Lawrence A. Hoffman From Reform Judaism, Fall 1994Reprinted with permission. Picture a map of North America: a web of crisscrossed lines called interstate highways, perhaps. Or is it the natural network of lakes and rivers that feed our cities and townships? Maps are simply lines joining dots, but whether the dots are points on a …
by Elyse Goldstein From CCAR Journal: A Reform Jewish Quarterly, Winter/Spring 1995 Reprinted with permission In recent years the popularity and appeal of traditional ritual in our movement have grown dramatically. On such ritual, which continues to gain acceptance and is being increasingly encouraged, is the use of the mikvah for Jews by choice, both …
Daniel Hillel Freelander From Reform Judaism, Fall 1994Reprinted with permission. Reform synagogue architecture in America has from the beginning followed artistic trends and architectural norms. Jewish immigrants from Central Europe, who erected their community’s first and second synagogues between the 1840s and 1930s, sought to win the respect and admiration of their non-Jewish neighbors by …
The Torah can be a source of healing for the spirit and psyche. Some rabbis “prescribe” sacred verses for use in mediation. For someone who is anxious about her self worth, a rabbi may recommend she sit quietly, breathe slowly, and for five minutes twice a day repeat this verse: “Yismach Moshe b’matnat chelko; Moses …
In addition to bikur cholim, Jewish tradition teaches that we should pray for ourselves and others during a time of illness. Many modern Jews are resistant to praying in general, and especially skeptical about praying for something specific, such as good health or a cure. One reason such prayer can be difficult is that we …
A fundamental feature of Jewish spiritual healing is bikur cholim (visiting the sick), which responds to two of the greatest burdens of contemporary life: isolation and lack of community. At a time of illness, bikur cholim offers us the comfort of human connection and interdependence, a sense of community we so desperately need. The mitzvah …
Jewish tradition has long recognized that there are two components of health: the body and the spirit. The Mi Sheberach prayer, traditionally recited for someone who is ill, asks God for refuah shleima, a complete healing, and then specifies two aspects: refuat hanefesh, healing of the soul/spirit/whole person, and refuat haguf, cure of the body. …
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