Minyan Ten Principles for Living a Life of Integrity

by Shapiro, Rami

• ISBN13: 9780609800553
• ISBN10: 0609800558
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1997-08-19
• Publisher: Harmony

Summary

According to rabbinic law, "Minyan" is a quorum of ten Jews - the number required for a service of any kind. Rabbi Shapiro infuses this concept with new meaning as he describes a practical tenfold path, based on the eighteenth-century Hasidic tradition of the Baal Shem Tov and his followers, a path accessible not only to Jews but also to all spiritual seekers. The ten practices of Minyan are meditation, repetition of a sacred phrase, inspirational reading, attention to the present moment, generosity, kindness performed with no thought of reward, dreamwork, ethical consumption, self-perfection, and celebration of the Sabbath. Shapiro offers a Judaism immediate and vital to living in the world with both integrity and enjoyment. Here is a Jewish spiritual primer that teaches how to apply the wisdom of the ancient Jewish sages to our lives today.

Author Biography

Rami M. Shapiro, rabbi and storyteller of Temple Beth Or in Miami, Florida, is an award-winning poet and essayist, whose liturgical poems are used in prayer services throughout North America. He is the author of <b>Wisdom of the Jewish Sages: A Modern Reading of Pirke Avot</b>.

Table of Contents

Preface	11	(10)
Introduction	21	(6)
The Teaching	27	(6)
Necessary Unity	33	(7)
Who Are You?	40	(5)
The Ten Vows	45	(9)
The Practice	54	(8)
The Ten Practices of Minyan	62	(123)
Avodah be-Bittul/Meditation	62	(12)
Gerushin/Repetition	74	(8)
Musar/Inspirational Reading	82	(24)
Kavvanah/Attention	106	(9)
Tzedakah/Generosity	115	(11)
Gemilut Chesed/Kindness	126	(12)
Pitron Chalomot/Dream Interpretation	138	(7)
Eco-kashrut/Ethical Consumption	145	(10)
Teshuvah/Self-Perfection	155	(14)
Shabbat/Sabbath	169	(16)
Fellowship	185	(8)
Epilogue	193	(4)
Notes	197	(4)
Bibliography	201