mixed materials on canvas 40"
x 30" (102 x 76 cm)
Eve was
created
from
Adam’s rib - צלה
which
also can mean
in Hebrew - Shadow.
How a man views
the opposite sex
is a "shadow"
of
his own self-esteem.
Eve and the Serpent
mixed materials on canvas40"
x 30" (102 x 76 cm)
The
confrontation of
Eve
and the Serpent
is one of the most mysterious
"stories" of the Bible
and has invited
many profound
studies.
The serpent נחש
has the same
gematria (358)
as the Moshiach (Messiah) משיח,
who will come to rectify
this mundane
world,
which is called by the Kabbalah,
the "Skin of the Serpent"
משכא דחויא
by
penetrating its filter/skin
obscuring the Light Beyond
thus releasing
all of its holy sparks
and trapped energies.
acrylics on canvas 33" x 33" (84 x 84 cm)
#noach
Parshat Noach - נח
The Waters of the
Flood - המבול
acrylics
on canvas
10" x
26" (26 x 66 cm)
The waters of the Flood
are called מים
רבים
our being overwhelmed
and
confused מְבֻלְבָּל
by troubles in life,
particularly
parnasah, making a
livelihood.
We can be saved by
entering into the Ark
: התיבה
which in Hebrew means
also the Word,
the words of Prayer
and Torah.
The Vortex of No Return
מַעְיְנֹת תְּהוֹם
acrylics on
canvas
The
waters of the
Flood
also contained boiling hot springs
from the Fountains of the Abyss
מַעְיְנֹת תְּהוֹם
from which no one could escape:
Recent geological
research now reveals
that 700
kilometers deep underground
is a HUGE
reservoir of water that is three
times the volume
of all the oceans!
If this were to
erupt out it would cover
even the highest
mountain tops.
Except that the
Almighty has promised us
that there will
not be another Flood.
Amazingly
the Zohar
teaches
that 5000 years after the Flood
in the Jewish year 5600 (1840 CE),
which coincides
with the Industrial
Revolution,
there will begin
again
a bursting forth
of the
Wellsprings,
explained as the revelations
of science and technology
to prepare the
world
for Moshiach
- Messiah.
#lech-lecha
Parshat
Lech-Lecha - לך לך
Going Away and Coming
Inward
In this Parsha (Genesis 12:1),
God is commanding Abraham
with the unique phrase
Lech-Lecha
לֶךְ
לְךָ
repeating two words
with the same
letters
but with different
vowels and meanings.
The first lech לֶךְ
is
a verb command: Go!
The second lecha
לְֶךָ
is
a preposition often
translated as "away from"
but more
accurate may be
into yourself"
Actually both are correct,
because
when you totally leave
your "comfort zone"
of acquired habits
and materialism
you can then enter
into your true self:
your inner soul
and the spiritual dimension.
This transformation
I compare
to what astronomers
describe as
the experience
of the Black Hole
and "singularity"
being reduced to nothingness
by the enormous force
of (God's) Gravity.
Passing through
this Black Hole
we will see that
the "other side" is really
"The Land which I will show you"
אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר
אַרְאֶךָּ
This idea I have tried
to render in an adaptation
of above painting
acrylics on canvas 94 x 94 cm
in video art on YouTube:
http://youtu.be/bjuCs7gb24Q
The three words
after the phrase לֶךְ
לְךָ
מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ
"from your country
and from your birthplace
and from your father's house"
can refer to "going away" from
from our different mindsets
or various modern "ologies",
such as
מֵאַרְצְךָ your country =
politicalogy
מִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ your birthplace =
sociology
מִבֵּית
אָבִיךָ your father's
house = psychology
#prophecy
Abraham's
Frightening Prophecy
mixed
materials on canvas
40" x 50" (102 x 127
cm)
The
Patriarch Abraham
was ordered
to pass through
a set of animal carcasses
(Genesis 15: 7-15)
to receive the frightening
prophesy of the Exile,
not only to Egypt,
but for all the exiles
(including the Holocaust)
that his descendants would suffer.
Parshat
Vayeira - וַיֵּרָא
The Three Angels Visiting Abraham
mixed materials on canvas
40"
x 30" (102 x 76 cm)
וַיִּשָּׂא
עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא
וְהִנֵּה שְׁלֹשָׁה אֲנָשִׁים נִצָּבִים עָלָיו
He looked up and
saw -
behold three angels
(in the form of
men)
standing in front of him.
(Genesis 18:2)
The
three Angels were sent
to
perform specific missions
according
to their characteristics
in
the Divine Chariot,
as
envisioned by my deceased wife:
Yael Avi-Yonah OBM.
Michael - מיכאל -
the Angel of
Chesed or Kindness
announced
the future birth of Isaac
Gavriel - גבריאל -
the Angel of
Gevura or Severity
was
sent to destroy
Sodom and Amorah
Raphael
- רפאל
the Angel of Healing
cured Abraham from
the pain of the circumcision
and also to assist
Lot and his family to flee
What is missing is the
Fourth Angel of the Chariot,
namely
Uriel - אוריאל - the Angel of Mercy
אוריאל
= 248 = אברהם
Uriel has the same gematria
as Abraham!
And we can see
the investment
of this Angel
in Abraham's
pleading
to avert the destruction
of the evil
cities.
#joker
Lot as a Joker in
Sodom
mixed
materials on canvas
24" x
18" (61 x 46 cm)
Lot tried
to persuade his two
scoffing Sodomite
sons-in-law
to flee with him
yo avert
the impending destruction
but they looked
upon him
as a joker/comedian.
(Genesis 19:14)
A common
"reality denial"
of the wicked.
#shofar
The Akada and the
Messianic Shofar
mixed
materials on canvas
23" x 37 1/2" (60 x 95 cm)
The ram that was
sacrificed
in place of Isaac was
a special
creature
designated
at the time of Creation.
From it was made
one horn or shofar
that was heard at Mount Sinai.
The second horn will be heard
at the advent of
the Messiah.
#chai-sarah
Parshat
Chayei Sarah - חיי שרה
The Passing Away of
Sarah:
Death and the Resurrection
triptych - acrylics
on canvas
26"
x 62" (66 x 158 cm)
Why Abraham
did not
mourn greatly
the passing away of Sarah
can perhaps be explained
by the phrase
in Psalms 115:17 -
"The dead can not praise
You
nor can those who
descend into Duma
(the Silence of the Grave)".
The Grave הקבר is likened
in the Talmud
to the uterus of the woman.
In the process of procreation
the man "dies"
but his seed
after nine months
is Resurrected
with the birth of a child
and a new generation.
#hai
Ma-arat HaMachpelah
-מערת המכפלה
The letter HAI ה
Doubled
https://youtu.be/-u96PDadMHg
The burial place for
Sarah
chosen by Abraham
(Genesis 28:9)
is called
Ma-arat HaMachpelah
מְעָרַת
הַמַּכְפֵּלָה
which can mean a cave
with a double entrance
(two levels one
on top of the other)
or a cave containing "pairs":
referring to the
Holy
Pairs - זוגות
Adam and Eve,
Abraham and Sarah,
Isaac and Rebecca,
Jacob and Leah
who are (to be) buried there.
Machpelah מכפלה
can also be read
כֶּפֶל - ה
Doubling the Hebrew letter
HAI - ה
and refers
to the two HAI letters
in the Holy Name of God.
The form of the HAI
indicates
expansion
into the three dimensions
height, length,and depth.
The disconnected leg of the HAI
on the
left
as if on a different plane
represents depth
and the turned-around
YOD
suggests pregnancy.
In order for the
soul
to experience
and be
impregnated
with divinity,
it has to assume
"dimensions",
of a sacred space,
so that a sentient being
can integrate it
into his own consciousness.
#jesting
Making Your Wife Happy
וְהִנֵּה יִצְחָק מְצַחֵק אֵת רִבְקָה
אִשְׁתּוֹ
And behold!
Yitzchok is "jesting"
with Rifka, his wife
(Genesis
26: 18)
Yitzchok (Isaac)
and
Rifka (Rebecca)
are the first officially
married couple in the Torah
and the above phrase
is an important teaching
about the duty
of a man to his wife:
namely to make
her happy
by all means possible.
including jest
and play.
That the word
"Rifka"
precedes "his wife"
indicates a
necessary sensitivity
to the needs
and
personality
of the woman
beyond her being
a sexual object.
More
information at Link
#toldot
Parshat Toldot - תולדות
Yakov (Jacob) and
Eisav (Esau)
mixed materials on canvas
The conflict between
Yakov (Jacob) יַעֲקֹב
and Eisav (Esau) עֵשָׂו
as a metaphor for the struggle
within our own brain
between
the good and evil inclinations.
Another way of
understanding the conflict:
Yakov or
(as he is later called)
Yisroel (Israel)
is the earnest yeshiva boy
who would like
only to sit and learn
in the Tents of Torah study
separated
from material reality.
וְיַעֲקֹב
אִישׁ תָּם יֹשֵׁב אֹהָלִים
Eisav is the
"potential" Baal Tsuvah who fails
his mission
to elevate his great energies
and falls into the depths of evil.
To correct this
Yakov has to change his
character and learn to deal with
the duplicity of the world
emulating
the external trappings of Eisav,
but retaining
his inner spiritual voice:
הַקֹּל קוֹל יַעֲקֹב וְהַיָּדַיִם יְדֵי עֵשָׂו
The
voice is the voice of Yakov
but the hands are
the hands of Eisav
(Genesis 27:22)
#liver-heart
The Liver versus the Heart
diptych
-airbrushed acrylics on canvas
18"
x 36" (46 x 92 cm)
The Zohar describes
the conflict of the brothers in a
surprisingly anatomical context.
Eisav from birth ruddy אַדְמוֹנִי
is the Liver - both being red.
The Tribe of Eisav is
Edom אֱדוֹם
(the color red)
who thus associates
with the red lentils
for which he sold his birthright
הַלְעִיטֵנִי
נָא מִן-הָאָדֹם הָאָדֹם הַזֶּה
"Stuff that red stuff
down my throat!"
and bloodshed שְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים.
His planet is of course
the red colored Mars מַאְדִים.
The Liver
(originating as the placenta)
can be considered the "first born"
in the development of the embryo,
its job and function being to filter
the bad blood and nutrients.
Yakov is the Heart
the essential organ
which distributes
the good blood
throughout the body
including the Brain.
Although the Liver is a much larger
organ (in size) than the Heart
it must work in tandem
and accept the "leadership"
of the smaller Heart,
according to the prophecy
at the beginning of the Parsha
(Gen 25:23):
וְרַב יַעֲבֹד צָעִיר
The Elder (or the larger)
will serve
the Younger (or smaller)
If Eisav as the Liver
refuses to accept this
then the body
and the world
can not survive.
