The Book of Life
The Book of Life or Sefer HaHayim (ספר החיים) is a Judeo-Christian mythical book, a heavenly record of names and deeds. For Jews, a person’s fate for the coming year is inscribed in this book on Rosh Hashanah, as the doors of heaven are open during the full span of High Holy Days – and sealed on Yom Kippur, when the doors of heaven close again with the final blowing of the shofar.
This painting imagines what is being imagined in the minds of these individuals who daven (pray with the siddur, or prayerbook) together, yet alone. The service is a blend of communal recitations, in which the common threads of weakness and humility, yearning and loss, hardship and growth are felt by all – and solitary introspection, in which each person is alone with his or her regrets from the previous year, and their innermost kavanah (intentions) for the year to come. Conjuring the imaginary book in our minds, we contemplate what might be written there. An ancient liturgical poem, the Unetaneh Tokef, is traditionally sung at this time to remind listeners of the many unpredictable fates that may await us. In my painting, these poetic phrases fall like feathers from heaven and weave themselves into the pages of the mythical book. They say:
“How many shall pass away and how many shall be born; who shall live and who shall die; who shall live out his allotted time and who shall depart before his time; who [shall perish] by water and who by fire; who by the sword and who by a wild beast; who by hunger and who by thirst; who by earthquake and who by pestilence; who by strangulation and who by lapidation; who shall be at rest and who shall wander; who shall be tranquil and who shall be harassed; who shall enjoy well-being and who shall suffer tribulation; who shall be poor and who shall be rich; who shall be humbled and who shall be exalted.”
In my painting, the Book of Life in each person’s hands is moving and birdlike, suggesting the ineffable nature of our destiny, and reminds us we’re in larger hands than our own. We are entreated to both strive to accept this uncertainty and fashion our lives with intention as much as possible.
In Christianity, the mythical Book of Life appears in Revelation, and is also known as “The Book of the Life of Lamb.” A person's name being written in this book guarantees their entrance into heaven, while a name not being on the list leads to being cast into the "lake of fire".
In both traditions, it is certainly a diving board into deep thought.
The Book of Life is the image for September 2026 in The Jewish Eye 5786/2026 Calendar of Art – available in my webstore, on Etsy, and on Amazon. You can view all the images here.
Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown on Monday night. Please tell your friends about The Jewish Eye! It makes a great gift for the New Year.
Next week, I’ll start writing about a variety of different subjects again. Thank you for your interest these past weeks in The Jewish Eye!
A good week to all –
D. Yael Bernhard
https://dyaelbernhard.com
Have you seen my other Substack, The Art of Health? In addition to being a visual artist, I’m also a certified integrative health & nutrition coach with a lifelong passion for natural food cooking and herbal medicine. Now in its second year, this illustrated newsletter explores cutting-edge concepts of nutrition. I strive to make relevant information clear and accessible, and to anchor essential health concepts in unique images. Check it out, and if you like it, please subscribe and help spread the word. Your support keeps my work going!