Rating: 
Summary: The Holiness of Everyday Life
Review: What impressed me most about Mrs. Greenberg's book remains the high regard for which even the most mundane tasks receive in the traditional Jewish household. Most everyday activities have a blessing ascribed to them, and this elevation of the mundane to the divine causes one to reflect upon daily life as a worshipful experience. In addition, I felt impressed by the female-centered nature of Jewish life as depicted in the book. The wife/mother is no bystander in the religious household but a vital actor as the drama of life plays out. Preparing meals gains importance--not as a way to merely satisfy one's appetite for food but as a central expression of Shalom. The Sabbath celebration in the home centers around women as they kindle the candles and prepare the requisite meals. Mrs. Greenberg explores and explicates traditional values of modesty, honesty, love, and charity without being judgemental or "writing down" to her reader. She sprinkles her work liberally with selections from Torah, the prophets, and the sages, to say nothing of the charming anecdotes of her own family's experiences. As an aside, I've prepared all of the recipes over the years, and every one is delicious! Highly recommended to all.
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