FINE ART
One
LETTER AT A TIME By: Kalman Safrut
It is so easy to lose focus. So easy to get into the habit of routine and act on autopilot. Even work can get absorbed into autopilot. For scribes and artists this is a huge mistake that can be very costly, or worse, cause people to stumble over nonkosher Torahs, tefillin or mezuzahs.
36 |
MOCHERS
When it comes to artwork, intention is also very important. Just as you get a sense if someone is paying attention to you when they’re speaking to you, you can also tell if intention was put into the artwork you put your gaze upon. Intention is the soul of artwork, and if it is missing, although it may at first look beautiful, it has that look of “made in China” all over it. If this is true about art, all the more so when dealing with the Hebrew letters. A Sofer Stam must have the proper intention and background of knowledge if the torah, mezuzah or tefillin he is writing is to be kosher. Many halachot (laws) require the scribe to stay focused on what he is writing. At the onset of writing he must proclaim “I am now writing for the sake of the Holy Torah scroll, and all of the holy names of Hashem therein.” This is the minimum he must give towards the sacred work that lays before him and the preservation and continuity of our religion. The primary intention when beginning to write is in the focus and dedication towards each and every letter. There are many more laws he must adhere to but to me, this is the most essential. If one letter is skipped or distorted the entire text is deemed invalid. These rigorous halachot were my introduction to the scribal artwork I do today — taking the laws of writing holy scrolls and learning a standard and level of commitment and intention. This inspired me and is the standard I want to be seen in my work. For a classical scribe, the depth and sanctity is objective, for my artwork it is all subjective.
www.mochers.com
