Art - Part 7: Rebbe's Insights

00:00 The hemsech and continuation to the earlier installments on the topic of art, we continue now with installment number seven, discussing the Rebbe's views on art from the perspective of Teda Echsidus and his insights which the Rebbe shared with various artists. The first artist, Rab Chaim Tufel, he was zecher to have a, uh, Yechidus, a private audience with the Rebbe in Tosha Lamadei, nineteen seventy-five. Amongst the various inyanim that the Rebbe discussed with him, he quotes an interesting, uh, statement that the Rebbe made, and this was guidance for his artwork. The Rebbe praised art as long as it serves the good side, the positive side, and he suggests for the artists and sculptors that they should be careful when they're involved in their work with the recognition of the very strong influence of art, and to make sure that it only has a positive impact. Now we go on to a Yechidus of the artist Rab Michol Mochnik. His Yechidus was in nineteen seventy-two as he was interviewed in the Here Is My Story of Jem. As he was already entering Yechidus, he relates, "As I was standing at the entrance to the room, not sure what to do next, the Rebbe said, 'Come closer.' So I walked up to the Rebbe's desk and handed him the letter I had written listing my questions. And I also put on his desk three small samples of my art because I wanted him to advise me what I should do with my artistic talent. I thought perhaps I

02:11 should become a scribe as I was good at Hebrew calligraphy, and I believed that if I were to be religious, this was probably a more suitable profession than becoming a painter. But the Rebbe had another idea. He said that I should consider doing illuminated marriage contracts, ksuvat, which have been the subject of Jewish art for many centuries. I asked him if I m- might also illustrate children's books, and the Rebbe approved of that as long as it didn't interfere with my study schedule at the Yeshiva. When it came time to leave, and I was backing out the door, the Rebbe called me back and asked about the art samples I had forgotten on his desk. 'Are these for me?' The Rebbe asked. 'If you would like them,' I answered, somewhat flustered. He picked up each one of them and then selected a small watercolor of a winter scene in Russia depicting a little synagogue with a Magen David on top and a crescent moon in the background. When he said, 'I'll keep this one,' I was so happy. Again, I started to leave, but again the Rebbe called me back. 'Is this an original?' he asked. I replied that it was, to which the Rebbe responded, 'I can't keep an original, but when you make a print, please send one to me.' Of course, I made a print and sent it to the Rebbe, and thereafter, whenever I made limited edition prints of my work, I always sent one to the Rebbe. Now, I did

04:02 not expect it, but the Rebbe proved quite the art critic. I recall sending him my first lithograph, which is a complicated form of fine art requiring a lot of handwork before the printing. It is called The Village of the Menschiks, and it depicts tiny Jewish people going about their lives. It is a very busy picture with a myriad multitude of things going on. After I delivered it, I got a response from the Rebbe that if it can be done easily, a few things should be changed. The Rebbe noticed that I had painted items which are related to each of the three spiritual pillars upon which, according to the Mishnah, the world stands. He requested that I move these items to their appropriate places. The Rebbe had noticed that in the bottom left corner there is a little house labeled Free Loan Fund and another labeled Hospitality Hotel, and he asked that their location be moved to the right since these are deeds of kindness, the pillar which corresponds to the right. The Rebbe wanted the shul synagogue moved to the left as the synagogue symbolizes divine service, the second pillar which belongs on the left. And he suggested that the yeshiva and the Torah books be placed in the center. There was also a factory manufacturing dreidlach, but the Rebbe requested that it manufacture Shabbos candles instead. Another work of mine which the Rebbe commented on was one called The Great Mitzvah Fair. It depicted a Jewish amusement park with rides made up of mitzvahs.

06:04 The Rebbe noted that the mitzvah of Sukkah, the lulav and esrog were missing. Later, when I published a book with their title, I made sure that there was an illustration of a booth at the fair devoted to the lulav and esrog, and to another of the Rebbe's suggestions, a gift shop called Aves Isro, Love of a Fellow Yid. This, of course, made total sense because a gift is a way of expressing love. We will, im yirtza Hashem, continue in the next installment.