Waiting For Rain: Reflections at the Turning of the Year
Bryna Jocheved Levy
The Jewish Publication Society, 2008
In Israel, the High Holy Days cycle marks the transition from summer to the rainy season. In Waiting for Rain, acclaimed Bible teacher Bryna Levy offers a compelling collection of meditations that examine the biblical and liturgical readings associated with these holidays, from Rosh Hashanah to Simhat Torah.
A book of Torah commentary, Waiting for Rain inspires readers by taking a fresh look at the traditional text. The volume grew from a series of lectures Levy gives in Jerusalem each fall, in which she joins insights from contemporary biblical scholarship and literary studies with her own perspective as a modern Orthodox female Bible scholar.
Examining the liturgical and biblical readings associated with the High Holy Days, Levy explores the psyches of biblical characters and addresses issues such as: our connectedness to others; the tragedy of wasted opportunity; confronting evil, the denial of death; faith and doubt; personal and communal responsibility; universalism versus particularism; the challenge of leadership; sin and atonement; and the efficacy of prayer.
The result is a highly personal approach to the meaning of the High Holidays that resonates with our own modern lives. Stories about heroes and heroines, love, faith, hope, and dreams make this book a moving and engaging source for study and reflection as well as an excellent companion to the traditional High Holiday prayer services.
Read the book review that was published by The Jewish Week
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