Did you know that our Siddur, the prayer book, is a beautiful and highly effective roadmap to greater self-awareness, gratitude, empathy, focus, love, joy, forgiveness, resilience, creativity and wholeness?
Join Rabbi Daniel Raphael Silverstein as we experience the prayers of the Morning Service (Shacharit) as invitations into deep and transformative spiritual work. Together, we will do meditative practices which imbue each prayer and section of the service with inner experience and meaning.
Our meditative practices include visualizations, body scans, mindful movement, spiritual writing and drawing, and chanting.
This recorded course is designed for those with a prayer practice who are seeking to deepen or revitalize it, and also for those who are new to, or estranged from, the world of our traditional liturgy. Together, we will experience each prayer as a means of healing and building connection with ourselves, others and the Divine.
The course is an experiential journey through our morning prayer service, which the Kabbalists relate to the Four Worlds of our human existence (see below).
All texts are provided with clear line-by-line translations, and no prior knowledge or experience with the subject matter is necessary. This course is open to novices and advanced learners of all backgrounds and orientations.
How does it work?
The course consists of ten recorded sessions, each an hour long.
Each session includes three guided meditative exercises based on the prayers of the Morning Service.
The meditations in the first session are based on the first part of the service, and we will travel together through each of its four stages.
All texts are provided with clear line-by-line translations, and no prior knowledge or experience with the subject matter is necessary.
Over the ten sessions, we will work our way through the four sections of the service, which the kabbalists viewed as a journey through the Four Worlds of human experience:
1) Physical, embodied sensation and orientation (Assiyah) - the Morning Blessings and other opening prayers.
2) Our emotional lives (Yetzirah) - the Verses of Praise (Pesukei DeZimra).
3) Thoughts and intellect (Beriah) - the Shema and the blessings around it.
4) Spirituality and the life of our soul, our deepest self (Atzilut) - the Amidah, the silent standing prayer.
Participants receive:
1) Video recordings of the sessions to enjoy at your own convenience.
2) A printable handout of sources, including the prayers themselves and commentaries on them, provided in full translation with introductory comments and guiding questions.
3) Clear instructions for guided practices or exercises for many prayers in the Morning Service, based on the texts provided.
4) An open channel to Rabbi Daniel.
Testimonials
"Rabbi Daniel's knowledge and engaging teaching style has been transformative in deepening my spiritual practice in a subject dearest to my heart. He's truly fulfilling the mitzvah of Talmud Torah."
- Carmella Michals
"Learning with Rav Daniel is a wonderful experience. In his classes he brings an extraordinary range of texts from our tradition and makes them meaningful for our lives today. His deep personal integrity, wisdom and spirituality constantly inspire me to walk the Jewish spiritual path and help me with my own awakening and development."
- Rabbi Danny Newman, Founder & Director, HaMakom
"My numerous experiences studying with Rav Daniel have given me immense benefits both immediately and in the long-term. When learning with Rav Daniel, I feel the inner peace and joy that comes with learning from a teacher who is scholarly, spiritual, and down-to-earth. I have also gleaned extremely useful tools in learning how to approach Jewish texts and tradition and how to bring meditative spiritual practice into my life, all in a loving and open-minded way. Thank you so much."
- Shira Sacks