Publisher's Synopsis
I thank you, living and enduring universe,
That I am aware of my breath.
How great are your wonders!
Blessed Are You, Wondrous Universe: A Siddur for Seekers combines religion's stance of wonder and gratitude with humanism's commitment to facts and scientific method. It embraces a commitment to individual and collective responsibility for our lives drawing from both worlds.
In the traditional Jewish prayer book, God is the ultimate actor whose intervention we seek, whether through blessing, redeeming, healing, or forgiving us. In this siddur, we praise the universe, the earth, and Jewish tradition. With respect to moral choices, we address ourselves: Humans are the agents who need to hear our own prayer.
Available in two editions: Comprehensive with complete Hebrew and English text and Compact with abridged and transliterated Hebrew. Both editions feature sheet music for original musical music commissioned for a selection of the prayers in this volume.
"Herb Levine has fashioned a sparkling collection of prayers for a thinking, feeling modern person who wants to express gratitude for the wonder of existence."
-Daniel Matt, translator of the Zohar, author of God and the Big Bang, The Essential Kabbalah, and Becoming Elijah
"A wonderful resource - inspirational, comforting, uplifting and insightful."
-Rabbi Adam Chalom, co-author, Contemporary Humanistic Judaism: Beliefs, Values, Practices
"An exercise in holy audacity."
-Dr. Shaul Magid, author, The Necessity of Exile
