His expertise is in Jewish liturgy. Dr. Hoffman teaches courses in all areas of Jewish liturgy and is especially interested in how the commandments to pray specified texts at specified times (keva) affect the ability of the worshiper to pray with heartfelt meaning (kavanah). That issue informs his ongoing work on his book-length commentary on the prayer book tentatively titled A Literary and Spiritual Commentary on the Siddur. He is also interested in the image of the Other (especially the non-Jew) in Jewish liturgy. That issue motivated his article on Aqdamut in the Spring 2009 issue of the Jewish Quarterly Review. He is currently preparing two more articles related to this topic: â€œThe Image of the Other in Jewish Interpretations of Alenu,â€ and â€œDating Alenu: A Review Essay.â€