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Holds a wide-angle lens on Judaism, revealing a natural balance and integration of religion with the whole of life. --Rabbi Elie Kaplan Spitz, author, Increasing Wholeness: Jewish Wisdom & Guided Meditations to Strengthen & Calm Body, Heart, Mind & Spirit Immensely engaging.... Will deepen your understanding and appreciation for the Jewish religion in its most authentic form as a lifestyle in tune with the forces of nature and holiness.... Should be on the bedside table of every person curious about the meaning and practice of the Jewish religion. --Naomi Ragen, author, The Sisters Weiss, The Tenth Song and other best-selling novels A powerful and important read for all Jews: Sephardi and Ashkenazi, no matter how religious or observant you are.... A beautiful tapestry to guide you to be a better Jew and a better human being. --Rabbi Asher Lopatin, president, Yeshivat Chovevei Torah A noteworthy contribution to the contemporary popular exposition of Judaism.... Chock-full of new insights which make it worthwhile reading for initiates as well as newcomers to Judaism. --Dr. Norman Lamm, chancellor, Yeshiva University Rabbi Angel boldly introduces the non-Western worldview of Sephardic Jews.... His sense of place and time is restorative and calming. His clarity is a great pleasure; his writing about Judaism quietly surprises the reader with gems--insights on how Judaism gives life meaning and joy. --Jane Mushabac, professor, City University of New York; author, Mazal Bueno: A Portrait in Song of the Spanish Jews; coauthor, A Short and Remarkable History of New York City Profound and meaningful.... Spicing his volume with the wisdom and decisions of the great Sephardic sages, Rabbi Angel manages to bring them alive, effectively showing us that there is an altogether different type of traditional Judaism, which we know so little about but which we so desperately need. A must-read! --Rabbi Dr. Nathan Lopes Cardozo, dean, David Cardozo Academy, Jerusalem

Holds a wide-angle lens on Judaism, revealing a natural balance and integration of religion with the whole of life. --Rabbi Elie Kaplan Spitz, author, Increasing Wholeness: Jewish Wisdom & Guided Meditations to Strengthen & Calm Body, Heart, Mind & Spirit Immensely engaging.... Will deepen your understanding and appreciation for the Jewish religion in its most authentic form as a lifestyle in tune with the forces of nature and holiness.... Should be on the bedside table of every person curious about the meaning and practice of the Jewish religion. --Naomi Ragen, author, The Sisters Weiss, The Tenth Song and other best-selling novels A powerful and important read for all Jews: Sephardi and Ashkenazi, no matter how religious or observant you are.... A beautiful tapestry to guide you to be a better Jew and a better human being. --Rabbi Asher Lopatin, president, Yeshivat Chovevei Torah A noteworthy contribution to the contemporary popular exposition of Judaism.... Chock-full of new insights which make it worthwhile reading for initiates as well as newcomers to Judaism. --Dr. Norman Lamm, chancellor, Yeshiva University Rabbi Angel boldly introduces the non-Western worldview of Sephardic Jews.... His sense of place and time is restorative and calming. His clarity is a great pleasure; his writing about Judaism quietly surprises the reader with gems--insights on how Judaism gives life meaning and joy. --Jane Mushabac, professor, City University of New York; author, Mazal Bueno: A Portrait in Song of the Spanish Jews; coauthor, A Short and Remarkable History of New York City Profound and meaningful.... Spicing his volume with the wisdom and decisions of the great Sephardic sages, Rabbi Angel manages to bring them alive, effectively showing us that there is an altogether different type of traditional Judaism, which we know so little about but which we so desperately need. A must-read! --Rabbi Dr. Nathan Lopes Cardozo, dean, David Cardozo Academy, Jerusalem Holds a wide-angle lens on Judaism, revealing a natural balance and integration of religion with the whole of life. Rabbi Elie Kaplan Spitz, author, Increasing Wholeness: Jewish Wisdom & Guided Meditations to Strengthen & Calm Body, Heart, Mind & Spirit Immensely engaging.... Will deepen your understanding and appreciation for the Jewish religion in its most authentic form as a lifestyle in tune with the forces of nature and holiness.... Should be on the bedside table of every person curious about the meaning and practice of the Jewish religion. Naomi Ragen, author, The Sisters Weiss, The Tenth Song and other best-selling novels A powerful and important read for all Jews: Sephardi and Ashkenazi, no matter how religious or observant you are.... A beautiful tapestry to guide you to be a better Jew and a better human being. Rabbi Asher Lopatin, president, Yeshivat Chovevei Torah A noteworthy contribution to the contemporary popular exposition of Judaism.... Chock-full of new insights which make it worthwhile reading for initiates as well as newcomers to Judaism. Dr. Norman Lamm, chancellor, Yeshiva University Rabbi Angel boldly introduces the non-Western worldview of Sephardic Jews.... His sense of place and time is restorative and calming. His clarity is a great pleasure; his writing about Judaism quietly surprises the reader with gems insights on how Judaism gives life meaning and joy. Jane Mushabac, professor, City University of New York; author, Mazal Bueno: A Portrait in Song of the Spanish Jews; coauthor, A Short and Remarkable History of New York City Profound and meaningful.... Spicing his volume with the wisdom and decisions of the great Sephardic sages, Rabbi Angel manages to bring them alive, effectively showing us that there is an altogether different type of traditional Judaism, which we know so little about but which we so desperately need. A must-read! Rabbi Dr. Nathan Lopes Cardozo, dean, David Cardozo Academy, Jerusalem I look forward to reading any book by Rabbi Marc Angel. He is an outstanding scholar, a progressive and modern-thinking Orthodox (Sephardic) rabbi, and a prominent leader in American Jewry. This book did not disappoint me. It is a superb summary of Judaism from a Sephardic point of view. The author draws on