This finds
correlation
in the combined
gematriot of the Hebrew words
for Liver כָּבֵד and Heart לֵב
כבד = 26
(which
is also the gematria for
the name of God)
לב = 32
Together (58)
חֵן Harmony or Grace.
#vayeizei
Parshat VaYeizei - ויצא
Jacob's
Ladder - סֻלָּם
יַעֲקֹב
mixed
materials
on canvas
30"
x 40" (76 x 102 cm)
וַיַּחֲלֹם
וְהִנֵּה סֻלָּם מֻצָּב אַרְצָה
וְרֹאשׁוֹ מַגִּיעַ הַשָּׁמָיְמָה
וְהִנֵּה מַלְאֲכֵי אֱלֹהִים עֹלִים וְיֹרְדִים בּוֹ.
And he dreamed
and behold a ladder
set up on the earth,
and the top of it
reached to heaven
and behold the angels of God
ascending and descending on it.
(Genesis
28:12)
The
fabulous ladder
dream
of Yakov (Jacob)
is a
paradigm
for the act of prayer.
At every
rung
we are
accompanied
and tested
by angels
whose
wings carry our words
and
aspirations
to the Higher Chambers.
#genetics
Kabbalah
Genetics
One of the strangest
episodes
in the Parsha
is Yakov's
"genetic manipulation"
of the
phenotypes of his flocks to
counter the
trickery
and deceit of Lavan,
who represents the לובן העליון
the Supernal Whiteness
that transcends
all "color" and classification
and because
it is beyond classification,
it bridges opposites
and can transform
everything into its very extreme,
for good and for evil.
Yakov here
precedes by 3500 years
the research
of Gregor Mendel,
the father of
modern genetics!
He is even helped
by a prophetic dream:
וָאֵרֶא
בַּחֲלוֹם
וְהִנֵּה הָעַתֻּדִים הָעֹלִים עַל הַצֹּאן
עֲקֻדִּים נְקֻדִּים וּבְרֻדִּים
"I see in a dream
and behold all the males
mounting the flocks were
with markings that were
"ringed" or "spotted"
or "striated".
(Genesis 31:10)
According to the Kabbalah
these "markings"
represent three
stages
in the contraction
of God's Infinity
from Adam Kadmon to
the world of Atzilus Emanation.
עֲקֻדִּים Ringed
airbrushed
acrylics on canvas
30" x
30" (76 x 76 cm)
In this stage all the spiritual energies
that would later evolve into discrete
sephirot or lights are
in one "glob" all bound together.
נְקֻדִּים Spotted
polymer emulsions on canvas
27 1/2" x 19 1/2" (70 x 50 cm)
From the primordial glob
emerge discrete sephirot or lights,
each as separate entities
and unwilling
to connect with each other,
described as the World of Tohu
and ultimately become shattered
in what is called the
Shattering
of the Vessels
שבירת הכלים
בְרֻדִּים Striated
acrylics, painted rings &
marbles on canvas,
27 1/2" x 38" (70 x 97 cm)
In this designation
the sephirot
are connected with each other
by striations and links
to form a holy Parzuf or Face,
allowing for
inclusion and interaction,
which is the classic Etz Hayim mode
and what perhaps quantum physics
would describe as "entangling".
Only Yakov has the ability
to bring down
the sublime energies
hidden within
Lavan - the Supernal Whiteness
and the Ringed level עֲקֻדִּים
because he is associated with
Tiferet תפארת the integration
of
Hesed (Abraham)
and Gevurah (Yitzhak)
which is quality of Truth אמת
תִּתֵּן אֱמֶת
לְיַעֲקֹב
"Render Truth to
Yakov"
(Micah 7:20)
VAV the Letter of Truth
Of all the Hebrew letters only
the Letter VAV ו is called the
the Letter of Truth אות האמת
because of its ability
to descend and break through
to the lower realities
as suggested
in my video art below:
https://youtu.be/ew3sFfsLE_U
It is thus significant
that the name Yakov יַעֲקֹב
is written with a VAV
in only one phrase in the Torah
וְזָכַרְתִּי אֶת בְּרִיתִי יַעֲקוֹב
Then I will remember
my covenant with Yakov
(Leviticus 26:42)
Coming after
the terrible curses
which will afflict us
if we go contrary to God,
suggesting that the
Truth of Yakov will prevail
and save us.
#vayishlach
Parshat
VaYishlach - וישלח
Jacob Wrestling With
The
Angel
mixed materials on canvas
40"
x 40" (102 x 102 cm)
When
Yakov (Jacob)
crossed
the Yabok
River,
which has
deep mystical implications.
he encountered
the Angel of Eisav (Esau),
with whom he wrestled
the entire night of the symbolic
Galut גלות
and mundane consciousness.
At the redeeming “Dawn” גאולה
the Angel conceded
the
battle and from then on
Jacob was called Israel ישראל
which can be read in Hebrew,
ישר א-ל Direct to G-d
the highest spiritual
connection.
(Genesis 32:26)
#solace
Solace in Sorrow: The
Birth of Benjamin
וַיְהִי בְּצֵאת
נַפְשָׁהּ כִּי מֵתָה
וַתִּקְרָא
שְׁמוֹ בֶּן אוֹנִי
וְאָבִיו קָרָא לוֹ בִנְיָמִין.
And then as her soul
was departing,
for she was dying,
she named him
Ben-Onee
(son of my sorrow)
but his father
named him Ben-Yamin,
which could refer to his being
the only son born in the South
(the land of Canaan - Israel)
or the son born in the "days"
of his old age.
This Parsha is always read
during the month of Kislev
whose emanating Tribe
according to Sefer Yetzira
is
Benjamin.
Afterwards Yakov (Jacob)
set up a monument
at her grave
by the roadside
in Bethlehem
and continued
on his journey, which
is an important instruction
on our mourning
process -
life's journey must continue.
(Genesis 35:16)
As he later
confessed to Joseph,
Yakov regreted
that Rachel would not
be buried in the
Kever Hamachpela,
but was driven
by a prophetic vision
that Rachel's tomb
would be a source
of comfort and solace
for the Israelites
passing it on the way
to Babylonian Exile and
the promise for their Return.
וְיֵשׁ
תִּקְוָה לְאַחֲרִיתֵךְ
וְשָׁבוּ בָנִים לִגְבוּלָם
There is hope
in your final destiny
and the sons will return
to their borders
(Jeremiah 31:16)
#vayeishev
Parshat VaYeishev - וישב
airbrushed acrylics on canvas 40" x 30" (102 x
76 cm)
Inspired by Edvard
Munch's The Scream
ָוַיַּשְׁלִכוּ אֹתוֹ הַבֹּרָה
וְהַבּוֹר
רֵק אֵין בּוֹ מָיִם
They (the brothers)
threw him (Joseph)
into the Pit הַבּוֹר
and the pit was
empty without water.
The Rabbis teach us that
although the pit
was "without water"
it was not completely empty
but contained
snakes and scorpions.
The Pit can seen
as a metaphor
for our thinking process
and if the input is without the
waters of Torah
and the spiritual
it will never be empty and thus
susceptible to the negativism
of the Extraneous Forces.
#potiphera
Joseph
&
Potiphera's Wife
mixed materials on canvas 40"
x 40" (102 x 102 cm)
Joseph
(a small
thumb
like figure with
beret in
bottom middle)
was tempted by
Potiphera’s wife Zuleika
(depicted as a
giant cobra on top),
but resisted
when he saw a telepathic vision
of his saintly father -
Yitzchak (Isaac)
(small
apparition on middle left).
Parshat Mikeitz - מקץ
#eff-menash
Efraiyim and Menasheh
airbrush
/ acrylic on canvas
diptych
16” x 32” (40 x 80 cm)
And
Joseph called
the name of the first-born
Menasheh - מנשה
כִּי נַשַּׁנִי
אֱלֹהִים אֶת כָּל עֲמָלִי
וְאֵת כָּל-בֵּית אָבִי
'For G-d has made me
forget נַשַּׁנִי
all my toil
and
all my father's house.'
(Genesis
41:52)
The letters מנשה Menasheh
can be rearranged
to spell נשמה Soul
and as such represents
the Divine Soul in man.
Menasheh suggests the
power of the
Tzadik (Joseph)
to make us forget
the hardships, trials and
tribulations of this world,
with the anticipation
of the joyous
coming of Moshiach.
Menasheh became
the designated Tribe
for the month of Mar-Chesvan
according to Sefer Yetzira:
And the name of
the second
he called Efraiyim - אפרים
כִּי-הִפְרַנִי אֱלֹהִים בְּאֶרֶץ
עָנְיִי
For G-d has made me
fruitful הִפְרַנִי
in the land of my affliction.
(Genesis 41:53)
Being "fruitful" is the power
to procreate in marital union.
This derives from God's
first commandment to Adam
on the day of his creation,
the first of Tishrei.
Being fruitful can also apply
to any creative activity
where we bring
into world "children" -
new visions
and spiritual energies,
actualizing potentials
that have been blocked.
Efraiyim
became
the designated Tribe
for the month of Tishrei
according to Sefer Yetzira:
#vayigash
Parshat
Vayigash - ויגש
Judah Confronts Joseph
acrylics
on canvas
33" x
33" (84 x 84 cm)
We
learn from
Judah's
extreme efforts
to save his brother Benjamin
our requirement
as healers and teachers
to rescue our brothers
who are being held "captive"
by the Viceroy of Pharoah
the mind-trap of the
constricted consciousness
of
Mitzraim.
#jo-ju
Joseph vs Judah
and the Future
Monarchy
In this Parsha,
Joseph the Viceroy
is the ruling presence
and Judah is the suppliant
but his rule is only temporary.
When the kingdom of Israel
will be established
with the reign of David
the relation will be reversed.
#mishkan
Joseph and the Mishkan
mixed
materials on canvas
30" x 40" (76 x 102 cm)
Joseph
is associated
with the Mishkan or Tabernacle,
also a temporary
and transient structure
which was a template for the
Chain of Hierarchy in Nature,
השתלשלות -
here ascending
from the דומם the inanimate
(such as the earth
and metal spikes)
to the vegetable הצומח
(the wooden boards
that made up the walls)
to the animal החי
(the skins and wool
that covered the top).
The dominant feature
of the Mishkan
were the massive
cedar boards
which surrounded it,
which relates to the upright
Zaddik or Righteous One
sharing with
the perennial trees
the quality of
continuous growth.
