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3 days ago
9 min

Thoughts on Rosh Chodesh Prayers

The month of Nisan has slipped by, now that Passover has been over for more than a week and this week we have observed Rosh Chodesh Iyar, th

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Rabbi Edward Friedman

Apr 10
9 min

Thoughts on the Weekday Closing Prayers

Two groups of prayers are essential elements of the daily service whether on weekdays or Shabbat and holidays, these are the Sh'ma and its b

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Rabbi Edward Friedman

Apr 2
7 min

Thoughts on Elijah the Prophet

We are entering the final days of Passover and, as in the latter portion of the Haggadah, the end of the holiday tends to emphasize our hope

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Rabbi Edward Friedman

Mar 26
8 min

Thoughts on the Prayer for Dew

Dr. Issachar Yakovson in his multi-volume work Netiv Binah, Paths of Understanding, which explains most of the prayers of our liturgy in som

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Rabbi Edward Friedman

Mar 19
7 min

Thoughts on the Four Questions

Why does a Jew always answer a question with another question? Why not? We are a tradition which encourages questioning.

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Thoughts on the Prayers for Returning the Torah to the Ark

Rabbi Edward Friedman

Mar 12
7 min

Thoughts on the Prayers for Returning the Torah to the Ark

It has been some time since we looked at the prayers for taking out the Torah scrolls before the Shabbat and Festival readings

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Rabbi Edward Friedman

Mar 5
7 min

Thoughts on the Bedtime Prayer

In earlier blogs, I have written about the unit of the service known as Kriat Sh'ma, the reading of the Sh'ma along with its accompanying b

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Rabbi Edward Friedman

Feb 26
7 min

Thoughts on the Purim Psalm (Psalm 22)

There is a custom among Sephardic Jews to recite a Psalm to introduce ma'ariv, the evening service. There are special Psalms designated for

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Rabbi Edward Friedman

Feb 20
6 min

Thoughts on Psalm 104 for Rosh Chodesh

Borchi nafshi et Adonay! Bless the Lord, O my soul! This phrase appears at the beginning of Psalm 104 and recurs again at the end.

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Rabbi Edward Friedman

Feb 12
7 min

Thoughts on Nishmat Kol Chai

The Book of Psalms concludes, as we have noted some time back, with Psalm 150 which is filled with all sorts of musical instruments blaring

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Additional Thoughts on the Song at the Sea

Rabbi Edward Friedman

Jan 30
8 min

Additional Thoughts on the Song at the Sea

This week in synagogues around the world is known as Shabbat Shirah, the Shabbat of the song, for on it in our annual cycle of Torah reading

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Rabbi Edward Friedman

Jan 22
8 min

Thoughts on Prayers for Our Country

In the midst of the opening production number, “Tradition,” in the Broadway musical “Fiddler on the Roof,”

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Thoughts on the Events at the Capitol this Week

Rabbi Edward Friedman

Jan 9
3 min

Thoughts on the Events at the Capitol this Week

If you look at the back of a dollar bill, you will see an image of the Great Seal of the United States.

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Rabbi Edward Friedman

Jan 6
10 min

Thoughts on Birkat HaMazon

The blessings which we say after meals, though their texts were created by the rabbis, are in fulfillment of a specific commandment found in

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Rabbi Edward Friedman

Jan 1
2 min

A Thought for the New Year

Happy New Year! My best wishes to all for the coming year. On Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, the greeting is not “happy” new year, bu

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Thoughts on the Opening Blessings of Birchot HaShachar

Rabbi Edward Friedman

Dec 25, 2020
8 min

Thoughts on the Opening Blessings of Birchot HaShachar

In recent months, I have focused on the various prayers that make up P'sukei D'zimrah, the Psalms and other biblical verses that comprise

45 views0 comments

Rabbi Edward Friedman

Dec 18, 2020
9 min

Thoughts on the Song of the Sea

As we have seen in our explorations in the P'sukei D'zimrah over the past months, the authors of our prayerbook found it difficult to limit

10 views0 comments

Rabbi Edward Friedman

Dec 17, 2020
5 min

A Thought on Maoz Tzur

“Rock of Ages, let our song praise Thy saving power. Thou amidst the raging foes wast our shelt’ring tower. Furious they assailed us

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Rabbi Edward Friedman

Dec 14, 2020
4 min

A Thought on Al HaNissim

I’ve been asked several times already this week by non-Jewish people I have encountered about Chanukah services.

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Thoughts on Three Prayers from P'sukei D'zimrah

Rabbi Edward Friedman

Dec 3, 2020
7 min

Thoughts on Three Prayers from P'sukei D'zimrah

As I have prepared these lessons on the prayers in the Jewish tradition, I continue to learn much I did not know about these biblical and ra

15 views0 comments

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