many Sephardic scholars who may not be available to the average reader. Judaism has provided the spiritual framework for millions of people for thousands of years. Yet its basic beliefs and observances often are disconnected from their original intent in our modern day. With his engaging overview of the sacred times, places and ideas of Judaism, Rabbi Marc D. Angel gently reclaims the natural, balanced and insightful teachings of Sephardic Judaism that can and should imbue modern Jewish spirituality. He draws on many classic sources, illuminating the influence of the Golden Age of Spanish Jewry and the great mystics of sixteenth-century Safed on the Sephardic tradition. The result is an approach to Judaism that is deep, rich and diverse. An excellent book well worth the effort. Scholars and laypersons will benefit from reading it. Rabbi Marc D. Angel, PhD, is founder and director of the Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals (www.jewishideas.org). Rabbi emeritus of Congregation Shearith Israel of New York City, he is author and editor of twenty-nine books, includingThe Rhythms of Jewish Living: A Sephardic Exploration of Judaism's Spirituality;Maimonides, Spinoza and Us: Toward an Intellectually Vibrant Judaism;Foundations of Sephardic Spirituality: The Inner Life of Jews of the Ottoman Empire(both finalists for the National Jewish Book Award; both published by Jewish Lights) and Maimonides Essential Teachings on Jewish Faith & Ethics: The Book of Knowledge & the Thirteen Principles of Faith Annotated & Explained(SkyLight Paths). --Dov Peretz Elkins Jewish Media Review (08/22/2015) The Rhythms of Jewish Living A Sephardic Exploration of Judaism's Spirituality By Rabbi Dr. Marc D. Angel Reviewed by Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin Rabbi Angel demonstrates his well-known knowledge and writing skills in this very informative exploration Jewish practices. He offers details about and explains Jewish daily observances and holidays, the differences between Ashkenazic and Sephardic Jewry, the unique Jewish use of time, halakhah, theology, history, sacred places, divine revelation and providence, confronting death with the right attitude and without fear, the significance of the State of Israel, the manner in which Jews highlight and celebrate family, how people can transcend themselves and much more. I'll give some examples. The rabbi stresses the importance of a sensitive relationship between humans and nature. The Bible emphasizes this relationship by speaking about creation in the beginning of the Bible. Additionally, all of the biblical holidays are related to nature: spring (Passover), summer (Shavuot), and fall (Sukkot). Many blessings do not focus on what is eaten but on the renewal of nature. Jews recite blessings when they observe natural phenomenon such as lightning, thunder, very strong winds, and rainbows. They approach God in a two-fold manner, through the divine creation of nature and the divine revelation of the Torah. But it is God that is the most important; therefore Jews turned to the west away from the sun as they left the temple. He writes, There has been a steady and increasing alienation between Jewish religious observance and the natural world, with a parallel diminution in sensing awe for God as Creator of the natural universe. He points, for example, to the wide-spread current practice of placing stained-glass windows in synagogues, which obstructs outside views and symbolize a changed sense of spirituality, a break from traditional outdoor religiosity. Rabbi Angel describes some Sephardic practices, such as the custom during the Passover Seder of placing a piece of matzah in a sack and carrying it on their shoulders as though they were among the Israelites of old carrying their belongings as they escaped from Egypt. This practice, as many similar Sephardic ones during Passover and other Jewish holidays, deepens the holiday, we are sharing a historical national memory and we are attempting to identify ourselves with our redeemed ancestors. The Jewish meal is another example of our identification with our ancestors. The table upon which one eats is considered symbolically to be the altar in the Temple in Jerusalem. It is consecrated. One is not supposed to treat the table with disrespect, to sit on it, to place one s shoes on it. Before eating a meal, we ritually wash our hands as a sign of purification. Just as Jews in ancient Jerusalem had to purify themselves before coming to the altar, so we must do likewise. We recite the blessing over bread, but before eating it we dip it in salt. This is reminiscent of the practice in the Temple to add salt to the sacrifices offered on the altar. Rabbi Angel gives readers an extensive interesting historical account of the ancient great court in Jerusalem, popularly known as the Sanhedrin, comprised of seventy-one scholars. Readers may be surprised to learn that the Great Court even had the power to overrule a law of the Torah (see, for example, the discussion in the Talmud, Yevamot 90b. Maimonides wrote in his Mishneh Torah, Laws of Rebels 2:1, that in ancient times the law was fluid and flexible. Each Court had the right and responsibility to use its own understanding in applying the word of God to the people of Israel. Each Court ruled according to the way it seemed to them that the law should be their judgment is the law. If a subsequent Great Court found a reason to refute their decision, it should refute it for the Torah states we are only obligated to follow the Court which is in your generation. This power to change laws was traditionally given only to the Great Court. Unfortunately, the Great Court ceased to operate when the Romans destroyed the temple in 70 CE. Several efforts were made to reestablish the authority of the Court, but these efforts failed. The latest call for the reinstitution of the Great Court was made by the Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Benzion Uziel (1880 1953) in 1936, but his call went unheeded. Soon thereafter the dissolution of the Court in 70 CE, in the mid-second century, Rabbi Yehuda the Prince compiled the Mishnah, a record of the rabbinical teachings up to his time. From then on, the Mishnah and the subsequent discussions