צַדִּיק כַּתָּמָר יִפְרָח
כְּאֶרֶז בַּלְּבָנוֹן יִשְׂגֶּה
The
righteous shall flourish
like the palm-tree
he shall grow like
a cedar in Lebanon.
(Psalms 92:
13)
#mikdash
Judah & the Bait HaMikdash
Offset lithograph 240 gram 'Finland'
paper
Image size 17 1/2" x 23 1/4" (45 x 59 cm)
Whereas
the Bait HaMikdash
or Temple
associated with King David
and his descendants
was designed to
be
a permanent structure
and made almost entirely
of Stone - the inanimate.
This symbolizes
the desire of God to have
a "dwelling place"
in the lowest levels
דירה בתחתונים
and reveal there
his Divine Presence.
The "Stone" can also
be assigned to the
lowest level of
the society
namely
amongst the
common,
uneducated people
who the Baal
ShemTov
revealed to
contain
outstanding faith in God,
even higher that those who
regarded themselves
(or were regarded by others)
as a complete Zaddik
or Righteous One.
This can explain
why
to the descendants of
Judah as the
Baal Tsuvah
(The Repenter)
were eventually
bestowed the Monarchy
over Joseph the
Zaddik:
במקום שבעלי תשובה עומדין
צדיקים גמורים אינם עומדין
The "place"
where
Repenters reach
the completely
Righteous
can not stand.
This is because
they can bring into
the world
a New Light higher
than the natural Hierarchy,
changing
their sins into merits.
Revealing the power
of the Stone
can also describe
the transformation
of the status of women
who were likened
in the pre-chassidic era
to a group without
an identity and voice,
certainly not to learn Torah
and be educated
and in our period
have now become
our moral impetus
and spiritual compass,
so much so that,
as the Rebbe proclaimed,
it is in their merit
we will be worthy
of the Geula.
#vayechi
Parshat Vayechi - ויחי
Jacob's
Blessing for Benjamin
airbrushed
acrylics on canvas 30"
x 40" (76 x 102 cm)
Benjamin is a
vicious wolf
בִּנְיָמִין זְאֵב יִטְרָף
(blessing
this
tribe
to be ferocious in battle)
(Genesis 49:
27)
One can make
a sardonic comparison
to Isaiah's (11:6)
famous
messianic
prophecy:
"A wolf and a lamb
will live
(peaceably) together"
וְגָר זְאֵב
עִם-כֶּבֶשׂ
referring here to Israel's
(now the Lamb)
future
relation to its 70 enemies
(now the Wolf)
who
will be around
but won't
(be able to) harm,
being toothless.
The problem is that so far
the toothy "Wolf"
in the painting
has not yet read Isaiah.
(perhaps the prophet
does
not translate
well into Arabic or Persian)
Oops! Poor Dumb Lamb!
It is interesting to
note
that Moses' blessing
for Benjamin in the
last
Parsha of the Torah:
VeZot HaBracha - וזאת
הברכה
has
a more
peaceful connotation
and
relates
to the Tribe's future location
(actually a small protrusion
into the boundary of Judah)
upon which the Holy Temple
in Jerusalem
would stand.
Perhaps to achieve
again this exalted vision
we need first the realistic ferocity
of Benjamin the Wolf.
mixed
materials on canvas 30" x 40" (76 x 102 cm)
לְבִנְיָמִן אָמַר
יְדִיד י-ה-ו-ה יִשְׁכֹּן לָבֶטַח עָלָיו
חֹפֵף
עָלָיו כָּל הַיּוֹם וּבֵין כְּתֵפָיו שָׁכֵן
About Benjamin he said:
May God's beloved
dwell securely with Him
(in the Bait HaMikdash).
May the Divine Presence cover
(and protect) him forever
and dwell among the high places.
#blessings
Blessings to the Tribes
The other Blessings
which
Jacob bestowed
upon the Tribes largely
inspired my
painting
on the Names of the Twelve Tribes
incised on the
gemstones
in the Kho-shen חשן
(the Breastplate of
the High Priest)
airbrush/acrylic
on canvas on 12 mounted
canvases:
62"
x 48" (158 x 122 cm)
The Secrets of the
Names of the Tribes
dov2a1.htm
הסבר
בעברית
Benjamin
is also associated with the month of Kislev
according to Sefer
Yetzira
The Book of Exodus -
Shemot - שמות
#shemot
Parshat
Shemot - שמות
Birthing
acrylics
on canvas
40" x
40" (102 x 102 cm)
And
the midwives said unto Pharaoh:
'Because the Hebrew women
are not as the Egyptian women;
for they are "like animals" חיות
and they can deliver by themselves.'
(Exodus 1: 19)
In the beginning of our learning & growth
we usually need a "midwife", a teacher, a rebbe
to help us give birth to and gain a new insight.
The ultimate stage should be
when we will be able to "deliver" by ourselves.
#burningbush
God's first message
to Moses
at the Burning Bush
אֶ-הְיֶה
אֲשֶׁר אֶ-הְיֶה
"I
will be what I will be"
(Exodus 3: 14)
is one of
the most profound phrases
in the
Torah and with many interpretations.
One hint to this is that the first
and last
word: אֶ-הְיֶה
is itself one the
most Holy Names of God
associated with the sefira of Keter
(and because of its
holiness
it should be pronounced Ak-yeh).
The middle word Asher
אֲשֶׁר
share the same
letters for
the Hebrew word Osher
אשֶׁר
joy and happiness.
which is the
essential mind state
for receiving
prophecy.
#shin
The Secret of the Shin ש
The middle letter in
this phrase Shin ש
represents the
Element of Fire אש
and
the Shin ש "on fire" suggests
the spiritual context of the Burning
Bush
(Exodus 3:2)
וְהִנֵּה הַסְּנֶה בֹּעֵר בָּאֵשׁ וְהַסְּנֶה אֵינֶנּוּ אֻכָּל
And behold the bush burned with fire
and the bush was not consumed
which
is envisioned in the video art below:
#bbush
The Denouement
The
central idea of this phrase
אֶ-הְיֶה
אֲשֶׁר אֶ-הְיֶה
"I
will be what I will be"
is
that God can
be understood and revealed
to our finite
and limited intelligence,
especially during the painful periods
(The Burning Bush)
of what seems to be
the concealment
of Divine Providence
only in the "denouement" of events,
such as the Megila of Esther,
the Megila of the History
of the Jewish People
and the Megila or His-Story
of each and
everyone's life journey.
#vaeira
Parshat
Va'eira -
וארא
The Ten Plagues
The
ten plagues can be
interpreted
accordingto
the
classical Ten
Sefirot model
in
reverse.
Seven
in this Parsha
from
Malchut to Chesed
(the
modalities of the emotions)
Three
in following Parsha
from
Bina to Keter.
(the
modalities of the
intellect
and beyond)
The
Plagues come
to
attack and rectify
the
bad and evil energies
trapped
in
the
Ten
Sefirot of Impurity
by
Pharaoh in Hebrew פרעה
whose
letters can spell הערף
"the
back of the neck"
and
certainly apply to our own
יצר הרע or evil inclinations,
which
is why we are called
"a
stiff-necked people"
כִּי
עַם קְשֵׁה עֹרֶף אַתָּה
still
dominated by the
mind
sets and mental slavery
of Mitzrayim and the Galut.
#blood
The First Plague
- Malchut
Blood - דָם
airbrushed acrylics on canvas
30"
x 40" (76 x 102 cm)
The
belief that Nature
(especially the Nile River)
can be controlled and "engineered"
embodied the source of the Egyptian
arrogant confidence and security
and was
therefore deified
as a power in and of itself
and revered
as the very source of life.
The bloody "slaughter"
of this concept
opened up the pagan mind
to the presence of a Higher Master.
This arrogance can
also apply to those
fine liberal people יפי נפש
who love to imagine
they are drinking
from the cool clear
intellectual waters
of a creed of humanism
without God.
The plague reveals the "bluff"
of what is really behind all this -
their hot blood of anger,
particularly with whoever
disagrees with them.
#frogs
The Second Plague - Yesod
Frogs - צְפַרְדֵעַ
airbrushed
acrylics on canvas
17" x
35" (44 x 89 cm)
The
plague of the Frogs
attempted
to rectify
the
fallen sephira of Yesod
caused
by the
debauched habits
of
the Egyptians.
The frogs' cold
slimy bodies
covered
every inch
of
the land and
entered
their houses
and
even the bedrooms,
cooling
off their lust
and
sexual ardour
which
was their raison d'etre.
#lice
The Third Plague -
Hod
(Acknowledge)
Lice - כִּנִים
mixed
materials on canvas
40"
x 40" (102 x 102 cm)
When
the plague of the dust
turning
into lice occurred,
all
of the magicians acknowledged
that it was the “Finger of G-d”
אצבע
אלו-הים
since regular
magic can not affect
such small creatures,
whereas Divine
Providence
is in every aspect of
creation.
The acknowledgement
of God's mastery
is the beginning of spiritual service
and should induce a positive humility
that even if we are like
dust before Him,
we are still
with Him .
With the ego-deflated Egyptians
the dust turned
into lice
causing a deep
depression,
a pseudo
humility
which sucks out
a person's blood,
depriving him
of his vitality and energy-flow
#animals
The Fourth Plague -
Netzach
Mixture of Wild Animals - עָרֹב
airbrushed
acrylics on canvas
27 1/2"
x 36" (79 x 92 cm)
The fourth
plague
to harass the Egyptians
consisted of
hordes of wild animals
and also snakes and scorpions
roving all over the country,
and destroying everything in their path.
That they attacked
in a "coordinated" way
like a disciplined army
was a Tikun or rectification
to the Egyptian's evil Netzach נצח
which attempts
to achieve Victory at all costs
by deceitfully "orchestrating" the events.
The Jewish use of Netzach נצח
is suggested
in many of the Psalms which begin
with the words: לַמְנַצֵּחַ מִזְמוֹר
A prayer by
the
Conductor Orchestrator
#pest
The Fifth Plague - Tiferet (Mercy)
Pestilence - דֶּבֶר
acrylics
on canvas
The fifth plague was
a severe epidemic
on the cattle in the field,
but came with a prior warning, showing
the amelioration of judgement with mercy and
the Egyptians who complied were spared.
Only those who did not were punished.
הִנֵּה
יַד י-ה-ו-ה ה-וֹיָה בְּמִקְנְךָ
(Exodus 9:3)
Behold the Hand of God is on your cattle
This is hinted that the merciful name of י-ה-ו-ה
was changed to its permutation
ה-וֹיָה
which is associated
according to Sefer Yetzira
with the month
of Menachem Av,
the month of
severe judgement.
