Daven (PHOTO BLOG)
by Todd Weinstein
Inspired by saying the prayers and reading from the Torah….
“The common term used for prayer for those with a Yiddish background is to ‘daven’ (pronounced daa-ven) and there are various theories where the word “daven” came from. Some say that “daven” comes from the Hebrew word dovaiv, which means “to move the lips.” Davening is when Jews move their lips. We don’t pray silently; we pray verbally, vocalizing our prayers.” (Chabad.org)
The first parshah (weekly torah portion) is the reading of Bereishit, here are some pertinent phrases from the opening chapter.
1. In the beginning of God’s creation of the heavens and the earth.
2. Now the earth was astonishingly empty, and darkness was on the face of the deep, and the spirit of God was hovering over the face of the water.
3. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
Weinstein is an internationally acclaimed photographer living in New York, he can be emailed at: ionruach at gmail.com.