on the Mishnah in the Gemara, together called the Talmud, one composed in Israel and the more widely accepted one in Babylon, became, together with later composed law codes, the fixed laws. Rabbis no longer went to the Torah to determine the law. Today, the law, called halakhah, is no longer fluid. Rabbi Angel discusses the different approach that Sephardic rabbis take to Jewish law and Judaism from that of Ashkenazic rabbis after the time of the Great Court. Ashkenazim primarily lived in Europe under Christian domination under harsh conditions and were generally unable to secure a secular education. It wasn t until the eighteenth and nineteenth century that these Jews were westernized. In contrast, Sephardim had a far better life in Spain until they were expelled in 1492. They made great contributions to the Spanish culture in science, medicine, philosophy, and mathematics. Whereas Jews in Ashkenazic lands France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Russia, and Eastern Europe lived a sober, melancholy life, and focused on piety because of their restraint, Sephardic Jews were on the whole a happy people. While they were quite observant of halakhah, their observance did not lead them to become sober or overly serious. Rather, the pleasures and aesthetics of this world were viewed in a positive light. Sephardic holiday celebrations and lifecycle observances, for example, were characterized by the preparation of elaborate delicacies to eat, the singing of songs, and a general spirit of gaiety and hospitality . This spirit carried itself even to the serious season of the High Holy Days, when self-scrutiny and repentance were expected . The unstated assumption was that eating, rejoicing and being happy of heart were not in conflict with piety, even in the serious season of penitential prayers. The effect of Christian persecution upon Ashkenazic Jewry also resulted in Ashkenazic rabbis being more stringent in their halakhic rulings. H. J. Zimmels, in his book Ashkenazim and Sephardim suggests that Ashkenazic inclination to stringency was largely the result of centuries of persecution suffered by German Jewry. Rabbi Angel also cites Chief Rabbi Benzion Uziel who wrote that Sephardic rabbis felt powerful enough in their opinion and authority to annul customs that were not based on halakhic foundations. In contrast, Ashkenazic rabbis tended to strengthen customs and sought support for them even if they seemed strange and without halakhic basis. Among much else, Rabbi Angel discusses how understanding how to die tells us how to live. He notes that the Midrash Genesis Rabbah interprets the divine statement in Genesis Behold it was very good as referring to death. He explains how both nature and the Torah provide paths to God and that God s revelation through nature may be experienced today by all people, Jews and non-Jews alike.--Israel Drazin Institute for Jewish Ideas (08/31/2015) Synopsis: Judaism has provided the spiritual framework for millions of people for thousands of years. Yet its basic beliefs and observances often are disconnected from their original intent in our modern day. With his engaging overview of the sacred times, places and ideas of Judaism, Rabbi Marc D. Angel gently reclaims the natural, balanced and insightful teachings of Sephardic Judaism that can and should imbue modern Jewish spirituality in the pages of The Rhythms of Jewish Living. Rabbi Angel draws on many classic sources, illuminating the influence of the Golden Age of Spanish Jewry and the great mystics of sixteenth-century Safed on the Sephardic tradition. The result is an approach to Judaism that is deep, rich and diverse. Critique: Rabbi Marc D. Angel is the founder and director of the Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals (www.jewishideas.org), as well as Rabbi Emeritus of Congregation Shearith Israel of New York City. In The Rhythms of Jewish Living Rabbi Angel draws upon his many years of experience and expertise to write an inherently absorbing treatise on modern Jewish spirituality that is as informed and informative as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking. Simply stated, The Rhythms of Jewish Living is highly commended for scholars and non-specialist readers with an interest in contemporary Judaism. Very highly recommended for synagogue, community, and academic library Judaic Studies reference collections....--Burrough's bookshelf Midwest Book Review (11/01/2015) The Rhythms of Jewish LivingA Sephardic Exploration of Judaism's SpiritualityBy Rabbi Dr. Marc D. AngelReviewed by Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin Rabbi Angel demonstrates his well-known knowledge and writing skills in this very informative exploration Jewish practices. He offers details about and explains Jewish daily observances and holidays, the differences between Ashkenazic and Sephardic Jewry, the unique Jewish use of time, halakhah, theology, history, sacred places, divine revelation and providence, confronting death with the right attitude and without fear, the significance of the State of Israel, the manner in which Jews highlight and celebrate family, how people can transcend themselves and much more. I'll give some examples. The rabbi stresses the importance of a sensitive relationship between humans and nature. The Bible emphasizes this relationship by speaking about creation in the beginning of the Bible. Additionally, all of the biblical holidays are related to nature: spring (Passover), summer (Shavuot), and fall (Sukkot). Many blessings do not focus on what is eaten but on the renewal of nature. Jews recite blessings when they observe natural phenomenon such as lightning, thunder, very strong winds, and rainbows. They approach God in a two-fold manner, through the divine creation of nature and the divine revelation of the Torah. But it is God that is the most important; therefore Jews turned to the west away from the sun as they left the temple. He writes, There has been a steady and increasing alienation between Jewish religious observance and the natural world, with a parallel diminution in sensing awe for God as Creator of the natural universe. He points, for example, to the wide-spread current practice of placing stained-glass windows in