To an Imaginary Land

Isaiah 11:2-8

The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den. They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be as full of the knowledge of God as the waters cover the sea.

In a continuation of yesterday’s reading, we hear about an almost magical world where relationship between carnivores and herbivores is safe and peaceful.

When I read this scripture to our children’s group on the first Sunday in Advent they burst into hilarious laughter. They thought Isaiah was crazy. Didn’t he realize that a wolf would eat a lamb? And when they heard about a child putting a hand into a snake den they were incredulous! Exploring this  text with 6-10 year olds brings the radical craziness of this prophecy to life. 

Is it crazy to hope for something as impossible as a peace-filled world? Perhaps, and yet, I discovered a reincarnated prophet Isaiah in artist Baruch Nachshon. In paint, Nachshon illustrates the same peace-filled world that Isaiah depicted in words.

I enjoyed learning about artist Baruch Nachshon. His life sounds almost as magical as the peaceful kingdom of Isaiah.

Baruch Nachshon was born in Mandatory Palestine in 1939, in the city of Haifa. Nachshon began to paint in early childhood, and developed a relationship to art throughout his youth. During his military service Nachshon herded flocks, an experience that imbued in him a love and appreciation for nature that figures prominently in his work until today.

Upon completing his military service the young artist was torn between the temptation to travel to Paris, then the cultural center of the art world, and his deep love of the land of Israel, the spiritual center of the Jewish world. Opting to stay in Israel, Nachshon studied under Shlomo Nerani, Paul Cezanne's only pupil, with whom he had enjoyed a deep friendship extending back to his childhood. Nachshon, whom Nerani viewed as his spiritual heir, was the only one of his students allowed to see the master at work.

Nachshon has a lifelong involvement with Lubavitch Hassidut, a Jewish mysticism based on wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. Nachson was drawn to the movement because of the uniquely beautiful synagogue services that use traditional melodies. Listen to some of those melodies that are a backdrop to this video of Nachshon's art HERE.

In 1965 Nachshon was invited to New York, to an unprecedented three-hour private session with the Rabbi, Menachem Mendel Schneerson.

The young artist used the opportunity to share his concerns and misgivings about the role of the Jewish artist and the many inherent conflicts that confronted him. The Rabbi blessed Nachshon and shared his own concern many generations artists and painters had not been influenced by God and spirituality.

The Rabbi then offered to fund Nachshon's studies in New York on the condition that he would find a program of study acceptable to orthodox Jewish religious values. 






Despite the difficulty inherent in such a task, Nachshon gladly received the Rabbi's offer and devoted himself fully to celebrating the wisdom of the Creator through visual art.

Later, settling in Hebron, Nachshon met an elderly devout Jew who believed that God's presence was in all our surroundings and that we should serve God in every deed and word. This devout Jew urged Nachson to recite Psalms every night for forty days, and assured him that if he did so he will experience profound visions. Nachshon did so, and as soon as the forty days had passed he saw the heavens open, receiving visions that has influenced his art to this day.

Since that first time, Nachshon has seen the heavens open many times and, indeed, the opening of the heavens is a recurring motif in his work. According to Nachshon, "the open sky means going beyond what is reality, seeing through."

To see an interview with Nachshon go HERE

To see lots more of Nachshon’s art go HERE. Place your cursor on a picture to see more art.

To have a greater sense of Nachshon's spirituality let's end with his Prayer of an Artist.

I express my gratitude to you, artisan of creation, for you have endowed me with the spirit of your holy inspiration. I beseech you—in your vast kindness—impart to me more and more of your holy inspiration so that I may rejoice in you, and give cause for rejoicing to your creations. Give me inspiration to reveal your presence, even in the darkest places, because everything is from you and before your presence all darkness is also light.  You created your universe, and within it crafted all of your creatures so that they would come to acknowledge you. And so—this, indeed is all I ask—kindness! For there is nothing else, no words in our mouths sufficient to thank you for having created us, having made us your children- the Children of Israel- and having brought us close to you in order to serve you. You have drawn forth our spirit and illuminated all—Well of Life.

Our Advent Exploration question for today is: How do you weave God's spirit into your life?