Siddur Hatefillah : The Jewish Prayer Book. Philosophy, Poetry, and Mystery

Hebrew University Professor Emeritus and Israel Prize recipient Eliezer Schweid (1929-2022) is widely regarded as one of the greatest historians of Jewish thought of our era. In Siddur Hatefillah, he probes the Jewish prayer book as a reflection of Judaism''s unity and continuity as a unique spiritual entity; and as the most popular, most uttered, and internalized text of the Jewish people. Schweid explores texts which process religious philosophical teaching into the language of prayer, and/or express philosophical ideas in prayer’s special language – which the worshipper reflects upon in order to direct prayer, and through which flows hoped-for feedback. With the addition of historical, philological, and literary contexts, the study provides the reader with first-time access to the comprehensive meaning of Jewish prayer—filling a vacuum in both the experience and scholarship of Jewish worship.

"Eliezer Schweid (1929-2022) was one of Israel''s most creative thinkers. A scholar of Jewish philosophy, a philosophical theologian, a social theorist, and a public intellectual, the late Professor Schweid (Hebrew University of Jerusalem) exerted a profound impact on Israeli culture. With his beautiful translation of Schweid''s book on the Hebrew prayer book, Professor Gershon Greenberg (American University) has made the legacy of Professor Schweid accessible to broad readership. Written in a non-academic style, Schweid''s exposition of the prayer book explicates the thematic structure of the Judaic worldview, the interdependence of the prayer book and the Bible, and the conceptual link between prophecy, poetry, and philosophy. Schweid''s insightful exposition enables readers to understand the intellectual depth and spiritual power of the prayer book, while shining light on Schweid''s own religiosity, philosophic acumen, and poetic proclivities. All Jewish readers, regardless of religious affiliation or ideological commitment, will find Schweid''s work on the prayer book intellectually powerful, emotionally moving, and existentially meaningful. Written by a consummate educator who knows how to get to the heart of the matter, this book is extremely useful for the study of the prayer book in diverse Jewish educational settings. In translating Schweid''s work, Gershon Greenberg has perpetuated Schweid''s life mission: to ensure the future of the Jewish People as the carrier of the covenantal relationship with God." 

– Hava Tirosh-Samuelson, Regents Professor of History, Irving and Miriam Lowe Professor of Modern Judaism, and Director of Jewish Studies at Arizona State University

– Shaul Magid, Professor of Jewish Studies, Dartmouth College

“Eliezer Schweid''s Siddur Hatefillah is a major contribution to the familiarity with and comprehension of Jewish prayer and its philosophical, theological and liturgical logics. The Siddur and the Hebrew Bible are the two most read and related to books of Jewish culture. A masterpiece of one of the most prominent philosophers of Judaism and Jewish existence of our time, Schweid''s book invites readers of all traditions and backgrounds to the intimate inner world of Jewish spirituality. It accompanies the learner in a close journey through the pathways of the Jewish prayer daily and yearly rhythm. Its excellent English translation, composed by Professor Gershon Greenberg, a leading scholar of Jewish Thought and a close disciple of the author, offers now readers in this language an accessible and friendly corridor into the palace of Jewish prayer and Jewish life.”

– Rabbi Professor Yehoyada Amir, Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion, Jerusalem