synagogues, which obstructs outside views and symbolize a changed sense of spirituality, a break from traditional outdoor religiosity. Rabbi Angel describes some Sephardic practices, such as the custom during the Passover Seder of placing a piece of matzah in a sack and carrying it on their shoulders as though they were among the Israelites of old carrying their belongings as they escaped from Egypt. This practice, as many similar Sephardic ones during Passover and other Jewish holidays, deepens the holiday, we are sharing a historical national memory and we are attempting to identify ourselves with our redeemed ancestors. The Jewish meal is another example of our identification with our ancestors. The table upon which one eats is considered symbolically to be the altar in the Temple in Jerusalem. It is consecrated. One is not supposed to treat the table with disrespect, to sit on it, to place one s shoes on it. Before eating a meal, we ritually wash our hands as a sign of purification. Just as Jews in ancient Jerusalem had to purify themselves before coming to the altar, so we must do likewise. We recite the blessing over bread, but before eating it we dip it in salt. This is reminiscent of the practice in the Temple to add salt to the sacrifices offered on the altar. Rabbi Angel gives readers an extensive interesting historical account of the ancient great court in Jerusalem, popularly known as the Sanhedrin, comprised of seventy-one scholars. Readers may be surprised to learn that the Great Court even had the power to overrule a law of the Torah (see, for example, the discussion in the Talmud, Yevamot 90b. Maimonides wrote in his Mishneh Torah, Laws of Rebels 2:1, that in ancient times the law was fluid and flexible. Each Court had the right and responsibility to use its own understanding in applying the word of God to the people of Israel. Each Court ruled according to the way it seemed to them that the law should be their judgment is the law. If a subsequent Great Court found a reason to refute their decision, it should refute it for the Torah states we are only obligated to follow the Court which is in your generation. This power to change laws was traditionally given only to the Great Court. Unfortunately, the Great Court ceased to operate when the Romans destroyed the temple in 70 CE. Several efforts were made to reestablish the authority of the Court, but these efforts failed. The latest call for the reinstitution of the Great Court was made by the Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Benzion Uziel (1880 1953) in 1936, but his call went unheeded. Soon thereafter the dissolution of the Court in 70 CE, in the mid-second century, Rabbi Yehuda the Prince compiled the Mishnah, a record of the rabbinical teachings up to his time. From then on, the Mishnah and the subsequent discussions on the Mishnah in the Gemara, together called the Talmud, one composed in Israel and the more widely accepted one in Babylon, became, together with later composed law codes, the fixed laws. Rabbis no longer went to the Torah to determine the law. Today, the law, called halakhah, is no longer fluid. Rabbi Angel discusses the different approach that Sephardic rabbis take to Jewish law and Judaism from that of Ashkenazic rabbis after the time of the Great Court. Ashkenazim primarily lived in Europe under Christian domination under harsh conditions and were generally unable to secure a secular education. It wasn t until the eighteenth and nineteenth century that these Jews were westernized. In contrast, Sephardim had a far better life in Spain until they were expelled in 1492. They made great contributions to the Spanish culture in science, medicine, philosophy, and mathematics. Whereas Jews in Ashkenazic lands France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Russia, and Eastern Europe lived a sober, melancholy life, and focused on piety because of their restraint, Sephardic Jews were on the whole a happy people. While they were quite observant of halakhah, their observance did not lead them to become sober or overly serious. Rather, the pleasures and aesthetics of this world were viewed in a positive light.Sephardic holiday celebrations and lifecycle observances, for example, were characterized by the preparation of elaborate delicacies to eat, the singing of songs, and a general spirit of gaiety and hospitality . This spirit carried itself even to the serious season of the High Holy Days, when self-scrutiny and repentance were expected . The unstated assumption was that eating, rejoicing and being happy of heart were not in conflict with piety, even in the serious season of penitential prayers. The effect of Christian persecution upon Ashkenazic Jewry also resulted in Ashkenazic rabbis being more stringent in their halakhic rulings. H. J. Zimmels, in his book Ashkenazim and Sephardim suggests that Ashkenazic inclination to stringency was largely the result of centuries of persecution suffered by German Jewry. Rabbi Angel also cites Chief Rabbi Benzion Uziel who wrote that Sephardic rabbis felt powerful enough in their opinion and authority to annul customs that were not based on halakhic foundations. In contrast, Ashkenazic rabbis tended to strengthen customs and sought support for them even if they seemed strange and without halakhic basis. Among much else, Rabbi Angel discusses how understanding how to die tells us how to live. He notes that the Midrash Genesis Rabbah interprets the divine statement in Genesis Behold it was very good as referring to death. He explains how both nature and the Torah provide paths to God and that God s revelation through nature may be experienced today by all people, Jews and non-Jews alike.--Israel Drazin Institute for Jewish Ideas (08/31/2015)

