The Extraordinary Nature of Ordinary Things. This item is unavailable.The Extraordinary Nature of Ordinary Things

Finding meaning in the mundane is just a matter of knowing where to look. Herewith, the miraculous nature of everyday life is explored. Through vignettes at turns funny and poignant, Rabbi Leder points out those easily overlooked connections between everyday experiences and the teachings of Judaism. God and spirituality can be found in every aspect of our daily routines. Ordinary things--a pet frog, a weekend fishing trip, a roller coaster ride--become extraordinary when reexamined through Jewish eyes. Woven throughout Rabbi Leder's essays are midrashic texts, talmudic excerpts, and passages from the Torah, reflecting thousands of years of Jewish wisdom. Whether recalling a memorable walk along the beach with Dad, teaching a child the commandment of tzedakah, or stepping into the shoes of an anxious father-to-be as he paces the halls of the maternity ward, these stories reveal Judaism's power to illuminate our lives. On child-rearing: Eleven Suggestions for Raising a Mensch On the paradox of modern life: You can't put one tuchus in two chairs. On miracles: The miraculous is the common and the constant: birth, teaching, our breath. Discover The Extraordinary Nature of Ordinary Things.

Discover meaning in the mundane.
How did a nice boy from a good yeshiva find himself in the dusty, one-horse town of Sherman, TX? Rabbi-to-be Steven Leder pondered that question as he reported to his own personal rabbinical boot camp, just south of the Oklahoma border. As a requirement for ordination, Leder found himself leading the twenty-five families of Congregation Beth Emet. Known by local non-Jews as "the pastor from the Hebrew church," Leder was the town's first rabbi in a hundred years. But despite his apprehension about the assignment, the future rabbi received an invaluable education at the pulpit--and the kitchen tables--of his Sherman congregation. In an old-fashioned kitchen in an out-of-the-way town, Leder realized that all a blessing takes is a little time; a few words among people locked in the silent struggles of life, seeking meaning and recognition among the faded pictures hanging on the wall. Over iced tea and sponge cake with an elderly couple, he learned a lesson that has shaped his subsequent career: We can all bring blessings to people who need them. It is through the unremarkable events of daily life and the seemingly forgettable connections we make with other people that we discover the universal and wondrous spiritual truths that make us human. Finding meaning in the mundane is just a matter of knowing where to look. In THE EXTRAORDINARY NATURE OF ORDINARY THINGS, Rabbi Steven Leder reveals the miraculous nature of everyday life. Through vignettes at turns funny and poignant, Leder points out connections between our everyday experiences and the teachings of Judaism, and shows how God and spirituality can be found in every nook and cranny of our familiar routines. His wisdom and humor celebrate the incomparable joy of finding delight in the commonplace. These essays are about ordinary things: an accident-prone pet frog, handing over pocket change to a homeless man, a weekend fishing trip, a roller coaster ride. The ordinary , Leder instructs, is actually extraordinary as long as we pay attention. Good advice isn't easy to find, and all too often we need to be reminded to stop and smell the roses. Rabbi Leder's words are particularly valuable in our hurried hustle to reach the finish line. On child rearing: "Eleven Suggestions for Raising a Mensch" On the paradox of modern life: "You can't put one tuchus in two chairs." On romance: "A wedding is a beginning; marriage a journey; and love takes time." With engaging wit and insight, Rabbi Leder shows us that there is true holiness to be found in the humble corners of daily life. This discovery is a priceless gift to all of us searching for spiritual sustenance.