Image of the Week: The Words of Ezra
© D. Yael Bernhard
The Book of Ezra is one of the shorter books in the Tanach (Hebrew Bible). Unlike the stories in the Torah, this one is at least partly historical. Ezra the Scribe lived in the 4th century BCE, in the time of the Babylonian exile. He was a spiritual leader among the Jews of Persia, known for his erudition and humble character. He is believed to have led the second wave of Jews returning to Jerusalem in 348 BCE, following their liberation by King Cyrus.
The returning exiles found Jerusalem in ruins, the Temple in shambles, the locals interbred with pagan Canaanites, practicing idol worship and reverting to traditions that undermined the basic tenets of the Torah. With his upright moral character, Ezra was horrified – for not only was the city in disarray, but the people were entirely disconnected from their spiritual origins. Ezra took it upon himself to repair the torn fabric of Judaism. As a skilled orator, he was able to capture the people's attention. He gave public readings of the Torah, and the people were awestruck to learn of the Commandments and how they had violated them.
Ezra realized that Judaism itself would die out unless the people adhered to the Commandments and stopped intermarrying. He enforced strict regulations, insisting that all who wished to follow Jewish law must divorce their Canaanite wives. His strategy worked, and Judaism was saved.
Such strictures would surely be frowned upon today – but in Ezra's time, how else could tradition be preserved? It's a complex question with no easy answers. Shakespeare is known to have studied the Bible, and perhaps this story partly inspired Romeo & Juliet, which was later reinvented by Jewish writer Arthur Laurents as West Side Story. Even today, we see immigrant communities that wrestle with issues of intermarriage as they strive to integrate on the one hand, and preserve their language and culture on the other. How do we hold the tension of these opposites?
The idea that Ezra's words had such a pivotal impact on history intrigued me. How does one express the power of language in a painting? In this case, by portraying the scene of his teachings. Few people were literate in ancient times, so scribes held a special place. Merely by their ability to read and write, they were powerful people. Ezra put this power to good use. Here we see him telling the story of the procession of the Ark of the Covenant, revealed as an image on the Torah scroll. The people, gathered in the streets of Jerusalem, are reacquainted with the stories of their ancestors and the tradition that became one of the pillars of Western civilization. The entire image is contained in a circular design that somewhat resembles a knot, symbolic of the commitment that Ezra demanded of the Jewish people.
Despite whatever character flaws Ezra may have had, I'm grateful to him.
The Words of Ezra is the image for June 2024 in my newly-published calendar, The Jewish Eye 5784/2024 Calendar of Art. The original painting, a small acrylic on canvas, is for sale; please inquire for more information if you're interested.
The Jewish Eye 5784/2024 Calendar of Art is available in my webstore ($20 with shipping included) or on Amazon ($16.95). If you buy it from Amazon, please consider writing a review!
You can view the entire calendar here.
A good week to all!
D Yael Bernhard
children's books • fine art • illustration