Holds a wide-angle lens on Judaism, revealing a natural balance and integration of religion with the whole of life. Rabbi Elie Kaplan Spitz, author, Increasing Wholeness: Jewish Wisdom & Guided Meditations to Strengthen & Calm Body, Heart, Mind & Spirit Immensely engaging.... Will deepen your understanding and appreciation for the Jewish religion in its most authentic form as a lifestyle in tune with the forces of nature and holiness.... Should be on the bedside table of every person curious about the meaning and practice of the Jewish religion. Naomi Ragen, author, The Sisters Weiss, The Tenth Song and other best-selling novels A powerful and important read for all Jews: Sephardi and Ashkenazi, no matter how religious or observant you are.... A beautiful tapestry to guide you to be a better Jew and a better human being. Rabbi Asher Lopatin, president, Yeshivat Chovevei Torah A noteworthy contribution to the contemporary popular exposition of Judaism.... Chock-full of new insights which make it worthwhile reading for initiates as well as newcomers to Judaism. Dr. Norman Lamm, chancellor, Yeshiva University Rabbi Angel boldly introduces the non-Western worldview of Sephardic Jews.... His sense of place and time is restorative and calming. His clarity is a great pleasure; his writing about Judaism quietly surprises the reader with gems insights on how Judaism gives life meaning and joy. Jane Mushabac, professor, City University of New York; author, Mazal Bueno: A Portrait in Song of the Spanish Jews; coauthor, A Short and Remarkable History of New York City Profound and meaningful.... Spicing his volume with the wisdom and decisions of the great Sephardic sages, Rabbi Angel manages to bring them alive, effectively showing us that there is an altogether different type of traditional Judaism, which we know so little about but which we so desperately need. A must-read! Rabbi Dr. Nathan Lopes Cardozo, dean, David Cardozo Academy, Jerusalem

Holds a wide-angle lens on Judaism, revealing a natural balance and integration of religion with the whole of life. --Rabbi Elie Kaplan Spitz, author, Increasing Wholeness: Jewish Wisdom & Guided Meditations to Strengthen & Calm Body, Heart, Mind & Spirit Immensely engaging.... Will deepen your understanding and appreciation for the Jewish religion in its most authentic form as a lifestyle in tune with the forces of nature and holiness.... Should be on the bedside table of every person curious about the meaning and practice of the Jewish religion. --Naomi Ragen, author, The Sisters Weiss, The Tenth Song and other best-selling novels A powerful and important read for all Jews: Sephardi and Ashkenazi, no matter how religious or observant you are.... A beautiful tapestry to guide you to be a better Jew and a better human being. --Rabbi Asher Lopatin, president, Yeshivat Chovevei Torah A noteworthy contribution to the contemporary popular exposition of Judaism.... Chock-full of new insights which make it worthwhile reading for initiates as well as newcomers to Judaism. --Dr. Norman Lamm, chancellor, Yeshiva University Rabbi Angel boldly introduces the non-Western worldview of Sephardic Jews.... His sense of place and time is restorative and calming. His clarity is a great pleasure; his writing about Judaism quietly surprises the reader with gems--insights on how Judaism gives life meaning and joy. --Jane Mushabac, professor, City University of New York; author, Mazal Bueno: A Portrait in Song of the Spanish Jews; coauthor, A Short and Remarkable History of New York City Profound and meaningful.... Spicing his volume with the wisdom and decisions of the great Sephardic sages, Rabbi Angel manages to bring them alive, effectively showing us that there is an altogether different type of traditional Judaism, which we know so little about but which we so desperately need. A must-read! --Rabbi Dr. Nathan Lopes Cardozo, dean, David Cardozo Academy, Jerusalem Holds a wide-angle lens on Judaism, revealing a natural balance and integration of religion with the whole of life. Rabbi Elie Kaplan Spitz, author, Increasing Wholeness: Jewish Wisdom & Guided Meditations to Strengthen & Calm Body, Heart, Mind & Spirit Immensely engaging.... Will deepen your understanding and appreciation for the Jewish religion in its most authentic form as a lifestyle in tune with the forces of nature and holiness.... Should be on the bedside table of every person curious about the meaning and practice of the Jewish religion. Naomi Ragen, author, The Sisters Weiss, The Tenth Song and other best-selling novels A powerful and important read for all Jews: Sephardi and Ashkenazi, no matter how religious or observant you are.... A beautiful tapestry to guide you to be a better Jew and a better human being. Rabbi Asher Lopatin, president, Yeshivat Chovevei Torah A noteworthy contribution to the contemporary popular exposition of Judaism.... Chock-full of new insights which make it worthwhile reading for initiates as well as newcomers to Judaism. Dr. Norman Lamm, chancellor, Yeshiva University Rabbi Angel boldly introduces the non-Western worldview of Sephardic Jews.... His sense of place and time is restorative and calming. His clarity is a great pleasure; his writing about Judaism quietly surprises the reader with gems insights on how Judaism gives life meaning and joy. Jane Mushabac, professor, City University of New York; author, Mazal Bueno: A Portrait in Song of the Spanish Jews; coauthor, A Short and Remarkable History of New York City Profound and meaningful.... Spicing his volume with the wisdom and decisions of the great Sephardic sages, Rabbi Angel manages to bring them alive, effectively showing us that there is an altogether different type of traditional Judaism, which we know so little about but which we so desperately need. A must-read! Rabbi Dr. Nathan Lopes Cardozo, dean, David Cardozo Academy, Jerusalem I look forward to reading any book by Rabbi Marc Angel. He is an outstanding scholar, a progressive and modern-thinking Orthodox (Sephardic) rabbi, and a prominent leader in American Jewry. This book did not disappoint me. It is a superb summary of Judaism from a Sephardic point of view. The author draws on many Sephardic scholars who may not be available to the average reader. Judaism has provided the spiritual framework for millions of people for thousands of years. Yet its basic beliefs and observances often are disconnected from their original intent in our modern day. With his engaging overview of the sacred times, places and ideas of Judaism, Rabbi Marc D. Angel gently reclaims the natural, balanced and insightful teachings of Sephardic Judaism that can and should imbue modern Jewish spirituality. He draws on many classic sources, illuminating the influence