Hebrew Illuminations
by Adam Rhine with Louise Temple
Much like medieval illuminated
manuscripts that honor the divine, artist Adam Rhine has created
watercolor paintings that become Jewish mandalas in Hebrew
Illuminations. Rhine designed the mandalas -- one for each of the 22
traditional Hebrew letters -- as well as a mystical Magen David
(Shield of David) series.
In addition, the Hebrew letters of
the alphabet also have a numerical equivalent. This is called Gematria.
It is interesting in that, in the foreword by Rabbi David Zeller, it is
pointed out that "'Love,' Ahava, equals 13. 'One,' Echad,
also equals 13. But one person cannot love without another person to
love. And when we add up 'love' plus 'love,' or 'one' plus 'one,' we get
26 -- which is the gematria, the numerical equivalence, for the
four letter name of G-d, the ultimate representative of Love and Oneness."
These mandalas are lovely enough
to be framed, and perhaps in one case to bless a house: The second letter
Beit, for example, represents a house or a home. "The value of
beit is two, reminding us that the world is comprised of pairs: man
and woman, day and night, holy and secular…May we find comfort and
blessings in the place we call home, and find that which makes us complete
and at peace." The accompanying watercolor is one of swirls and bright
colors, with lush red roses in the background.
Perhaps my favorite part of the
book is the Magen David series. One, Gan Eden,
depicts the Garden of Eden. This painting attempts to "capture the pure
and enclosed, whole, and holy environment from which humankind was
banished, only to work on being worthy enough to return." The painting
consists of soothing blues and greens, with ivy leaves and other symbols
of growth. And, throughout, this book illustrates the alphabet and Star
of David to be, not stagnant, but alive with color, motion and meaning.
The Hanukkhah mandala is
gorgeous, yet simple -- "the menorah fully lighted at the bottom of
the star, while the shammus, the center candle, is high above (just
as it serves to light the other candles), projecting its light downward
across the design."
This is a wonderful coffee table
book that will most definitely turn into a gift book. By this I mean I
had a Jewish friend visiting last weekend who noticed this on the coffee
table. After enough oooohing and ahhhhing by her, I did feel compelled to
gift her with the book! You may feel the urge to do the same with your
friends, especially with the winter holidays around the corner.
Hebrew Illuminations
by Adam Rhine with Louise Temple
Sounds True, 200699 pp., $29.95
Review by Diane Saarinen