#boils
The Sixth Plague - Gevurah
Boils -
שְּׁחִין
mixed materials
on canvas
24"
x 18" (61 x 46 cm)
The
plague of boils, unlike the others,
came
without a mitigating warning
and
applied to all of the Egyptians
wherever
they were and
who
were made numb from the pain.
indicating
a terrible gevurah or severity
from
which very few recovered.
That
is why we must pray daily to be
protected
from debilitating illnesses
which
put us into a condition
where
we are unable to beg
for
salvation.
#hail
The Seventh
Plague - Chesed
Hail - בָּרָד
polymer
emulsions on canvas
27 1/2" x 19 1/2" (70 x 50 cm)
The plague of Hail בָרָד
was strongly aligned with Chesed
since the Egyptians
were given a day's warning
to secure their livestock
in shelters beforehand,
any man or beast left
in the open would die.
The
Hail was quite miraculous
and destructive
in that within the large icy balls
burned a blazing flame,
the normally opposing elements of
Fire and Water now working together.
וַיְהִי בָרָד וְאֵשׁ
מִתְלַקַּחַת בְּתוֹךְ הַבָּרָד
(Exodus 9:34)
Many of the Egyptians
followed the warning,
but this was ultimately
applied against
Israel,
since the surviving horses
were used
with Pharoah's chariots to attack
the Israelites at the
encounter by the Red Sea.
There is also a lesson for us
with regards to the
"selective" destruction
of the plants:
only those with strong
unbending stems or trunks
were destroyed,
by contrast what survived
were the supple and flexible
(a trait of tsuvah and repenting).
#bo
Parshat
Bo - בא
#locusts
The Eighth Plague -
Bina
Locusts - אַרְבֶּה
polymer emulsions on canvas
27 1/2" x 19 1/2" (70 x 50 cm)
"And the locusts went
up
over all the land of Egypt
and they chewed up all the plants"
(Exodus 10: 13-15)
Chewing and processing
our received phenomena
is a kabbalah analogy
to the sephira of
Bina - בינה
This is the ability
of intellectual inquiry:
the approach of the Talmud.
It allows us to explore the universe,
improve our lives and discover
the higher moral calling
of the human family.
Yet the very same power may
serve as a tool to rationalize
every evil practiced
under the face of the sun,
and to justify every
destructive lifestyle or habit.
leaving
in its wake a desolate society
"The Wasteland"
bereft of spiritual values
and absolute principles.
#darkness
The
Ninth Plague - Chachma
Darkness - חֹשֶׁךְ
acrylics
on canvas
37" x 37" (94 x 94 cm)
There
was a thick darkness
in all the land of Egypt three days;
they saw not one another,
neither rose any from his place;
but all the children of Israel
had Light in their dwellings.
(Exodus 10: 21-24)
The Light in the
Darkness (of the Mind)
is a kabbalah analogy
to the sephira of
Chachma- חכמה
This
can be understood as the ability
to accept new ideas
and concepts that emerge
unexpectedly from
the supra-conscious.
The arrogant Egyptians
(and with them
many "assimilated" Jews)
with their fixed mindsets
could not change
and accept a new input
and thus remained
in the darkness.
The
Tenth Plague - Keter
The
Death of the First Born - בכורות
airbrushed
acrylics on canvas
40"
x 30" (102 x 76 cm)
This terrible plague
can be understood
within the
basic Biblical context of
"measure for measure"
מידה כנגד מידה
(How you
mistreat others,
so will be the retribution.)
God declared:
(Exodus 4:22)
"Israel is My first-born"
בְּנִי בְכֹרִי
יִשְׂרָאֵל
Yet Pharaoh
wished to enslave them
for all eternity, thus it is fitting
that God would punish him by killing
all of Egypt's first-born sons.
#pesach
Celebrating Passover
- Pesach
After
the Tenth Plague
the Israelites were commanded
to celebrate
Passover - Pesach
eating the pascal lamb
and the matzas,
the unleavened bread
to prepare for delivery from Egypt
וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת הַמַּצּוֹת כִּי בְּעֶצֶם
הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה
הוֹצֵאתִי אֶת צִבְאוֹתֵיכֶם
מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם
And you
shall observe the feast
of the unleavened bread
for in this very
day
I have brought your hosts
out of the land of Egypt.
(Exodus 12: 17)
#matzavideo
Voyage into
the Matza Interior
An extended
comparison via video art of the
"round"
hand-kneaded matza and the full moon.
Extreme
close-ups of the matza
texture
turn into a
remarkable "lunar"
and even
otherworldly
landscape
replete
with crevices and craggy mountains.
The micro
becomes the macro
and
vice versa.
With a modern
music
(electronic & flute) track,
which gives it a
special
ambience.
It even has the
sound
effect of the artist
munching noisily on a matza.
Some low
definition samples from the composition
(with a "stream of conciousness" sound track)
are
available on YouTube:
#beshalach
Parshat Beshalach - בשלח
#redsea
Crossing the Red Sea
- קריעת ים סוף
acrylics on canvas 10 1/2" x 16" (27 x 40 cm)
The bible story of the
Crossing of the Red Sea
is explained by the Rabbis
to be a prophetic revelation
achieved
by the entire Israel nation.
The Sea, which is the Hidden Domain,
suddenly became a solid
or
revealed dimension
without the accompanying
contractions and filtering
that this process
usually demands.
The "story" also contains the 72 three letter
words of divinity, as revealed
by the Zohar
generated by combinning
three consecutive sentences,
each uniquely made up of 72 letters.
(Exodus 14: 19-21)
#birthing
Being Born
acrylics
on canvas
40" x
40" (102 x 102 cm)
According
to kabbalah sources,
the Crossing of the Red Sea
is analogous to being born,
the water of the embryo sac bursts
and what is revealed
is the solid, the crying child
entering a new and challenging reality.
The embryonic state is
also likened to the Galut.
פֶּה-לָהֶם
וְלֹא יְדַבֵּרוּ עֵינַיִם לָהֶם וְלֹא יִרְאוּ
אָזְנַיִם
לָהֶם וְלֹא יַאֲזִינוּ אַף אֵין יֶש רוּחַ בְּפִיהֶם
They have a mouth but cannot speak.
They have eyes but cannot see.
They have ears but cannot hear.
They have a nose but cannot smell.
(Psalms 135: 16-17)
The above phrase obviously refers to
the futility of idol worship,
but its inner context relates to
the Galut of the Mind
when we are not realizing
our full spiritual potential
because of our worship
of our own ego as an idol.
Crossing the Red Sea
was a necessary
mind-opening precondition
for receiving the Torah at Sinai,
when the Israelites experienced
total synaesthesia:
וְכָל
הָעָם רֹאִים אֶת הַקּוֹלֹת
And
all the people saw the voices.
(Exodus
14:14)
#marah
Marah - Bitter Waters
airbrushed acrylics on canvas 30 x
40" (76 x 101 cm)
It is
incredible that shortly after
the "grand experience" of the Crossing,
where
even a lowly chamber maid
had "visions"
higher than
the prophet
Ezekiel Yehezkiel יחזקאל
the Israelites showed a lack of faith in God
and complained and regretted their Delivery,
when they encountered the bitter waters
of Marah, which Moshe "sweetened"
by throwing within the pools a "Tree".
(Exodus 15: 22-25)
At Marah the Israelites began to be taught
the complex laws of the Sabbath
and other subjects,
that serving God is not just
an "experience" or "trip"
but entails responsibilities and this
can be "bitter" if not "sweetened"
with the Tree of Life,
the Inner Dimension of the Torah.
#amalek
Amalek - עמלק
acrylics
on canvas 26" x 62"
(66 x 158 cm)
As a punishment for doubting God
Amalek came and attacked
the Israelites at Refidim - בִּרְפִידִם
which
in Hebrew suggests
ברפיון ידים
the weakness of the Hands (of Faith).
(Exodus 17: 12)
To
counter this threat
Moshe was obliged
to uplift his own hands
during the battle
וַיְהִי
יָדָיו אֱמוּנָה
The Hands
are connected to Faith,
because they
are
the only body parts
which can reach
higher than the Head
(The
Conscious Brain)
to what
is called by the Zohar
The Unknowable Head -
the Superconscious
Resha D’Lo Ityada –
RADLA
the source of
all pure Faith אמונה
#yitro
Parshat Yitro - יתרו
Receiving the Torah on Mount
Sinai
mixed
materials on canvas
40"
x 40" (102 x 102 c
When
the
revelation of the
Receiving of the Torah occurred,
Mount Sinai was aflame
along with the hearts and souls
of the Jewish
people.
A "mountain" in Jewish Ethics
is associated with
Pride - התנשאות
a
character trait
to be certainly avoided.
So Mount Sinai is thus praised
as being a "modest"
and lowly mountain.
But if self-effacement
is the desired trait
why was Torah not given
at the Dead Sea,
the lowest place on earth.
Why on a mountain at all?
The answer is that
we need to have
a minimum amount of
"mountain" or pride
in our personality
to have the courage and power
to start our day in learning Torah
and performing the commandments
against our inclinations
and lazy nature.
#alef
The Secret of the Alef
The Letter Alef א
is the first letter of the first word
in the Ten Commandments
אָנֹכִי י-ה-ו-ה אֱלֹהֶיךָ
אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִיךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם
I am the Lord your God
who has delivered
you from Egypt
(Exodus 20: 2)
The Letter Bais ב is
the first letter of
Genesis Bereishis
and its name means
Bayis בית or
House,
indicating
God's
desire to have
a habitation in this world
which
he created ex nihilo.
#alefvideo
The Diagonal in the Alef
The Alef is the other-worldly letter
whose unique form is a diagonal
which implies transcendence
combining and beyond
the vertical line of hierarchy
and the horizontal of total equality.
(Press on picture to see video)
The
Alef is formed by two Yuds,
one to the upper right
and the other to the lower left,
joined by a diagonal Vav.
Yud (10) + Yud (10) + Vav (6) = 26
The gematria for the name of God.
The Yuds represent
the higher and lower waters
and the Vav is the firmament
רקיע between them
as described in
Second Day of Creation.
The transcendent Vav
has the ability to connect
and bear opposites or paradox
נושא הפכים
of the the two Yuds
representing heaven and earth.
fire and water,
the drive to exalt God and
yet feel one's lowliness.
What is remarkable is that
the first word
of the Ten Commandments
Anochi אָנֹכִי
is
of Egyptian origin,
even more so since this word
represents the Name
of God's Essence.
The Rabbis
teach us that
the use of this
"foreign" word here
is to show God's
ultimate desire that
the Torah descend to
and transform
the lowest possible
levels of reality.
even to the depraved culture
of the Egyptians and
its modern day continuation
in our hedonistic world.