of the Golden Age of Spanish Jewry and the great mystics of sixteenth-century Safed on the Sephardic tradition. The result is an approach to Judaism that is deep, rich and diverse. An excellent book well worth the effort. Scholars and laypersons will benefit from reading it. Rabbi Marc D. Angel, PhD, is founder and director of the Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals (www.jewishideas.org). Rabbi emeritus of Congregation Shearith Israel of New York City, he is author and editor of twenty-nine books, includingThe Rhythms of Jewish Living: A Sephardic Exploration of Judaism's Spirituality;Maimonides, Spinoza and Us: Toward an Intellectually Vibrant Judaism;Foundations of Sephardic Spirituality: The Inner Life of Jews of the Ottoman Empire(both finalists for the National Jewish Book Award; both published by Jewish Lights) and Maimonides Essential Teachings on Jewish Faith & Ethics: The Book of Knowledge & the Thirteen Principles of Faith Annotated & Explained(SkyLight Paths). --Dov Peretz Elkins Jewish Media Review (08/22/2015) The Rhythms of Jewish Living A Sephardic Exploration of Judaism's Spirituality By Rabbi Dr. Marc D. Angel Reviewed by Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin Rabbi Angel demonstrates his well-known knowledge and writing skills in this very informative exploration Jewish practices. He offers details about and explains Jewish daily observances and holidays, the differences between Ashkenazic and Sephardic Jewry, the unique Jewish use of time, halakhah, theology, history, sacred places, divine revelation and providence, confronting death with the right attitude and without fear, the significance of the State of Israel, the manner in which Jews highlight and celebrate family, how people can transcend themselves and much more. I'll give some examples. The rabbi stresses the importance of a sensitive relationship between humans and nature. The Bible emphasizes this relationship by speaking about creation in the beginning of the Bible. Additionally, all of the biblical holidays are related to nature: spring (Passover), summer (Shavuot), and fall (Sukkot). Many blessings do not focus on what is eaten but on the renewal of nature. Jews recite blessings when they observe natural phenomenon such as lightning, thunder, very strong winds, and rainbows. They approach God in a two-fold manner, through the divine creation of nature and the divine revelation of the Torah. But it is God that is the most important; therefore Jews turned to the west away from the sun as they left the temple. He writes, There has been a steady and increasing alienation between Jewish religious observance and the natural world, with a parallel diminution in sensing awe for God as Creator of the natural universe. He points, for example, to the wide-spread current practice of placing stained-glass windows in synagogues, which obstructs outside views and symbolize a changed sense of spirituality, a break from traditional outdoor religiosity. Rabbi Angel describes some Sephardic practices, such as the custom during the Passover Seder of placing a piece of matzah in a sack and carrying it on their shoulders as though they were among the Israelites of old carrying their belongings as they escaped from Egypt. This practice, as many similar Sephardic ones during Passover and other Jewish holidays, deepens the holiday, we are sharing a historical national memory and we are attempting to identify ourselves with our redeemed ancestors. The Jewish meal is another example of our identification with our ancestors. The table upon which one eats is considered symbolically to be the altar in the Temple in Jerusalem. It is consecrated. One is not supposed to treat the table with disrespect, to sit on it, to place one s shoes on it. Before eating a meal, we ritually wash our hands as a sign of purification. Just as Jews in ancient Jerusalem had to purify themselves before coming to the altar, so we must do likewise. We recite the blessing over bread, but before eating it we dip it in salt. This is reminiscent of the practice in the Temple to add salt to the sacrifices offered on the altar. Rabbi Angel gives readers an extensive interesting historical account of the ancient great court in Jerusalem, popularly known as the Sanhedrin, comprised of seventy-one scholars. Readers may be surprised to learn that the Great Court even had the power to overrule a law of the Torah (see, for example, the discussion in the Talmud, Yevamot 90b. Maimonides wrote in his Mishneh Torah, Laws of Rebels 2:1, that in ancient times the law was fluid and flexible. Each Court had the right and responsibility to use its own understanding in applying the word of God to the people of Israel. Each Court ruled according to the way it seemed to them that the law should be their judgment is the law. If a subsequent Great Court found a reason to refute their decision, it should refute it for the Torah states we are only obligated to follow the Court which is in your generation. This power to change laws was traditionally given only to the Great Court. Unfortunately, the Great Court ceased to operate when the Romans destroyed the temple in 70 CE. Several efforts were made to reestablish the authority of the Court, but these efforts failed. The latest call for the reinstitution of the Great Court was made by the Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Benzion Uziel (1880 1953) in 1936, but his call went unheeded. Soon thereafter the dissolution of the Court in 70 CE, in the mid-second century, Rabbi Yehuda the Prince compiled the Mishnah, a record of the rabbinical teachings up to his time. From then on, the Mishnah and the subsequent discussions on the Mishnah in the Gemara, together called the Talmud, one composed in Israel and the more widely accepted one in Babylon, became, together with later composed law codes, the fixed laws. Rabbis no longer went to the Torah to determine the law. Today, the law, called halakhah, is no longer fluid. Rabbi Angel discusses the different approach that Sephardic rabbis take to Jewish law and Judaism from that of Ashkenazic rabbis after the time of the Great Court. Ashkenazim primarily lived in Europe under Christian domination under harsh conditions and were generally