Image of the Week: Winter Sabbath
© D. Yael Bernhard
It's deep winter here in the Northeast – below zero where I live, yesterday morning. The world seemed locked in frozen silence. There's something peaceful, purifying, in the crystal clear air. It was the coldest Sabbath of the year, so far – which brought this painting to mind that I did about five years ago.
I painted Winter Sabbath on grey paper, which acted as a mid-tone, enabling me to work both darker and lighter than the background. It seemed like the perfect vehicle for evoking candlelight, and the dark twilight of winter. The woman could be anyone, in any time period. The candlesticks shown are my Shabbat candlesticks from Jaffo, Israel. I love my candlesticks, with the hamsa in the middle – the hand with the eye in the palm – so typical of Israel.
But this is no Israeli scene. This is the Diaspora – a winter Sabbath, surrounded by the snowy lace of the northern woods. A solitary Sabbath – atypical, for community is a core Jewish value. It's not ideal, or easy, to light the candles and say the blessings alone. But sometimes, we have no choice. Here in the country, solitude must be balanced with community. It's an ongoing challenge in my life and theme in my art.
The heart of the Sabbath is rest. Sacred time for reflection and renewal is built into the root level of Judaism. It's the fourth Commandment – to remember and keep the Sabbath – read in synagogues all over the world yesterday. We rest together, in community, in family. And for many who live alone, in solitude.
I struggle to kindle my own inner light. This wintery place is both beautiful and cruel, both enriching and isolating. How can I come to terms with this polarity? Fortunately, Judaism itself is rich with teachings that embrace paradox and duality. That's what I pondered while painting this picture. Just as surely as the snow will melt and the trees outside will form new buds, so will this tradition keep evolving. Living in the Diaspora, I'm part of that change – part of the cultural soil in which Judaism, and all spiritual traditions, continue to grow.
A good week to all –
D Yael Bernhard