breath” to praise God. The simple, semantic meaning of כל הנשמה is that every breathing creature should praise. But as often is the case, classical… Read more »

כל הנשמה תהלל י’ה! Let every breath praise the Lord! Everyone loves the climactic 150th chapter of Psalms, an orchestra and ballet of praise [Praise God with Shofar blasts … with harp and lyre … with drums and dance]. This week and for a few subsequent posts, I will offer some comments on this beloved… Read more »