FINE ART

In the Laws of Writing

STAMBY: KALMAN SAFRUT

Ascribe must pay attention to the black ink he lays down as he writes the letters as well as to the white space around the ink.

In the laws of writing STAM (an acronym for Sefer Torah, Tefillin, and the Mezuzah text) the Halacha stipulates that the letters must be surrounded completely by clean parchment (Mukaf G’vil). The first time I saw the fiery letters on my friend’s parchment of Megillat Esther I was blown away and convinced I had to learn this ancient craft. I wanted to have a closer relationship with the Hebrew letters and understand them more deeply.

The story goes that the first meeting between the Maggid of Mezeritch and the Holy Baal Shem Tov went as follows: The Maggid was already an established scholar, both in revealed and hidden Torah teachings. The Baal Shem Tov asked him to explain a certain passage in the Etz Chaim, a Kabbala Sefer that is the summary of the Arizal’s teachings.

The Maggid of Mezeritch explained the passage word by word in intricate detail while seated before him. But the Baal Shem Tov nodded dismissingly in dissatisfaction. He said “Stand up! I will explain the passage properly.” As the Maggid stood, the entire room became dark.

The Baal Shem Tov began reciting the passage with the very same words the Maggid had used, but now the Maggid stood in awe. Thunder and lighting, his mind and opened to an expansiveness he had never known. He felt as Moshe must have felt ascending Mount Sinai. As the Baal Shem Tov concluded and the Maggid returned to his senses, the Maggid

Shiviti

Inner flame. Hashems name ‘I AM THAT I AM’ (Notice the right legs of the Hei:)

“You told me pshat, but without lifesource. I put the neshama into this teaching. That is the only way you must learn.”

asked his master what had happened. “You told me a detailed explanation of this passage and you were absolutely right, but you didn’t understand a word you were saying.

“You told me pshat, but without lifesource. I put the neshama into this teaching. That is the only way you must learn.” This story always shakes me. On a simple level we must add life and richness to our Torah learning and Jewish lifestyle.

My favorite commissions of scribal artwork is when a person or a family have a pasuk or tefillah that they want decorating the walls of their home and add inspiration and kedusha to their living space or office.

With My spirit. Zecharia 4:6

When working with the letters, I look for techniques and styles that I can use to express the neshama of the texts. It’s a passion of mine that I feel blessed to share with people.

The holy hebrew letters are infinite, and so are the ideas that come from them.

I enjoy crafting pieces or collections for homes, shuls, community centers, and offices. The bottom line is the same for all of these places, each in its own application. How do I infuse life and meaning to Hebrew texts and prayers in a way that people can relate to and find meaning in?

I take precaution not to write Hashem’s name directly in my artwork unless appropriate. Writing Hashem’s name makes the artwork halachically holy and many laws apply for safeguarding and storing. I make a small, hardly noticeable gap in the right legs of the letter Hei in Hashem’s name. This way, you have the impression that it is Hashem’s name but halachically, it is not.

It’s a win-win for making Torah texts into artwork. I want people to be inspired and find insight vis-à-vis my work, without putting a stumbling block before the blind.