unable to secure a secular education. It wasn t until the eighteenth and nineteenth century that these Jews were westernized. In contrast, Sephardim had a far better life in Spain until they were expelled in 1492. They made great contributions to the Spanish culture in science, medicine, philosophy, and mathematics. Whereas Jews in Ashkenazic lands France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Russia, and Eastern Europe lived a sober, melancholy life, and focused on piety because of their restraint, Sephardic Jews were on the whole a happy people. While they were quite observant of halakhah, their observance did not lead them to become sober or overly serious. Rather, the pleasures and aesthetics of this world were viewed in a positive light. Sephardic holiday celebrations and lifecycle observances, for example, were characterized by the preparation of elaborate delicacies to eat, the singing of songs, and a general spirit of gaiety and hospitality . This spirit carried itself even to the serious season of the High Holy Days, when self-scrutiny and repentance were expected . The unstated assumption was that eating, rejoicing and being happy of heart were not in conflict with piety, even in the serious season of penitential prayers. The effect of Christian persecution upon Ashkenazic Jewry also resulted in Ashkenazic rabbis being more stringent in their halakhic rulings. H. J. Zimmels, in his book Ashkenazim and Sephardim suggests that Ashkenazic inclination to stringency was largely the result of centuries of persecution suffered by German Jewry. Rabbi Angel also cites Chief Rabbi Benzion Uziel who wrote that Sephardic rabbis felt powerful enough in their opinion and authority to annul customs that were not based on halakhic foundations. In contrast, Ashkenazic rabbis tended to strengthen customs and sought support for them even if they seemed strange and without halakhic basis. Among much else, Rabbi Angel discusses how understanding how to die tells us how to live. He notes that the Midrash Genesis Rabbah interprets the divine statement in Genesis Behold it was very good as referring to death. He explains how both nature and the Torah provide paths to God and that God s revelation through nature may be experienced today by all people, Jews and non-Jews alike.--Israel Drazin Institute for Jewish Ideas (08/31/2015) Synopsis: Judaism has provided the spiritual framework for millions of people for thousands of years. Yet its basic beliefs and observances often are disconnected from their original intent in our modern day. With his engaging overview of the sacred times, places and ideas of Judaism, Rabbi Marc D. Angel gently reclaims the natural, balanced and insightful teachings of Sephardic Judaism that can and should imbue modern Jewish spirituality in the pages of The Rhythms of Jewish Living. Rabbi Angel draws on many classic sources, illuminating the influence of the Golden Age of Spanish Jewry and the great mystics of sixteenth-century Safed on the Sephardic tradition. The result is an approach to Judaism that is deep, rich and diverse. Critique: Rabbi Marc D. Angel is the founder and director of the Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals (www.jewishideas.org), as well as Rabbi Emeritus of Congregation Shearith Israel of New York City. In The Rhythms of Jewish Living Rabbi Angel draws upon his many years of experience and expertise to write an inherently absorbing treatise on modern Jewish spirituality that is as informed and informative as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking. Simply stated, The Rhythms of Jewish Living is highly commended for scholars and non-specialist readers with an interest in contemporary Judaism. Very highly recommended for synagogue, community, and academic library Judaic Studies reference collections....--Burrough's bookshelf Midwest Book Review (11/01/2015) The Rhythms of Jewish LivingA Sephardic Exploration of Judaism's SpiritualityBy Rabbi Dr. Marc D. AngelReviewed by Rabbi Dr. Israel DrazinRabbi Angel demonstrates his well-known knowledge and writing skills in this very informative exploration Jewish practices. He offers details about and explains Jewish daily observances and holidays, the differences between Ashkenazic and Sephardic Jewry, the unique Jewish use of time, halakhah, theology, history, sacred places, divine revelation and providence, confronting death with the right attitude and without fear, the significance of the State of Israel, the manner in which Jews highlight and celebrate family, how people can transcend themselves and much more.I'll give some examples.The rabbi stresses the importance of a sensitive relationship between humans and nature. The Bible emphasizes this relationship by speaking about creation in the beginning of the Bible. Additionally, all of the biblical holidays are related to nature: spring (Passover), summer (Shavuot), and fall (Sukkot). Many blessings do not focus on what is eaten but on the renewal of nature. Jews recite blessings when they observe natural phenomenon such as lightning, thunder, very strong winds, and rainbows. They approach God in a two-fold manner, through the divine creation of nature and the divine revelation of the Torah. But it is God that is the most important; therefore Jews turned to the west away from the sun as they left the temple.He writes, There has been a steady and increasing alienation between Jewish religious observance and the natural world, with a parallel diminution in sensing awe for God as Creator of the natural universe. He points, for example, to the wide-spread current practice of placing stained-glass windows in synagogues, which obstructs outside views and symbolize a changed sense of spirituality, a break from traditional outdoor religiosity. Rabbi Angel describes some Sephardic practices, such as the custom during the Passover Seder of placing a piece of matzah in a sack and carrying it on their shoulders as though they were among the Israelites of old carrying their belongings as they escaped from Egypt. This practice, as many similar Sephardic ones during Passover and other Jewish holidays, deepens the holiday, we are sharing a historical national memory and we are attempting to identify ourselves with