Entering Jewish Prayer: A Guide to Personal Devotion and the Worship Service. - book reviews

National Review, July 11, 1994 by Mark Miller

The destruction of the Temple in ancient Jerusalem changed the course not only of Jewish history but of world history, for one result of it was the development of prayer as Western religion understands it. Jewish prayer is more than an entreaty of the divine or a replacement for sacrifices; it is also study, remembrance, praise, and, says, Reuven Hammer, "the history of the Jewish people through the eyes of the rabbinic Sages." Rabbi Hammer lays out the conceptual framework of contemporary Jewish prayer, exploring how the daily prayer services gradually became standardized.

While thinner on the details of the liturgy than Hayim Donin's To Pray as a Jew, this book provides a more accessible introduction for the unsynagogued. Rabbi Hammer conveys the discipline of Jewish prayer without making it seem constraining, encourages personal expression without verging on the saccharine, and above all challenges the reader to start somewhere. Anyone wishing to do so should also consult the excellent Artscroll prayerbook, which contains, in addition to the complete Hebrew liturgy and a sophisticated English translation, copious notes on everything from the history and meaning of the prayers to instructions on home rituals and the synagogue service.