Diverse Dayenus

If this week's concert whetted your appetite for global Jewish music, go to the Piyut website, which documents the vast history of Jewish religious poetry and song, and see for yourself. For Passover, you'll find a wide variety of Diverse Diyenus. The home page is at http://www.piyut.org.il/search/english/ Let yourself wander from there to all corners of the Jewish world, to the vastness of our cultural folkloric heritage. A great way to prepare for Passover! There are seven Dayenus - play the mp3s at your Seder!

Davvenology 101: The Power of the Word

Click here for a creative Synaplex Learner's Service, "The Power of the Word," with a focus on how we can use prayer to improve our ability to communicate holiness in how we speak to others.

Davennology 101: Mah Tovu and the Search for Home

Click here for a Parsha Packet on the prayer Mah Tovu, part of our Davvenology 101 series exploring the meaning and power of prayer.

Davennology 101: Exploring "Mah Tovu"

Kavvanot by Rafi Metz - http://www.pageformer.com/kavanot/index.html

Exploring Mah Tovu

The "Mah Tovu" prayer, that beautiful declaration of awe traditionally recited upon entering the sanctuary, is based on a vision found in the portion Balak. The prophet Balaam comes to curse the Israelites, but then, overtaken by the peaceful beauty of their dwelling places, blesses them instead. I've assembled a number of commentaries on this short but rich prayer. Both the commentaries and the verses of the prayer itself come from a wide variety of sources.

In the spirit of my Davvenology series (a term coined by Rabbi Zalman Schachter Shalomi), this collection of commentaries seeks to breathe life into this prayer by matching it with our life experiences. It is wonderful to be able to take not only from traditional commentaries, but also from modern Biblical criticism and contemporary interpretations as well. I include in my a section from Sh'ma magazine, in which we discover the sanctity embedded in every room of our homes (even the front porch).

The Mah Tovu prayer reminds us that each home is indeed a mini sanctuary, a "Mikdash Me'at."

I'll be posting more of my ongoing "Davvenology 101" series over the coming months.

To read the Davvenology 101 pdf, "Exploring Mah Tovu," click here.