My People’s Prayer Book Vol 3: P’sukei D’zimrah (Morning Psalms) Dr. Marc Zvi Brettler

“The prayer book is our Jewish diary of the centuries, a collection of prayers composed by generations of those who came before us, as they endeavored to express the meaning of their lives and their relationship to God. The prayer book is the essence of the Jewish soul.”

This stunning work, an empowering entryway to the spiritual revival of our times, enables all of us to claim our connection to the heritage of the traditional Jewish prayer book. It helps rejuvenate Jewish worship in today’s world, and makes its power accessible to all.

This third volume of the series explores the rich content and meaning of the P’sukei D’zimrah, the morning psalms that serve as the introduction to the larger prayer service. The P’sukei D’zimrah sets the tone and prepares the way for the daily transition from secular routine to the sacred act of communal prayer; Vol. 3 helps us to appreciate this “prayer before the prayer” as a profoundly moving spiritual experience in its own right.

Vol. 3—P’sukei D’zimrah (Morning Psalms) features the authentic Hebrew text with a new translation designed to let people know exactly what the prayers say. Introductions tell the reader what to look for in the prayer service, as well as how to truly use the commentaries, to search for—and find—meaning in the prayer book. Commentaries from some of today’s most eminent scholars and teachers from all movements of Judaism examine P’sukei D’zimrah from the perspectives of ancient Rabbis and modern theologians, as well as feminist, halakhic, Talmudic, linguistic, biblical, Chasidic, mystical and historical perspectives.

Even those not yet familiar with the prayer book can appreciate the spiritual richness of P’sukei D’zimrah. My People’s Prayer Book enables all worshipers, of any denomination, to encounter their own connection to 3,000 years of Jewish experience with the world and with God.

Contributors:
Marc Brettler • Elliot N. Dorff • David Ellenson • Ellen Frankel • Judith Hauptman • Joel M. Hoffman • Lawrence A. Hoffman • Reuven Kimelman • Lawrence Kushner • Daniel Landes • Nehemia Polen