Hidushei Torah (novella) are that which most join the human with the Divine. A Jew who merits to mehadesh in Torah (to create novella), in truth, we must understand well, that he has merited that his thoughts have ascended to the level of Torah which is Divine. There are also Hidushei Torah which are not written, rather they are new thoughts in the manner of Avodah, new ways of serving Him, which are equally Hidushei Torah, yet in the realm of performance of the mitzvoth. (In one aspect these are higher than Hidushei Torah which are written, “for the essential is not the learning (hamidrash) rather the performance (hamaaseh) (Avos 1:17.”) Truly, this way (derech) of hidushim, is exactly that: a way, that is, one must bring one’s life to become a matter of renewal and creativity in the service of Hashem; this is true life.
I have tried to initiate that the creation of art works can also be a new form of serving the Creator. I saw that(,in particular, Modern) artists were involved in searching out the truth, particularly concerning their inner life, and I followed in their way until I was led to the Torah. Only Torah is truth and therefore an artist (or any person) who sincerely seeks truth will find Torah. Thus art works can also become works of Torah, to the extent that they plummet the truth.
There is no finding truth without pondering (hitbonnenut). The deeper and more consistently that one ponders, the deeper is his understanding in truth, the more he finds the way of Hashem, his personal way of His service according to the root of his soul (neshama). The deeper one ponders, the more personal will become his expression, yet at the same time, the more universal. The viewer of artworks produced in this way will grasp their depths, wisdom and beauty according to the depth of his own search.
feaured image:
סגולה של רבי לוי יצחק מברדיטשוב, ז”ל
Segula of the Berditchever
Oil on canvas
ציור שמן על קנבס
תשע”ד
80 cm. x 39 cm.