Books by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz

From the compiler: A number of times throughout the years, I have mentioned to Rabbi Steinsaltz that such wonderful gems are embedded within his lectures, interviews, and writings - and I find myself repeating these gems to people. "Perhaps not gems," he responded. "Maybe pebbles." So, for nearly 30 years, I have been collecting pebbles from Rabbi Steinsaltz. The pebbles in this book are all from unpublished sources. Each is notated with additional pebbles from published sources that relate to the unpublished ones. I have done this for two reasons: to offer a lot more pebbles to the reader, and to send the reader to Rabbi Steinsaltz's published works to see how the ideas are expanded - and to then discover even more pebbles, as well as lengthier pieces and more fully developed thoughts.

For both the novice and for those who have been engaged in prayer for years, here is the one guide needed to practice Jewish prayer and understand the prayer book, from one of the world's most famous and respected rabbis.From the origins and meaning of worship to a step-by-step explanation of the daily prayers to the reason you're not supposed to chat with your friends during services, Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz answers many of the questions likely to arise about Jewish prayer. Here are chapters on daily prayer; Sabbath prayer; prayer services for the holidays; the yearly cycle of synagogue Bible readings; the history and makeup of the synagogue; the different prayer rites for Ashkenazim, Sephardim, Yemenites, and other cultural/geographic groupings; the role of the rabbi and the cantor in the synagogue; and the role of music in the service.