The Priestly Blessings and the Meaning of Peace
Journey Through the Siddur
How a speech by a U.S. president can help us understand the true meaning of the peace that we pray for in the amidah.
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A Life of Gratitude and Gratitude for Life
Journey Through the Siddur
The blessing of thanksgiving embodies how Jews think about gratitude to God.
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The Whisper of the Stones
Journey Through the Siddur
The Jewish people's refusal to forget the Temple sustains its eternal connection to Jerusalem.
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The Prayer and the Voice of Menachem Begin's Childhood Friend
Journey Through the Siddur
The example of a childhood friend of Menachem Begin shows what Jewish prayer is all about.
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Yom Yerushalayim and Seeing Beyond Sight
Journey Through the Siddur
Jews bless the kingship of David because he saw what others did not—that God is the source of all human success.
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David's Jerusalem and the Jewish Soul
Journey Through the Siddur
David endowed Jerusalem with meaning that the Jewish people still carry forward today.
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The High Priest at O'Hare
Journey Through the Siddur
The blessing on righteous people serves as a reminder that others can inspire us to become closer to God.
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Nahmanides in Debate, Then and Now
Journey Through the Siddur
The great sage faced off against slanderers of the Jewish people in his age, much like we still do today. Supplemental Materials: Click here to read the blessing against evil and slanderers. Click here to read Eli Lake’s essay on the “As a Jew” phenomenon (subscription may be required).
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Laura Ingalls Wilder and the Meaning of the Kingship of God
Journey Through the Siddur
A story from the great children's author life reveals the meaning of the blessing of justice.
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The Shofar Postcard and the Shofar Prayer
Journey Through the Siddur
The blessing on the shofar inspires us to listen for God's voice.
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