#mishpatim
Parshat Mishpatim - משפטים
This Parsha contains many laws
that determine
an individual's responsibility
for damages done to others
by himself or his property
and would seem to be "similar"
to other secular law systems
being used in the world
to maintain a just society.
But since these laws were divinely
ordained at Sinai, they contain
many elements which can not be
understood by
rational jurisprudence
and thus require us to search
their spiritual applications
The Laws of Negligence
acrylics on canvas 33" x 33" (84 x 84 cm)
וְכִי
יִגַּח שׁוֹר אֶת אִישׁ אוֹ אֶת אִשָּׁה וָמֵת
If a Bull gores to death
a man or
a woman
(Exodus 21:28)
Only when a Bull gores three times
שור מועד Shor Mu-ad
is its owner completely responsible,
since the Bull is likely to continue
to be a danger.
Within our psyche
we also have a Bull -
נפש הבהמית - the animal soul
and if we sin
three
consecutive times
it becomes our dominating nature,
requiring an intensive Tsuvah -
deep repentance to correct.
#vision
The
Vision of the 70 Elders
airbrushed acrylics on canvas 30"
x 30"
(76 x 76 cm)
They
saw a vision of the
God of Israel and under His feet
something like a
sapphire brick
like the
essence
of a clear blue sky.
לִבְנַת
הַסַּפִּיר
וּכְעֶצֶם הַשָּׁמַיִם לָטֹהַר
(Exodus
24:10)
G-d's
"bricklaying" was
in empathy the with suffering
of the Jews in Egypt
who were forced
to build the pyramids
#terumah
Parshat Terumah - תרומה
The
Cherubs - הַכְּרֻבִים
acrylics
on canvas 40" x
40" (102 x 102 cm)
The Cherubs were two golden "statues"
above the Ark
of the Covenant.
(Exodus 25: 19-20)
Our
Sages explain that
the Hebrew word for cherub: כְּרוּב
is from Aramaic and means "as a baby."
The cherubs had baby faces
which represents innocence
and
the loving touch of their wings
reflects the epitome
of pure, innocent love and harmony
between G-d and the Jewish people.
When this love was disrupted
the "faces" of the cherubs
would change
and become fearful and angry.
The "changing faces"
is the
theme of my Dialogue series
as a paradigm
for
relationship and communication
as in the
Slide Show below:
https://youtu.be/TU9LmM8S6V4
MORE
INFORMATION
ON THE CHERUBS
#tetzaveh
Parshat Tetzaveh - תצוה
The
Names of the Twelve Tribes in the Kho-shen
Airbrush/acrylic
on canvas on
12 mounted canvases:
62" x
48" (158 x 122 cm)
Other
sizes and versions on
special order
as well as paintings of individual names in Hebrew.
An
assemblage of twelve original paintings
representing the names of the Tribes of Israel
as they were incised in the gemstones of
the golden Kho-shen חושן
or breastplate of the High Priest.
Each painting reveals a unique style and
color palette, inspired by teachings
from the Midrash and Kabbalah.
#kisisa
Parshat Ki Sisa - כי
תשא
The Cosmic Man - What
Moses Saw
oil on canvas 25 x 35
inches
וְרָאִיתָ
אֶת אֲחֹרָי וּפָנַי לֹא יֵרָאוּ
You will
see My Back (Existence)
but My Face
(Essence)
can never be seen
(Exodus 33:23)
An
interpretation
by Yael
Avi-Yonah OBM
of the highest prophetic
vision of Moses,
when he "saw"
the dalet shaped knot
of God's tefillin,
which encircles
the cosmic man image.
Within the visage
is a simulation of our galaxy
with a "black hole"
in the middle,
from
the phrase of the
Psalms (18:12):
יָשֶׁת
חֹשֶׁךְ
סִתְרוֹ
The Darkness carries
His Secret
Link to Video Art
on
the letter DALET
https://youtu.be/8SMdN9KaX4s
#moses
The
Fiery Face of Moses
mixed
material on canvas 25" x 39"
וְהִנֵּה
קָרַן עוֹר פָּנָיו וַיִּירְאוּ מִגֶּשֶׁת אֵלָיו
(Exodus
34:27)
After
Moses
descended from Sinai
his face was luminous
with a brilliant light and
everyone was afraid
to approach him.
Hence the injunction
that one should
learn Torah only
from a teacher
whose face is
like a Fiery Angel.
More interpretaions on
the holy visage
of the
Lubavitcher Rebbe
http://art-kabbalah-mystic.net/rebbe1.htm
#vayakhel
Parshat
VaYakhel Pekudei - ויקהל פקודי
Sabbath Without Anger
airbrushed
acrylics on canvas
36" x 28" (92 x 71 cm)
לֹא תְבַעֲרוּ אֵשׁ בְּכֹל מֹשְׁבֹתֵיכֶם בְּיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת
One should
not "kindle fire"
in all of your habitations. (Exodus
35:3)
This includes the
inner dimensions during
the special experience of the Sabbath,
to completely refrain from
the fires of anger and conflict,
allowing only love and unity.
The phrase inspired my series of
paintings
based on close-up views of
congealed clumps of wax that fell off
from the burning Sabbath candles
by themselves
and without "human" intervention
and as such represent
something sublime and angelic.
I call them Songs
and they suggest to me
the yearning of two souls to finally unite
and fly to the heights
and beyond the obstacles
in the material reality that deter.
#temple
Visions of the Temple
The Haichal (Sanctuary) - Inner
and Outer Space
mixed
materials on canvas 30" x 40" (76 x 102 cm)
The central structure
in the Miskan and the Temple,
the Holy of Holies קדש הקדשים
or
the Inner Sanctuary
(suggested by the
translucent schematic lines)
correlates to the
Cosmic Brain
engendered the mystical
experience
of being within the
dimensions
of time and
space
and beyond them
simultaneously.
#altar
The
Altar -
Sublimation of the Animal Energies
mixed
materials on canvas 30" x 40" (76 x 102 cm)
The
Altar in the Mishkan and theTemple
(suggested by the black schematic lines
of an "overhead" view)
symbolizes
the service of the heart in prayer
whose
fires have the power of kindling
the
sacrifice of our "animal"
soul and nature,
sublimating its vast energies
to help us reach spiritual
heights
.
#3.Leviticus
The Book of Levitcus -
VaYikra - ויקרא
#vayikra
Parshat VaYikra - ויקרא
The Small Alef
mixed
materials on
canvas 30" x 40" (76 x 102 cm)
The
first word of Leviticus:
וַיִּקְרָא
אֶל מֹשֶׁה
(God)
called to Moses
is written in
the Torah
with a small ALEF א
to designate Moses'
ultimate humility,
which allowed him
to enter the Holy of Holies.
The ALEF
is the
other-worldly letter
whose unique form
is a diagonal
which implies
transcendence
combining and beyond
the vertical line of hierarchy
and the horizontal
of total equality.
https://youtu.be/WvBqhqo2Coc
The ALEF is
formed
by two YUDs ,
one to the upper right
and the other to the lower left,
joined by a diagonal VAV.
YUD (10) + YUD (10) + VAV (6) = 26
The gematria
for the name of God.
The YUDs represent
the higher and lower waters
and the VAV is the firmament
רקיע between them
as described in
Second Day of Creation.
The transcendent VAV
has the ability to connect
and bear opposites or paradox
נושא הפכים
of the the two YUDs
representing heaven and earth.
fire and water,
the drive to exalt God and
yet feel one's lowliness.
#tzav
Parshat Tzav - צו
The Burning Altar of
Our Heart
airbrushed
acrylics & mixed
materials
on canvas
24"
x 18" (61 x 46 cm)
אֵש
תָּמִיד
תּוּקַד עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ לֹא תִכְבֶּה
The Fire burning
always and eternally
on the Altar of our Heart
are our yearnings for God
which can
never be extingished.
I found it
appropriate to envision
this idea with
a painting
from my Stones on Fire series
which montage the
Transcendental
Textures
of the Kotel rock surface
and the
barnfires of
L'ag B'Omer
#shinvideo
The Shin in the Fire
The dominant letter in the word אש Fire
is the ש Shin which itself
represents
the Element of Fire according to
Sefer Yetzira
and inspires the videoart below:
https://youtu.be/vyCt7K3dYS0
#shemini
Parshat Shemini - שמיני
Forbidden Foods
airbrushed acrylics on canvas
40"
x 40" (102 x 102 cm)
The
Torah commands us
not to eat and digest certain animals
because their life force is bound
with
the סטרא אחרא Extraneous Side
which can not be elevated
and causes our soul to be blemished.
#serpent
The VAV in the
Serpent's Belly
mixed
materials on canvas
33" x 33" (84 x 84 cm)
In the phrase in this
Parsha
כֹּל הוֹלֵךְ עַל-גָּחוֹן
All
creatures that crawl on their belly
Leviticus
(11:42)
It
is remarkable that the VAV
in
the word: גָּחוֹן (belly)
is written with
a larger emphasized
font
and is the exact
middle letter and axle
around which
the entire Torah revolves.
The phrase refers to the Serpent
who obscures our
search for
the Light Beyond,
with its hatched net:
"The Skin
of the Serpent"
משכא דחויא
a kabbalistic metaphor
for our mundane "reality".
The VAV, called
the "letter of truth",
pierces through this skin
transforming the Serpent נחש
into Moshiach-Messiah משיח
sharing the
same
gematria: 358.
According to Sefer Yetzira
the letter VAV ו
permeates
the month of Iyar
which in the Torah
is called Ziv זיו
(radiance) cognate to Light.
SeferYetzira.html#vav
#vavvideo
Video
Art - The Letter VAV
https://youtu.be/ew3sFfsLE_U
#tazriya
Parshat
Tazriya
- תזריע
Masculine
and
Feminine Waters
The
triangular form or vector
termed
by the Kabbalah
the "feminine waters",
the
movement
or aspiration from Below
to reach a spiritual height,
such
as
in
prayer.
Turning the painting
upside down
With
the
triangular form
or vector pointing
downward
transforms
it
to
the "masculine
waters",
the
vector of
bringing
spiritual
energy
into
the "vessels"
of
the mundane world.
אִשָּׁה
כִּי תַזְרִיעַ וְיָלְדָה זָכָר
If
the conceiving begins
with
the "feminine waters"
this
stimulates
a
greater arousal
from
above
resulting
in the birth of a
male child
זכר
#metzora
Parshat
Metzora - מצורע
Biblical Leprosy
and much
of the previous one
deals with a
special type of
biblical
leprosy נגע מצרע
which attacked
people
and even their
houses and clothing
for
participating in לשון הרע
character
assasination
and could be
only cured
by true
repentance.
