Unlocking the Power of Jewish Prayer

Emulating the Divine: God’s Attributes of Mercy

What is the deeper significance of God’s 13 attributes of mercy that play a central role in the High Holiday prayers?

The Mystical Meaning of Autumn Leaves

Why did God create a world where I need to do all this raking?

What Is A Synagogue? Meaning, Laws, & Traditions

Maximizing the experience in God's house of prayer.

 

The Shema: Understanding Judaism's Most Important Prayer

These six ancient words, whispered in joy, desperation, and dying breath, have echoed through Jewish homes and history as a declaration of faith and identity.

10 Surprising Ways Jewish Prayer Boosts Mental Health

How Jewish prayer can improve your mental well-being—even if you’ve never set foot in a synagogue.

What Are Psalms and Why Should I Say Them?

With Israel under attack, every prayer matters. Here are the Psalms traditionally recited during times of war.

The Jewish Calendar: A Map for Your Soul

The deeper connection between the twelve tribes of Israel, the twelve senses, and the twelve zodiac symbols as a means for spiritual growth.

Tefilat Haderech: What Is the Jewish Traveler’s Prayer?

Learn more about the deeper significance of the Jewish Traveler’s prayer called Tefilat Haderech..

Getting Your Prayers Answered

Understanding why and how prayer works. A Jewish perspective.

What Does It Mean to be Created in the Image of God?

A kabalistic look at the essence of being human.

The Power of Kol Nidrei

Why does this obscure annulment of vows take central stage on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year?

What Does Amen Mean?

Amen is actually a Hebrew word. What does it mean and how is it used in Jewish daily life?

The Last Prayer

We would not be winners of the cancer survival sweepstakes. All we wanted was to leave the hospital so Dale could die peacefully at home.

God, Give Me a Sign

I felt angry and alone, and begged God to give me a sign. Then the phone rang.

 

What is Kabbalah?

Many pillars of Jewish belief are impossible to comprehend without studying Kabbalah. So why is it so misunderstood?

Mourner’s Kaddish: The Jewish Prayer for the Dead

The Mourner’s Kaddish is one of a number of important prayers said in the merit of the departed.

Why Blessings Matter

Thank God for thankfulness. Saying blessings can transform your life.

A Peek into the Jewish Prayer Book

An informal tour of the daily prayers.

Praying in a World Gone Mad

The specter of antisemitism is shaping my ongoing dialogue with God.

The Nuts and Bolts of Prayer

The primary purpose of prayer is to get close to God.

Anatomy of a Blessing

Blessings over food and other experiences are tools for transcendental amazement.

Shema Yisrael

What is behind the most famous Jewish prayer?

Tefillin: A Primer

Tefillin: Everything you need to know about those powerful black boxes, placed on the head and arm.

What Is Jewish Prayer?

Prayer plays an important role in Jewish life. What is it, and what’s the best way to use it?

Mincha - The Afternoon Prayer

Mincha is an oasis of spiritual time in a tough workday, a moment of calming nerves and focusing on priorities.

6 Not-So-Obvious Benefits of Prayer

Surprising benefits of prayer that are backed by scientific studies.

Three Meditations When Hearing the Shofar

What should you be thinking about as the shofar pierces the air?

Gal Gadot’s Favorite Jewish Prayer

The Israeli actress wakes up each morning with a prayer of thanks on her lips.

Praying on Rosh Hashanah in 3 Easy Steps

Exploring the primary themes of the special Mussaf prayer.

Meeting with God at the Dentist

How the dentist chair became one of the most intense places I encounter God.

Why Pray If God Knows What’s Best?

Exploring the Jewish understanding of prayer.

Answered Prayers

If we pray with sincerity, there is no such thing as an unanswered prayer.

Gematria: Meaning, Code & Use

Numerology, code, and a deeper meaning of life,

Thank God for the Unanswered Prayers

Sometimes it’s the events that seem so wrong that end up saving us.

So You Don't Feel God in Your Life?

I was berating myself, feeling down and useless. Little did I know that God was listening to my pain.

Prayer: Maintaining the Connection

God is waiting for your call.

Why Do Jews Pray Three Times a Day?

One answer lies in the three key moments that can help make or break a basketball player’s spirit.

When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?

Why do human beings undergo a mini-death every night?

How to Pray For Something You Really Want

Ten steps to a powerful ask.

Rabbi Benjamin Blech

A Rabbi’s Confession: What I Discovered by Not Going to Shul

I prayed and learned Torah at home, but there was no way I could replace the communal aspect that only a synagogue supplies.

Sara Yoheved Rigler

Feeling God’s Presence During Covid-19

Henny Machlis’s recipe for treating the ills of the pandemic.

The Truest Prayers

They're not pretty. They begin when we put down the facade of competence and acknowledge that we can’t manage, we can’t handle, we can’t fix.

The 48 Ways to Prayer

How Rabbi Noah Weinberg's book shook my stagnation and gave me a path to meaningful prayer.

A Relationship with God

What happens when God doesn't answer our prayers?

Kabbala #1: What Is Kabbala?

Kabbala is the Torah's expression of the way the world works. Removed from its source, it's a lot of rubbish. (First in a series.)

Kabbala #2: Perceiving the Infinite

How can we get a glimpse of God? Kabbala reveals how the Infinite interacts with humanity.

Kabbala #3: The Ten Sefirot

A Kabbalistic concept explaining the multiplicity of God's manifestations in the world helps us see how God is truly One.

Kabbala #4: Why 10?

Ten Sefirot are not "ten" by chance -- their number helps us understand the design of the entire world.

Kabbala #5: Prayer, Study and the Ten Sefirot

Prayer lifts us above a fragmented world, where we turn our focus to only One God, whose many attributes make up one cohesive union.

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