We began our work by trying do define some of the words used repeatedly in the siddur. Our goal was to begin to think about the siddur not as a book like any other and not as a document written hundreds of years ago, but to see the siddur as our book our prayers.

Here's a list of the words we looked at:

Please take a word and try define it in your own words. What does the word mean to you?

Here are some of our definitions:

Truth:

Honesty, openness, reality among people.

Praise:

Joyful acknowledgement that we are not the highest power in the universe, but that we can enjoy a loving relationship with that power, God.

Joy:

To feel joy is to wake up on the right side of the bed, to laugh loudly and openly, to be happy with yourself.

Mercy:

What I am challenged to be every day.

Righteous:

Good heart, good soul, good spirit. Honest, truthful, just.

Hope:

The fulfillment of your our own desires.

Spirit:

Soul, opposite of matter, feeling, characteristic, underlying attribute, current, being.

Thanks:

Praise, appreciate, appreciation.

Love:

I think (hope!) that God loves us all equally, no matter what. Even more than a parent, it’s unconditional, caring and regard.

Freedom:

Freedom is release from suffering or because you’ve done what you can do or it isn’t around anymore, release from obligation to repair suffering.

Soul:

The holy part of a person, where one keeps his/her most personal feelings, dreams, and wishes.

Holiness:

Something that has value beyond its physical value. Something truly magnificent and awe inspiring in its inner beauty.

Justice:

(2) Fairness (4) doing to others what you would want done to you (3) distributive justice (5) ultimately can only be given out by God in the absolute sense (1) image of the blind lady balancing the scales.

Commandment:

Advice from those who know…to be followed closely.

Wisdom:

The experience and spirit to know how and when to apply knowledge in any given situation. That which guides intelligence.

Trust:

Funny answer: My roommate had one and didn’t need to worry about tuition.

Serious answer: A faith and understanding that people in a relationship will deal with each other fairly and honestly.

Compassion:

Giving an umbrella to a stranger on a rainy day. An act of selfless care and concern.

Peace:

First, I think about peace in Israel; w/ family there & cousins in the army, I pray for peace. I next think of what it means to be at peace w/ oneself.

Awe:

Intense admiration, speechlessness before something which is extraordinarily beautiful, good, powerful…

Sin:

When we treat others without the respect accorded to them as created in the Divine image; when we treat God as if God were not the Divine.

Faith:

Stepping out onto nothing and landing on something.

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