Artworks

According to the Kabbalah, before the Universe was created only the Ein Sof  existed.  The white surrounding the Seed in this picture represents the Ein Sof - the Infinite and Unlimited Light of God.  To create the limited realm of Souls in Time an Space, Ein Sof withdrew most of its Light from Creation.  The Kabbalists of Tzfat called this process צימצום (tzimtzum)… more

Most of the concepts that are presented in Sefer Yetzirah appear in this image.  The 22 Hebrew Letters and 10 Numbers (Sefirot) are said to be the building blocks of Creation, It is not so different from the letters and numbers that represent the building blocks of matter in the Periodic Table of the Elements, and the subatomic particle Zoo.  Because this picture looks like the… more

"7 Doubles are the Foundation of 3 opposite 3 with the one deciding between them."  (Sefer Yetzirah)  In terms of colors, ‘3’ are the 3 primary colors - blue, red and yellow.  The ‘opposite 3’ are their complements - orange, green and purple.  Like in the 6-pointed Star of David (Magen David) seen here.  One triangle (pointing down) is made with the primary colors and… more

The Torah is sometimes called an orchard. The Hebrew for orchard is פרדס (Pardes) and its 4 letters hint at the 4 levels of Torah knowledge depicted here in 4 concentric rings.   1.   פשט     פ         Pshat         simple         Scripture… more

In Sefer Yetzirah, the Universe is said to exist in 5 dimensions.  There are 3 spacial dimensions (right and left; up and down; front and back).  These 3 dimensions of Space are defined by the Axis תלי (pronounced teli) - the imaginary line that the Universe resolves upon; or the line that represents the x y and z axises of spatial coordinates.  The Axis תלי is represented in this… more

This picture shows the 10 Sefirot of Nothingness in a circular array associated with Nature.  The Hebrew names of the Sefirot are written again and again in circular rings. Starting from the top of the largest ring the name of the highest Sefrirah כתר (Crown) is repeated many times.  It is yellow, as are the rings that contain the names of the 2 other Sefirot of the middle column תפארת… more

Albert Einstein said “Science without Religion is lame, and Religion without Science is blind.”  The Kabbalists have always seen the two as complementary rather than contradictory.  The cosmology of Kabbalah and of Modern Science can also be seen as complementary perspectives. In the Kabbalah, the Creation of the Universe is spoken of as a contraction of God’s  Infinite Light.… more

"10 Sefirot of Nothingness: Their end is embedded in their beginning and their beginning is embedded in their end like a flame tied to a burning coal For the Master is Singular, He has no second and before One what do you count?" (Sefer Yetzirah)   A common meditative technique in the Kabbalah is to contemplate the flame of a burning lamp.  Our soul is likened to the energy of the… more

Psalm 107, called the Psalm of Thanksgiving, describes four perilous situations that could befall us.  It tells us that someone who has gone through any of these situations and survived has a special obligation to give thanks and praise to God.  There is even a special blessings to say in the synagogue when called to the Torah.   The perilous situations described in Psalm 107 are… more

I painted this picture not long after I made 'The Orchard of the Torah'.  I wrote the 4 letters of the Hebrew word for orchard פרדס (pardes) along the horizontal line dividing the picture in half.  4 pairs of trees representing the 4 levels of the Torah expressed by the 4 letters of Pardes - פשט - רמז -  דרש - סוד - simple, hinted, derived and secret -.draw the eye inward to… more