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The question isn't whether grace is there for you in Judaism. The question is, do you have the courage to accept it?
"Chesed isn't a reward; it is reality. God's grace isn’t limited to what we want to happen or might like to happen. God’s grace is what is happening whether we like it or not. In short, God’s grace is the giving of all to all."
—from the Introduction
Ask almost any Jew whether grace is a central concept in Judaism and an essential element in living Jewishly and, chances are, their answer will be "no." But that’s the wrong answer. This fascinating foray into God’s love freely given offers you—regardless of your level of Jewish involvement—a way to answer that question in the affirmative.
Drawing from ancient and contemporary, traditional and non-traditional Jewish wisdom, this book reclaims the idea of grace in Judaism in three ways:
- It offers a view of God that helps you understand what grace is, why grace is, and how grace manifests in the world.
- It sets forth a reading of Judaism that is grace-filled: an understanding of creation, Shabbat and other Jewish practices from a grace-filled perspective.
- It challenges you to be embraced and transformed by grace, and to live life as a vehicle for God’s grace, thereby fulfilling the promise of being created in God’s image and likeness.
Rabbi Rami Shapiro is a renowned teacher of spirituality across faith traditions, a noted theologian, and an award-winning storyteller, poet and essayist. He has written many books and is a popular speaker and workshop leader. He has led e-courses for Spirituality & Practice and is profiled in our Living Spiritual Teachers Project.
In this timely volume, Rabbi Rami opens the Jewish-Christian door of dialogue a few feet further with his affirmation of grace—chesed—as a major dimension of Judaism. Although religious scholars and students claim that justice is the predominant concept on the Jewish path, the author is convinced that grace is even more important with its emphasis on "God's unlimited, unconditional, unconditioned, and all-inclusive love for all creation."
What is this God of grace really like? Shapiro imagines God to "be be-ing itself manifesting time, space, and everything that occupies them. God isn't a noun but a verb; God isn't a being but a doing, and what God does is called grace." Got it? There is no need to win or achieve grace because it is freely given. We have the choice to accept or reject it. In the Talmud we read:
"Even if 999 angels testify against humanity and only 1 speaks on their behalf, the Holy One, blessed be, inclines the scales in humanity's favor."
Once we accept the astonishing grace of the Holy One as the operative principle of our lives, we will be able to see the creation of the world, the covenant, forgiveness, and faith with fresh eyes. As we read Shapiro's commentary in these chapters, we sense his respect for the wildly creative aspects of chesed and his acceptance of the idea of letting God be God operating outside the precincts of human reason and rigid beliefs.
For Rabbi Rami, mitzvoth, the traditions, commandments, and practices of Jewish life are all animated by the abundant and never-ending grace of God. He spells out the importance of "the Ten Sayings" and the Sabbath with just the right mix of reverence for tradition and creativity. The end result is a passionate plea for us to choose life.
Preface v
Introduction: What Is Grace? ix
Part One
The Theory of Grace
Chapter 1: Grace & God 3
Chapter 2: Grace & Creation 25
Chapter 3: Grace & Humanity 45
Chapter 4: Grace & Covenant 61
Chapter 5: Grace & Forgiveness 77
Chapter 6: Grace & Faith 87
Part Two
The Practice of Living Graciously
Chapter 7: Grace & the Ten Sayings 109
Chapter 8: Grace & Shabbat 123
Conclusion: Life as It Is 139
Notes 141
Suggestions for Further Reading 145