In pursuit of broadening the meaning and scope of the medical humanities, we are pleased to call reviewers for ‘Every Day I Bless You: The Healing Powers of Shiva’ by Norman J. Fried (Urim Publications, 2012). As always, we welcome expressions of interest from all angles of the medical humanities but this book might be particularly well suited to reviewers with an interest in Jewish studies, religion, spirituality or healing rituals.
‘Though the days of shiva are seven, containing a distinct beginning and a certain end, the days of our morning continue on indefinitely, always searching for resolution. How we manage through our days, and the lessons we learn along the way, are our perpetual bounty to work with toward growth and understanding. Every Day I Bless You introduces the many lessons that shiva can teach by bringing the reader into the house, the heart, and the mind of who grieves. In addition, it offers essential and healing insights gleaned from the Jewish Bible and current psychological thought on grief and bereavement.
While the lessons we learn vary for each of us, one theme resounds throughout: Man “in need” seeks God, and God, through grief, seeks man. Like the “beloved” in Song of Songs who stands at the front of his lover’s tent and says “Open to me” (Songs 5:2), God stands before us, concealed, but never far away. This theme is at the very heart of Every Day I Bless You. For when we are lost in the midst of a despairing world, it is our grieving spirit that leads us to a healing encounter with God.’
If you would like to write a review on ‘Every Day I Bless you’ (approximately 1,000-1,500 words in length), then please email our reviews editor with a short explanation of why you are well placed to review the book.