Prayer-Jewish Virtual Library
Where Do I Begin?
Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis
"Where do I begin? Where do I find God? How do I begin to pray?
Begin withyourself. As Abraham began with the command lech lecha -- Go into yourself.
Why with yourself? Because in Judaism the self is regarded as the unique and indispensable link to God.
Jewish thinking is rooted in the deepest and most revolutionary verse in the Bible, one that resonates throughout Jewish thought and is based on the 27th verse in the second chapter of Genesis
. It is according to the sage Ben Azzai the most comprehensive principle in the Torah and the fountainhead of morality. "And God created the human being in His image,
in the image of God created He him. Male and female created He them."
Listen to the wisdom -- older than Enlightenment, older than humanism.
There is a tselem, an image of God, implanted in you.
The image of God is found no where in the universe except in the human self in whom God breathes "Nishmath chayim" - the divine breath of Life. In you is a "neshamah", a soul whose origin is God. In real prayer I am confronted by the
image of divinity that mirrors my inner soul."
* This document, or any portion thereof, may not be reproduced without the written permission of the author.
Prayer
Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis
Rabbi Edward Feinstein 
Sermons
Tapes
God
Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis
Rabbi Edward Feinstein
Tapes
For Further Reading
Tough Questions Jews Ask:
A Young Adult's Guide to Building a Jewish Life
Shabbat
Guide to Sabbath Services
Blessing the Sabbath Candles
Blessing our Children
Shalom Aleychem
Friday Evening Kiddush
Page 1
Page 2
Washing Our Hands
Shabbat Afternoon Kiddush
Havdalah
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Birchat Hamazon
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Why Shabbat? 06/30/95 Tape
Listen To The Blessings
Torah Blessings
Talit Blessing
Listen To Trope
Torah Trope
Haftorah Trope