Art- Part 13: The Light & its Shadow

00:01 This is Behemsech in continuation to the earlier installments where we cited the Rebbe's directives to artists on their various paintings. We now continue with installment number thirteen, where we will cite from a letter the Rebbe wrote to an artist regarding light and shadows. The letter is of the twenty-fifth of Sivan Tov Shin Lamed Zayin, 1977, in response to the artist's letter of good wishes to the Rebbe and for him sending an art album. The Rebbe writes as follows, as is translated here in English. First of all, a hearty thank you for your blessings and good wishes, and I will respond with a blessing as our sages state that one who blesses is blessed by Hashem, the source of all blessings, which his addition is more than the original. Hashem should bless you from his full hand in everything you need. Secondly, thank you for the beautiful art album. Although it is not at all my field, but the general impression is splendid even for one who is not an expert in art, and surely this is intended not only for experts. Especially when one realizes the originality in using things which at first glance have no connection to art, as light and its shadow, outlines and all sorts of geometrical images. Whereas their combination in a good taste, as seen in the album, makes a strong impression even for one who has no perception or sharp eye in this field. And the unique impression is from utilizing a number of colors, basic and secondary, which

02:04 create such a beautiful illumination. As it is the minhag Yisrael to search and find in everything a point which has a link to the mission of Am Yisrael, the entire nation and every individual in the life of the person on earth. I will allow myself the liberty of quote-unquote making a remark, a general point, and in particular being that in the words of the blessing mentioned on the cover, in addition to the contents and the text, the artist used with his artistic power a combination of colored words with their shadow. A shadow at first glance is a result and outcome of something which blocks the light and the source. But based on our Torah, which is Torah Semes, and as in the teachings of our sages in their Mishnah, that everything which Hashem created in his world is for his honor, therefore also the shadow is part of this. When one places the shadows in its correct image and in its appropriate position, the shadows are converted into a source which gives off as a light. Although the revelation and impact of this sort of light is in a different format than the literal light. As in the above mentioned example, we cannot compare when one writes letters separately with when one combines them with their shadow. This takes place when one positions the shadow in its appropriate place and its combination with the light is in the proper format. From this we derive a general lesson as well as an individual lesson in a

04:10 person's life. Also in shady days, gray days implying the shadow, although at first impression in our physical and coarse world, the shadows are more dominant than the light and the coarseness is stronger than the spirit, nevertheless the person needs to fulfill his mission in this world in accordance with the above words of our sages that also the shadow is for the honor of the Creator. And on the contrary, the advantage of light is from the darkness, which means from within, through and with the darkness. Likewise, in all matters of darkness in our world, the person has the potential to convert darkness to light. With this installment, we conclude Be'ezras Hashem, the series on art.