#acharei
Parshat Acharei Mot - אחרי מות
The Scape Goat
acrylics on
canvas 26" x 62" (66 x
158 cm)
The Parsha deals
with
the Yom Kippur service of
Aaron and
all the High Priests
who would succeed him
to
achieve atonement
for all of the congregation.
One
remarkable aspect
was the choosing
of
the Scape Goat
הַשָּׂעִיר לַעֲזָאזֵל
(perhaps
chosen
for its rebellious nature)
who
by its destruction
in a desolate place
would
remind us
of the emptiness of sin.
#kedoshim
Parshat Kedoshim - קדשים
Love Your Neighbor
mixed
materials on canvas 24" x 18" (61 x 46 cm)
וְאָהַבְתָּ
לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ
You
should love your "neighbor"
as (you love) yourself;
"close
friend" is
the more correct translation.
Even
so, how can this
be performed in reality?
Self-love
is often our tendancy
to gloss over
and
cover our own faults,
to hate criticism.
So
likewise we should
"self-love" our friends
and
only see
their good qualities.
#emor
Parshat Emor
- אמור
A
Lamp of
G-d is a Man's Soul
The
Cohen or High Priest
was required
to kindle the 6
lamps
on the Menorah
in the Temple
which burned
only
from evening to morning
while the western lamp burned
by miracle continuously,
an eternal lamp
נר תמיד
so we also must
let
the flame of our soul
illuminate the
darkness
of the Galut,
not only as a
potent meditation for
the First Day of
Hanukah,
but for every
day of the year.
https://youtu.be/YHheFYBfkgU
#behar
Parshat BeHar - בהר
The
Mystery of Conception and Pregnancy
acrylics on canvas
26" x 62" (66 x 158 cm)
Moses
and the people
received the Torah
at the Sinai Mountain בהר
סיני
We learn that
"mountain" הר
and "pregnancy" הריון
share a common root in Hebrew,
implying that Torah study
should always impregnate us
with
expanded consciousness.
#bechukotai
Parshat BeChuko-tai - בחקתי
The
Kotel - Transcendental Engravings
acrylics & mixed materials
on canvas
28" x 36" (71 x 91 cm)
If you
will follow My Edicts
אִם
בְּחֻקֹּתַי
תֵּלֵכוּ
many
blessings
will be bestowed on us.
חק also implies in Hebrew
לחקוק to engrave
that the
Torah laws be engraved
in our mind and hearts
and thus impossible to erase.
https://youtu.be/UUHf0bqMLq8
The Book of Numbers - BaMidbar - במדבר
#Bamidbar
Parshat
BaMidbar - במדבר
The Encampment
The Twelve Tribes
encamped in the desert
around the
Mishkan in four triad groups
each with its
own specific banner דגל
which illustrated the Attributes of the Tribe.
The arrangement of the triads corresponds
to the Four Directions and Seasons
and the Twelve Months and Constellations.
Facing
the East (Spring)
was
the triad led by Judah:
The desert banner of
Judah
contained a figure
of a crouching
lion
about to spring forth
and achieve victory
over the enemies,
internal and
external,
which is a primary attribute
of Kingdom, as
well as
the Baal Tsuvah, the Repenter,
both of which
are associated with Judah.
הֶן-עָם כְּלָבִיא יָקוּם
Look! A people that rises itself up
(from a low "crouching" position)
like a Lion planning to attack
(the Galut of the Mind)
(Numbers 23:24)
Nissan
- Aries
- Speech
Facing
the North (Winter)
was
the triad led by Dan:
The banner of Dan
contained a snake image
hence the suggestion
of reptilian scales.
It
also had a set of inverted" faces,
hinting that from this tribe
would come many judges,
who had to show impartiality
in judging the rich and the poor
and examine every side of the issue.
So you can see
in profile
one set of judges on the left
and if you
stand on your head
or turn around the painting
you can perceive another set of judges
דן
ידין עמו
Dan shall judge his people
(Genesis
49:16)
יהי דן נחש
Let Dan be a snake
(Genesis
49:17)
Tevet - Capricorn - Anger
Facing the South
(Summer)
was the triad led by Reuvan:
The
banner of Reuvan corresponds
to the אדם
(pronounced Oh-dem)
in the breastplate of the High Priest,
a red stone which most commentators
agree is a ruby,
and the basis for the painting’s colors.
The name אדם is also
the word, Adam, or man,
and suggests also the dudaim,
the human-like mandrakes,
which Reuvan gave to his mother Leah.
The ruby and the mandrakes
have been credited
with having the power
to aid fertility.
This implies in the spiritual dimension
the ability to make `chidushim’
new creative discoveries -
and is also connected
with the first three letters
of Reuvan’s name ראו,
which means seeing,
even otherworldly vision.
וילך ראובן...וימצא
דודאים בשדה
Reuben
went and found mandrakes
in the field
(Genesis
30:14)
Tammuz
- Cancer - Sight
Facing
the West (Autumn)
was
the triad which included Benjamin:
https://youtu.be/dpUDCL_8_9I
The banner
of
Benjamin showed a wolf,
preying on its spoil, emanating ferocity.
In the YouTube videoart section above
two active wolves may be discerned
somewhat hidden behind the reeds,
בנימין
זאב יטרף
Benjamin
is a fierce wolf
(Genesis
49:27)
Kislev -Sagittarius - Sleep
More
information
on the Tribes:
http://fineartamerica.com/blogs/the-secrets-of-the-12-tribes-in-the-khoshen.html
#naso
Parshat
Naso - נשא
Shalom and the
Priestly Blessing
יְבָרֶכְךָ
ה'
וְיִשְׁמְרֶךָ
יָאֵר
ה'
פָּנָיו
אֵלֶיךָ
וִיחֻנֶּךָּ
יִשָּׂא
ה'
פָּנָיו
אֵלֶיךָ
וְיָשֵׂם
לְךָ שָׁלוֹם
The Priestly Blessing concludes with the word Shalom
transmitted to
the ears of the congregation
in
ever-expanding waves or ripples,
to open our
hearts and minds to receive G-d’s Blessing.
airbrush/acrylic on canvas
30” x 40” (76 x 102 cm)
Parshat
BeHa'alotcha - בהעלותך
Being a Lamp
Lighter
Aaron the
High Priest was required
to kindle
the lamps on the Menorah in the Temple
until the flame arises by itself השלהבת עולה מאליה.
All
of us are asked to be "lamp lighters"
trying to illuminate our dark surroundings
until the flame of faith rises by itself
and burns brightly,
a
potent meditation for the
Seventh Day
of Hanukah,
as well as
every day of the year.
https://youtu.be/YhBRUoDw980
#shelach
Parshat
Shelach - שלח
The
Grasshopper Syndrome
נְּהִי
בְעֵינֵינוּ כַּחֲגָבִים, וְכֵן הָיִינוּ בְּעֵינֵיהֶם
We appeared like
“grasshoppers” in our eyes
and that is how we appeared in their eyes
(Numbers 13:31).
This was the
paranoiac description
(or political propaganda) by the Spies
about the Giant inhabitants of the Land of Israel,
trying to force the conclusion
that we are demographically “too small”
and without power to conquer it.
Like everything in life,
it depends how you read the map.
To be a
grasshopper (I actually like better,
James Joyce’s pun: Grace Hoper)
has many advantages.
It is able to jump high over obstacles
and when united together as a swarm אחדות,
as in the Plague of the Locusts,
they can destroy all enemies, real and imagined.
#sunrise
Milk
and Honey Sunrise over Safed - Tzfat
polymer emulsions on canvas
27 1/2" x 19 1/2" (70 x 50 cm)
Caleb
and Joshua answered the lies
of the Spies who
tried to prevent
the Israelites
from entering the Promised Land:
"It is a land
that flows with Milk and Honey"
always revealing the special
Kindness חסד and Sweetening המתקה
of Divine Providence.
#korach
Parshat Korach - קרח
Korach's
End
acrylics
on canvas
17 1/2" x 17 1/2" (45
x 45 cm)
The
Earth opened up its "mouth"
and swallowed Korach
and his "misnaged" followers
who rebelled against Moses
descending "alive"
into Oblivion - Purgatory,
alive but quickly forgotten.
A similar fate may await
those who oppose
the true Zaddik of their generation
unless they repent
like the children of Korach did.
#chukat
Parshat Chukat - חקת
The Attack of the Fiery Serpents
acrylics
& mixed materials on canvas
28"
x 36" (71 x 91 cm)
When the Israelites complained
and were ungrateful
for the daily miracles
which G-d bestowed,
Serpents attacked
and forced them to repent.
For this reason
we begin the morning
by saying to G-d:
מודה אני לפניך
thanking Him
and showing gratitude
that He has restored our soul
to what otherwise would
be a dead body.
#balak
Parshat Balak - בלק
The Witchery of Balak and Bilam
mixed materials on canvas
18" x 24" (46 x 61 cm)
Balak and Bilam,
both descendents of the wicked Lavan,
tried to curse the Israelites
but were forced to bless them with
the highest of blessings
including prophecies about the Messiah:
polymer emulsions on canvas
27 1/2" x 19 1/2" (70 x 50 cm)
דָּרַךְ
כּוֹכָב מִיַּעֲקֹב
"A
Star
will burst forth from Jacob"
#pinchas
Parshat Pinchas - פינחס
mixed materials on canvas
27.5" x 20.6" (70 x 50 cm)
According to the
Zohar.
Pinchas “saw” in a prophetic vision
the letters mem מ and tav ת
descending ominously from Above
to threaten
the Israelites with מת death
because of their debauchery.
He prevented this with his רומח
spear
capturing and neutralizing the mem מ
within the letters raish ר
and chet ח
thus creating ruach רח soul.
Given this
mystical context,
we can understand
and even exonerate
what would otherwise be
a grisly “directed assassination”
by an uncouth Zealot
and certainly not an action
that would be condoned
by the Rabbis in a Bait Din.
G-d rewards
Pinchas by
“upgrading” him
and his
descendants
to be Kohanim
and establishing
with him
“a Covenant of
Peace”
הִנְנִי נֹתֵן
לוֹ אֶת-בְּרִיתִי שָׁלוֹם
(Numbers
25: 12)
However the word
Shalom שלום
is written with a deliberately broken vav ו
(which if it would appear anywhere else
would disqualify the Torah from being used)
perhaps to
indicate G-d’s regret
over the loss of life, even of brazen sinners.
#matot
Parshat Matot - מטות
The Narcissist
triptych
— acrylics on canvas – 26″ x 62″ (66 x 158 cm)
Moses
was commanded
to take vengeance and wage
a total war against the Midianites
for their causing the Israelites
to sin with harlotry and idol worship.
