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What is prayer? How can we 21st century Jews engage in prayer that is meaningful, honest, vital and compelling? How do we discover our own, authentic prayer lives as individuals, and how do we contribute to and enjoy the communal prayer lives of our Jewish communities? How might we articulate our own theologies of prayer? And how might Jewish institutions and practices change in the coming century to enrich and inspire the prayer life of the Jewish people? These great questions, and nothing less, are those we seek to explore through the Institute for Jewish Spirituality’s recently launched PRAYER PROJECT. We offer this webpage as one way to post ideas, practices and resources that might begin to address the questions above, and equally as important, to inspire a wide conversation among smart, engaged, passionate Jews about this crucial, problematic, promising area of contemporary Jewish life. |
| January 2010 Theme: Prayer and Non-Duality | |
Prayer and Non-Duality, Jay Michaelson In the last half-century, theological doctrines once explicitly reserved for the elite have become widespread in the Jewish world. In earlier times, philosophers had their refined conception of God, mystics had theirs, and most people, at least according to the sparse evidence we possess, didn't have much truck with either. In large part, this is still true today; visit any mainline synagogue and you'll find traditional theological notions rarely mentioned in rabbinical schools: God punishing the wicked and rewarding the good, the specialness of Israel and the Torah, and the notion that God hears our prayers. |
 
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About God There’s not a thing
And not a thing
I only know
- Nancy Flam |  | 
Ein Od Milvado In this recording, Rabbi Ebn Leader inspires Institute for Jewish Spirituality rabbis gathered on retreat in their devotional chanting. "Ein od milvado; there is nothing other than [God]." These words are taken from the end of the verse in Deuteronomy (4:35) "It has been clearly shown to you that the Lord alone is God; there is none beside Him." A Hasidic, non-dualist understanding of these words would translate as, "There is nothing other than God" -- that is, God is all there is, or "All is God." (Maggid of Mezritch)
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Cultivating Equanimity: Staying Present to the Moment of What Is This 2-minute mini "body prayer" is an excellent companion to the meditation above. It carefully takes the practitioner through a single, reclined yoga pose to encourage the cultivation of equanimity with whatever arises in the in the field of awareness, supporting a connection with Being itself (Yud Hey Vav Hey).
(Written and narrated by Rabbi Myriam Klotz, from her CD In All Your Ways Know God) | |
God is One, There is no Other This 18-minute, guided mindfulness meditation skillfully interweaves voice and silence to help the practitioner settle down and experience sensations, thoughts and feelings coming and going in the great open sky of the mind. In this way, one cultivates clear awareness (da'at), resting in Being itself (Yud Hey Vav Hey); another way to connect with God, another form of prayer.
(Written by Rabbi Sheila Weinberg; Narrated by Rabbi Nancy Flam) |