our redeemed ancestors. The Jewish meal is another example of our identification with our ancestors. The table upon which one eats is considered symbolically to be the altar in the Temple in Jerusalem. It is consecrated. One is not supposed to treat the table with disrespect, to sit on it, to place one s shoes on it. Before eating a meal, we ritually wash our hands as a sign of purification. Just as Jews in ancient Jerusalem had to purify themselves before coming to the altar, so we must do likewise. We recite the blessing over bread, but before eating it we dip it in salt. This is reminiscent of the practice in the Temple to add salt to the sacrifices offered on the altar. Rabbi Angel gives readers an extensive interesting historical account of the ancient great court in Jerusalem, popularly known as the Sanhedrin, comprised of seventy-one scholars. Readers may be surprised to learn that the Great Court even had the power to overrule a law of the Torah (see, for example, the discussion in the Talmud, Yevamot 90b. Maimonides wrote in his Mishneh Torah, Laws of Rebels 2:1, that in ancient times the law was fluid and flexible. Each Court had the right and responsibility to use its own understanding in applying the word of God to the people of Israel. Each Court ruled according to the way it seemed to them that the law should be their judgment is the law. If a subsequent Great Court found a reason to refute their decision, it should refute it for the Torah states we are only obligated to follow the Court which is in your generation. This power to change laws was traditionally given only to the Great Court. Unfortunately, the Great Court ceased to operate when the Romans destroyed the temple in 70 CE. Several efforts were made to reestablish the authority of the Court, but these efforts failed. The latest call for the reinstitution of the Great Court was made by the Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Benzion Uziel (1880 1953) in 1936, but his call went unheeded. Soon thereafter the dissolution of the Court in 70 CE, in the mid-second century, Rabbi Yehuda the Prince compiled the Mishnah, a record of the rabbinical teachings up to his time. From then on, the Mishnah and the subsequent discussions on the Mishnah in the Gemara, together called the Talmud, one composed in Israel and the more widely accepted one in Babylon, became, together with later composed law codes, the fixed laws. Rabbis no longer went to the Torah to determine the law. Today, the law, called halakhah, is no longer fluid.Rabbi Angel discusses the different approach that Sephardic rabbis take to Jewish law and Judaism from that of Ashkenazic rabbis after the time of the Great Court. Ashkenazim primarily lived in Europe under Christian domination under harsh conditions and were generally unable to secure a secular education. It wasn t until the eighteenth and nineteenth century that these Jews were westernized. In contrast, Sephardim had a far better life in Spain until they were expelled in 1492. They made great contributions to the Spanish culture in science, medicine, philosophy, and mathematics. Whereas Jews in Ashkenazic lands France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Russia, and Eastern Europe lived a sober, melancholy life, and focused on piety because of their restraint, Sephardic Jews were on the whole a happy people. While they were quite observant of halakhah, their observance did not lead them to become sober or overly serious. Rather, the pleasures and aesthetics of this world were viewed in a positive light.Sephardic holiday celebrations and lifecycle observances, for example, were characterized by the preparation of elaborate delicacies to eat, the singing of songs, and a general spirit of gaiety and hospitality . This spirit carried itself even to the serious season of the High Holy Days, when self-scrutiny and repentance were expected . The unstated assumption was that eating, rejoicing and being happy of heart were not in conflict with piety, even in the serious season of penitential prayers. The effect of Christian persecution upon Ashkenazic Jewry also resulted in Ashkenazic rabbis being more stringent in their halakhic rulings. H. J. Zimmels, in his book Ashkenazim and Sephardim suggests that Ashkenazic inclination to stringency was largely the result of centuries of persecution suffered by German Jewry. Rabbi Angel also cites Chief Rabbi Benzion Uziel who wrote that Sephardic rabbis felt powerful enough in their opinion and authority to annul customs that were not based on halakhic foundations. In contrast, Ashkenazic rabbis tended to strengthen customs and sought support for them even if they seemed strange and without halakhic basis. Among much else, Rabbi Angel discusses how understanding how to die tells us how to live. He notes that the Midrash Genesis Rabbah interprets the divine statement in Genesis Behold it was very good as referring to death. He explains how both nature and the Torah provide paths to God and that God s revelation through nature may be experienced today by all people, Jews and non-Jews alike.--Israel Drazin Institute for Jewish Ideas (08/31/2015)

Author Information

Rabbi Marc D. Angel, PhD, is founder and director of the Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals (www.jewishideas.org). Rabbi emeritus of Congregation Shearith Israel of New York City, he is author and editor of twenty-nine books, including Maimonides, Spinoza and Us: Toward an Intellectually Vibrant Judaism; Foundations of Sephardic Spirituality: The Inner Life of Jews of the Ottoman Empire (both finalists for the National Jewish Book Award); and Maimonides—Essential Teachings on Jewish Faith and Ethics: The Book of Knowledge and the Thirteen Principles of Faith—Annotated and Explained (all Jewish Lights). Rabbi Marc D. Angel, PhD, is available to speak on the following topics: Maimonides, Spinoza and Us: Confronting Basic Issues of Faith The Orthodox and Non-Orthodox Jewish Communities: Can We Learn from Each Other? Conversion to Judaism: What the Jewish Community Can Learn from Converts Choosing to Be Jewish: The Orthodox Road to Conversion Losing the Rat Race, Winning at Life: Ethics for Moderns

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