(Numbers 31: 2)
According
to chassidic teachings,
the Hebrew word Midian מדין
implies מדון
contention and separation,
and refers to a
narcissistic personality trait
which causes one to be
very intolerant of others,
leading to שנאת
חינם
implacable
hate,
the opposite of אחדות unity.
If
you can discern
in the painting the “gestalt”
of someone known and (in)famous,
it is probably a coincidence,
not something
contrived or premeditated.
#masei
Parshat Masei - מסעי
Refuge City in the Mind
airbrushed
acrylics on canvas
40"
x 32" (102 x 81 cm)
The Torah commands us to create
Refuge Cities ערי מקלט
to which an unintentional murderer
could flee and find protection
from the murdered person's Avenger.
(Numbers 35: 22-33)
In our inner being we often can be
"chased" by an avenger
created by our misdeeds,
even the feeling that we
have not fully utilized the talents and
opportunites which G-d has given us.
The City of Refuge of the Mind
(which is also the Day of the Sabbath
and the month of Elul
and according to some commentators
the holy city of Tzfat - Safed)
gives us a time and space
to repent and return to our inner source
The Book of
Deuteronomy - Devarim - דברים
#devarim
Parshat Devarim - דברים
Confronting Og and Sichon
airbrushed
acrylics on canvas
40"
x 30"
(102 x 76 cm)
Just before the
Israelites
could enter the Promised Land,
they encountered
the menacing resistance of the
fearsome Giants - Sichon and Og.
G-d told Moses not to be
afraid of them and push forward.
(Deut 2-3)
We can learn from this that
just before
we are about
to achieve a major elevation
in prayer and torah study,
we should anticipate
the resistance of the Giants -
our evil inclination יצר הרע
and trust in G-d's promise
and push forward.
#vaetchanan
Parshat VaEtchanan - ואתחנן
Achad
- the Primordial Light
airbrush/acrylic
on canvas
30”
x 40”
(76 x 102 cm)
שְׁמַע
יִשְׂרָאֵל ה’ אֱלֹהֵינוּ ָה' אֶחָד
Hear
Oh Israel HaShem is Our
G-d HaShem is One
(Deut 6: 4)
אחד Achad or One
is the
essence of both
the Shma Yisroel prayer:
“Hear Oh Israel”
and the First Day of Creation:
Yom Achad, יום
אחד
the creation of
the Primordial
Light
which was afterwards concealed
so that the
wicked of future generations
would not be
able to enjoy it,
this being the
most profound “punishment”
for sinning, the Denial of the Light.
In reciting this prayer
it is the custom to cover our eyes
in order to see
and reveal within ourselves
this Light and
unite with the One.
This revelation
also applies
to those (actually all of us)
who are not
exactly
a full-time 24/7
Zaddik or
Righteous One,
since during
this existential second
when we recite
the prayer,
we become a
Zaddik, irregardless
of what we have
done in the past
or will do in the future.
#eikev
Parshat Eikev - עקב
The Eye of Providence
acrylics
on canvas with reflecting marble
33"
x 33" (84 x 84 cm)
תָּמִיד עֵינֵי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ בָּהּ
מֵרֵשִׁית
הַשָּׁנָה וְעַד אַחֲרִית שָׁנָה
"The Eyes of
HaShem your G-d
are continually upon it
(the
Land of Israel)
from the beginning of the year
until the end of
the year"
(Deut 11: 12)
The Eyes
refers to the special
Divine Providence upon
the Land
always protecting it
and enabling us
to experience
this in our daily lives.
The
Hebrew word above: מֵרֵשִׁית
(from
the beginning)
is missing the letter א in the
middle
and not the way
the first word of the Torah: בראשית
(in the beginning) is written:
emphasizing the Hebrew word: ראש
Rosh, the Head
and of course Rosh HaShana.
Indeed בראשית
contains the letters א+ב
תשרי
the two days of Rosh HaShana.
The
word מֵרֵשִׁית suggests the
Hebrew word רש
(extremely poor!)
and the Midrash teaches us
that just before Rosh HaShana
we are poor and deficient until
we hear the blast of the Shofar
and then the letter א
jumps out
to change the רש to ראש,
giving us a new Rosh or Head
for the coming year
with the expanded consciousness
to truly experience
the Divine Providence in our lives.
#reeh
Parshat Re'eh - ראה
Seeing Anochi
mixed materials on canvas
40" x 40" (102 x 102 cm)
The constant meditation on
Receiving the Torah on Mount Sinai
רְאֵה אָנֹכִי נֹתֵן לִפְנֵיכֶם הַיּוֹם
בְּרָכָה
Behold I am giving before you (or "within" you)
today Blessing...
This refers to the Anochi אָנֹכִי
the first word of the Ten Commandments.
We are enjoined to "behold"
(visually meditate as in Back to the Future)
the Giving of the Torah הַיּוֹם
every day
(Some authorities say every hour!)
and it will be for us a Blessing.
What is remarkable is that
the first word of the Ten Commandments
Anochi אָנֹכִי is of Egyptian origin,
even more so since this word
represents the Name of God's Essence.
The Rabbis teach us that
the use of this "foreign" word here
is to show God's ultimate desire that
the Torah descend to and transform
the lowest possible levels of reality.
even to the depraved culture
of the Egyptians and its modern day
continuation in our hedonistic world.
More information on the Secret of Anochi.
Holidays.html#alef
#foods
Forbidden Foods
airbrushed
acrylics on canvas
40"
x 30" (102 x 76- cm)
לֹא
תֹאכַל כָּל תּוֹעֵבָה
"You should not eat anything abominable"
(Deut 14: 3)
We are enjoined
not to eat non-kosher food
such as the pig
so that we do not become
similar
to them
in our personality traits,
according to the adage:
You are what you eat!
#matza
Voyage
into the Matza Interior - Video Art
שֵׁשֶׁת
יָמִים
תֹּאכַל
מַצּוֹת
"Six days you should eat matzas"
(Deut 16: 8)
An
extended comparison of the "round"
hand-kneaded matza and the full
moon.
Extreme close-ups of the matza texture
turn into a remarkable
"lunar"
and even otherworldly landscape
replete with crevices and
craggy mountains.
The micro becomes the macro and vice versa.
With a
modern music (electronic & flute) track,
which gives it a special
ambience.
It even has the sound of the artist
munching noisily
on a matza.
Some low definition samples from the video
are available on YouTube below:
#matza-video
#shoftm
Parshat Shoftim - שופטים
airbrushed
acrylics on canvas
26" x 62"
(66 x 158 cm)
שֹׁפְטִים
וְשֹׁטְרִים תִּתֶּן לְךָ בְּכָל שְׁעָרֶיךָ
Judges and Police should be placed
for you at your gates (Deut 16:18)
The "gates" of a person are
the seven orifices in his head
through which pass
all sensory phenomenon
which needs to be judged and screened
to prevent negative influences from
entering the body
and causing damage to the soul.
airbrushed
acrylics on canvas
36" x 28" (92 x 71 cm)
תָּמִים
תִּהְיֶה עִם ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ
Be "whole-hearted"
with HaShem your G-d
(Deut 18: 13)
Do not
probe into the future
and follow
astrologers and fortune-tellers.
Rather accept that whatever happens
or will happen is all Divine Providence.
This
applies even to minor annoyances
or
"setbacks" when events do not happen
according to one's
scenario, not to get angry,
but have the אמונה
faith that All is G-d's Plan
and
that these events happen to us
as
a "learning experience"
to
bring us to do Tsuvah תשובה
#kiteizei
Parshat
Ki Teizei - כי תצא
Going out to battle
acrylics
on canvas
שעת
צלותא שעת קרבא
The Zohar teaches us
that the time of prayer
is the time for battle.
כִּי
תֵצֵא לַמִּלְחָמָה עַל אֹיְבֶיךָ
When you will go to war over your enemies
(Deut 21: 10)
True prayer is a war against our real enemies:
our habits and inertia,
being overly satisfied with our past achievements
and a reluctance to exert oneself further.
To win the battle we have to focus our mind
and body to overcome the obstacles.
The continuation of the sentence predicts
that after your "victory"
the taking captive of a very beautiful woman
אֵשֶׁת יְפַת תֹּאַר
who after thirty days you can force her
to cohabit with you.
This seemingly improper behavior
is ameliorated by the
Zohar which
interprets the the entire context
as a kind of universal allegory:
מאן דקטיל לחויה יהבין ליה ברתא דמלכא
He who kills the
(premordial) Snake or Dragon
will be given (to marry) the Daughter of the King
(The Shechina or Divine Presence)
To kill the Primordial Snake הנחש
הקדמון
is not an easy task
since its "progeny" is Amalek עמלק
the implacable enemy of the Jewish people
in every generation
אֵלָא שֶׁבְּכָל דּוֹר
וָדוֹר עוֹמְדִים
עָלֵינוּ לְכַלּוֹתֵנוּ
and requires us to
reveal within us
our
superconscious powers
(beyond rationality)
as in Purim to succeed.
#nest
The
Mystery of the Bird Nest
acrylics & mixed materials
on canvas
18" x 24" (46 x 61 cm)
כִּי
יִקָּרֵא קַן-צִפּוֹר לְפָנֶיךָ בַּדֶּרֶךְ...
וְהָאֵם רֹבֶצֶת עַל-הָאֶפְרֹחִים, אוֹ עַל-הַבֵּיצִים...
שַׁלֵּחַ
תְּשַׁלַּח אֶת-הָאֵם, וְאֶת-הַבָּנִים תִּקַּח-לָךְ
לְמַעַן
יִיטַב לָךְ, וְהַאֲרַכְתָּ יָמִים
If
on the way you happen
to come across a Bird Nest
and the mother is stting
on the young chicks or the eggs,
(first) chase away the mother
and (only) then can you take
the children for yourself,
so it will be a benefice for you
and your days will be extended
(Deut 22: 6-7)
The mitzvah of the Bird
Nest קן
צפור
is perhaps the most enigmatic in Torah
and yet it shares only
with the more obvious mitzvah of
Honoring the Parents כבוד אב ואם
the specific merit of having
“extended days" וְהַאֲרַכְתָּ יָמִים
The Zohar explains
the above as an allegory
which perhaps hints at “extended days".
The Bird Nest קן צפור
is the name of the secret Chamber
of the Moshiach-Messiah
where he hides until the time
comes for him to reveal himself.
(Zohar Shemot Page 7, Column 2)
"In that time King Moshiach will awaken
to leave the Garden of Eden
from that place
which is called the Bird Nest.
He will awaken
and reveal himself in the Galilee.
