Extraordinary Nature of Ordinary Things (rev ed)

This first book by the author of the bestselling More Beautiful Than Before and The Beauty of What Remains has been reissued with a new foreword by Steve Leder, reflecting anew--20 years later--on these inspirational essays and the influence they have had.Through vignettes at times 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 re-examined 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.