The Jewish Book of Days by Jill Hammer
The Jewish Book of Days: A Companion for All Seasons, by Rabbi Jill Hammer, invites readers to experience the connection between sacred story and nature’s rhythms, through readings designed for each and every day of the year. These daily readings offer an opportunity to live in tune with the wisdom of the past while learning new truths about the times we live in today.
Using the tree as its central metaphor, The Jewish Book of Days is divided into eight chapters of approximately forty-five days each. These sections represent the tree's stages of growth—seed, root, shoot, sap, bud, leaf, flower, and fruit—and also echo the natural cadences of each season. Each entry has three components: a biblical quote for the day; a midrash on the biblical quote or a Jewish tradition related to that day; and commentary relating the text to the cycles of the year.
The author includes an introduction that analyzes the different months and seasons of the Hebrew calendar and explains the textual sources used throughout. Appendixes provide additional material for leap years, equinoxes, and solstices. A section on seasonal meditations offers a new way to approach the divine every day.
“The Jewish Book of Days is rich learning for Jews, both educated and not, and highly informative and inspirational as well for those unfamiliar with the Jewish faith.” —Rabbi Gershon Winkler, author of Magic of the Ordinary: Recovering the Shamanic in Judaism
by Rabbi Jill Hammer