And that day when
the Moshiach will go there,
the whole world will quake
and all the inhabitants of the world
will hide in caves and clefts in the rocks.
not thinking they can be saved
from the wars which will be then...”
The Zohar continues to
explain
that the Revelation of the Moshiach
will be an extended, frightening process,
with his sudden disappearing to
and emerging from the Bird Nest
many times
and accompanied by a fascinating
“Star Wars” account of
battles between stars and columns of light.
#terrorist
Remembering to Blot Out Amalek עמלק
mixed
materials on canvas
תִּמְחֶה
אֶת-זֵכֶר עֲמָלֵק, מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם; לֹא, תִּשְׁכָּח
"You shall blot out the Memory of
Amalek from under Heaven.
Do not forget!"
Amalek is our
implacable enemy
who appears in
every generation to try to destroy us.
(Deut 25: 17-19)
The above
painting represents
the surprised face of a terrorist
who has just blown himself up
(and others as well)
and instead of entering
a "paradise" with 72 virgins
finds himself burning in hell.
Perhaps my most macabre work
and one of my rare political statements
catalyzed by the impossible & grim state
of affairs in Israel & the world today
and the possibility of a new Holocaust.
We have to
internalise all of the "enemies"
of Israel and realise that they also
represent negative aspects of our own
personality that prevent us from advancing
in Torah and performing the commandments.
What is curious is that our "remembering" זכור
Amalek is in order to "blot him out" תמכה
Perhaps it would be better not
to remember him
and he won't be around to blot!
The answer is that we all have countless suppressed
memories of bad, even traumatic events deep in our
subconscious and one method of treatment
is to bring them out into the open
to be then blotted
and thus free ourselves from them forever.
#kitavo
Parshat Ki Tavo - כי תבוא
Putting Tefillin upon Har
Habayit - The Temple Mount
וְרָאוּ
כָּל
עַמֵּי
הָאָרֶץ
כִּי
שֵׁם ה'
נִקְרָא
עָלֶיךָ
וְיָרְאוּ
מִמֶּךָּ
"And all the nations of the earth will see
that the Name of HaShem is upon you
and they will fear you":
(Deut 28:10)
This
blessing will be realized
because of the merit of putting on tefillin.
The three pronged and four pronged SHINs
embossed on the tefillin box for the head
have many mystical implications.
including the unity of the
Three Patriarchs and Four Matriarchs
from which are descended the Jewish nation.
#videoshin
SHIN Video
The letter SHIN ש
according to Sefer Yetzira
denotes spiritual fire
and the Shekhinah
or Divine Presence
which constantly
hovers
over the Temple Mount
and Jerusalem.
https://youtu.be/vyCt7K3dYS0
#curses
Re-interpreting the 98 Curses
acrylics
on canvas 40"
x 40" (102 x 102 cm)
At the end of the
Parsha
there is a graphic
description
of the 98 horrible Curses
which will be placed on Israel for not
following the commandments of the Torah
and which were "realized" too many times
in our history including the
Destruction of the Temple
and the Holocaust.
According to chassidic teachings
all of the enumerated curses
are actually "blessings in disguise"
and we should try to re-interpret them
as a Learning Experience
in our private life adventure,
such as when one is overwhelmed
with trials and tribulations:
וְהָיוּ חַיֶּיךָ
תְּלֻאִים לְךָ מִנֶּגֶד...
וְלֹא
תַאֲמִין בְּחַיֶּיךָ
"Your life will hang
in doubt before you.
And you won't believe in your living."
(Deut 28: 66)
Many people, particularly when
they are young and stimulated by
"natural energies" look upon life
as one continuous hedonistic party
and see no need for religion.
At some point, if they are "blessed"
with the curse mentioned above,
the party ends and their confident
life-style breaks down
and this prepares them
for a necessary spiritual change.
#nitzavim
Parshat
Nitzavim - נצבים
The Cosmic Dance of Forgiveness
acrylics
on canvas 28" x 37"
(71 x 94 cm)
אַתֶּם
נִצָּבִים הַיּוֹם כֻּלְּכֶם לִפְנֵי
ה'
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם
"You
are standing firmly today
all of you together
before HaShem your G-d."
(Deut 29:9)
This is read before Rosh HaShana
when we all should feel
united as one nation
as if we are clasping hands
in a cosmic dance מחול
we are then worthy of receiving מחילה
forgiveness for our misdeeds.
This parsha is read
after the 98 horrible Curses
(enumerated in the
previous Parsha: Ki Tavo)
which will be placed on Israel for
not following
the commandments of the Torah
and which were "realized"
too many times
in our history including
the Destruction of the
Temple and the Holocaust.
The Curses were first implied in the
Prophecy of Abraham
mixed materials on canvas
40" x 50" (102 x 127
cm)
The Patriarch Abraham
was
ordered to pass
through a set of animal carcasses
(Genesis 15: 7-15)
to receive the frightening
prophesy of the Exile,
not only to Egypt,
but to all the Exiles
(including the Holocaust)
that his descendants would suffer.
The
Parsha is teaching us
that in spite of all that has happened
we are still standing strong
and firm in our faith
עם ישראל חי
Ultimately when we will be bestowed
with the expanded consciousness
of messianic times
we will be able to see that
all of the curses and the bad things
that have happened
were actually blessings in disguise.
#vayeilach
Parshat VaYeilach - וילך
The Mask and the Reality
וְאָנֹכִי
הַסְתֵּר אַסְתִּיר פָּנַי בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא
"I will doubly conceal My Face that day"
(Deut 31: 18)
When we transgress,
G-d seemingly masks his presence,
such as during the period
of Purim and Esther
אסתר
= אסתיר
We also put upon ourselves a mask
pretending that there is
no consequence to our misdeeds.
Doing repentance תשובה
removes the mask
and we can see face-to-face
that everything is spiritual energy -
the deep secret of the Purim holiday.
#haazinu
Parshat Ha'azinu - האזינו
The Great Eagle in the Sky
polymer emulsions on
canvas
27 1/2" x
19 1/2" (70 x 50 cm)
כְּנֶשֶׁר
יָעִיר קִנּוֹ עַל גּוֹזָלָיו יְרַחֵף
"Like
an eagle that arouses its nest
hovering over its young"
(Deut 32:11)
G-d's presence upon us
(as well as that of a teacher or parent)
should be a state of "hovering"
touching and not touching
present and influencing
but not too heavy as to
crush and destroy
the developing personality.
#vezot
Parshat VeZot HaBracha - וזאת הברכה
Fiery
Torah
acrylics
& mixed materials on canvas
19" x 37" (48 x 94 cm)
מִימִינוֹ
אֵשׁ
דָּת לָמוֹ
"From
His Right Hand
He presented
the fiery Torah to them"
(Deut 33:3)
The Torah was received amidst
a display of fire and lightening
representing Gevurah or Severity.
But it comes
from the Right Hand מִימִינוֹ
the ultimate Source
of Chesed or Kindness.
The great Maggid of Mezeritz.
Rebbe Dov Ber, my direct ancester
and after whom I am named, explains
that when we feel "attacked"
by "gevurah" thoughts and anxieties,
such as the fear of dying,
we should understand that
this is really God's great Kindness to us,
since they can induce the process of
repentance and tsuvah.
The bulk of the Parsha deals with
the Blessings which Moses bestowed
upon the Tribes. Many of which are
similar to the Patriarch Jacob's Blessings
which largely inspired my composition
on the Names of the Twelve Tribes
inscribed on the gemstones
in the Kho-shen חשן
(Breastplate of the High Priest)
airbrush/acrylic
on canvas
on 12 mounted
canvases:
62"
x 48" (158 x 122 cm)
#vezot1
The Blessings
However
certain Tribes
have a very different Blessing,
such as Benjamin,
who was described by
Jacob
as a Wolf, preying on
its spoil,
emanating ferocity
(Genesis 49:27) בנימין
זאב יטרף
airbrushed
acrylics on canvas 30"
x 40" (76 x 102 cm)
See Link: Parsha.html#VAYECHI
Whereas Moses now relates
to the Tribe's future location
(actually a small protrusion
into the boundary of Judah)
upon which the Holy Temple
in Jerusalem would stand.
mixed materials on canvas 30" x 40" (76 x 102 cm)
לְבִנְיָמִן אָמַר
יְדִיד י-ה-ו-ה יִשְׁכֹּן לָבֶטַח עָלָיו
חֹפֵף
עָלָיו כָּל הַיּוֹם וּבֵין כְּתֵפָיו שָׁכֵן
"About Benjamin he said:
May God's beloved
dwell securely with Him
(in the Bait HaMikdash).
May the Divine Presence
cover (and protect) him
forever and dwell
among the high places"
Perhaps to realize
Moshe's Blessing
we need to show
first the ferocity
of Jacob's Wolf
to our enemies.
#eyes
Moses Re-made the Eyes of Israel
The Parsha and
the Torah
concludes with the phrase:
וּלְכֹל
הַיָּד הַחֲזָקָה וּלְכֹל הַמּוֹרָא הַגָּדוֹל
אֲשֶׁר
עָשָׂה מֹשֶׁה
לְעֵינֵי כָּל-יִשְׂרָאֵל
"And with all the
mighty
hand,
and with all the fearsome acts,
which Moses displayed
in the sight of all Israel."
Some commentators,
including the Ramban,
interpret the last line differently
and actually closer
to the literal meaning, namely
that Moses עשה
re-made
the eyes (especially the
inner eye)
of Israel so that they could then "see"
the spiritual dimension,
not just read or talk about it.
And this is my modest hope and intention
to "envision" the Torah teachings
and prepare us for the
Messianic Period
when we all will see the
Glory of God:
ונגלה
כבוד ה' וראו כל בשר יחדיו
#lamedbet
Torah as the Heart - לב
It is significent that when the last letter
of the Torah - the Lamed ל
in the
word ישראל
is connected to the first letter
of the Torah - the Bais ב
in the word בראשית
as is achieved in the readings
of Simchat Torah)
we create the word לב
the Divine Heart
which constantly pulsates
in our lives and experiences.
See also Sefer Yetzira
SeferYetzira.html
and Jewish Holidays
Holidays.html
Link to
Shopping Cart
For
prices
for originals, artist-enhanced giclees
and prints/posters to be shipped
in Israel
or not yet listed in the
shopping cart
please contact the artist
directly
You or
anyone you know
who may be visiting Northern Israel
are invited to our studio/gallery at
107 Alorzorov Street
Tzfat (Safed) Israel 1322480
Telephone in Israel:
mobile: 052-662-7620
(972-52-662-7620)
USA telephone: 1-720-477-6433
Copyrighted
(c) Dov Lederberg 2024
All rights reserved.
