ta-chazei

[ta-chazei]

Oxidized copper ink test

[ta-chazei]

"a table with cuttings of willow" dream image

[ta-chazei]

"I recognized his art. It made me feel at home."

[ta-chazei]

[ta-chazei]

זַמְּרוּ לַיהֹוָה בְּכִנּוֹר בְּכִנּוֹר וְקוֹל זִמְרָה׃

Sing praise to God with the lyre, with the lyre and melodious song. -Psalms 98:5

[ta-chazei]

Shabbat shalom

Light on, 2020

Tamar Sulakvelidze

[ta-chazei]

“The Ten Commandments” Designed by Herzl Kashetsky, Carved by Ludwig Hartman, St John New Brunswick

[ta-chazei]

An even more radical suggestion is conveyed by Gershom Scholem in the name of Rabbi Mendel of Rymanov, who claimed that all that was revealed at Sinai was the aleph, the first letter of anokhi (“l [am]”), the first Hebrew word of the Decalogue. Scholem notes that the aleph is nothing more than the position taken by the larynx when a word begins with vowel. “To hear the aleph,” Scholem continues, “is to hear next to nothing; it is the preparation for all audible language, but in itself conveys no determinate, specific meaning. Thus … Rabbi Mendel transformed the revelation on Mount Sinai into a mystical revelation, pregnant with infinite meaning, but without specific meaning." 

- Doing Jewish Theology: God, Torah & Israel in Modern Judaism, Neil Gillman p.132, 133

[ta-chazei]

Flatirons Vista, Boulder, CO 1/15/25

[ta-chazei]

bowl of bananas

[ta-chazei]

"This Passover free a slave. You!" Bnai Or mailer, 1983

[ta-chazei]

Second seven seder tarot-inspired cards for Passover on homemade card stock

VIII - Marror– Eat the bitter herbs

עַל־מִשְׁכָּבִי בַּלֵּילוֹת בִּקַּשְׁתִּי אֵת שֶׁאָהֲבָה נַפְשִׁי בִּקַּשְׁתִּיו וְלֹא מְצָאתִיו׃

Upon my couch at night I sought the one I love— I sought, but found him not.

Song of Songs 3:1

IX - Korech - Eat a sandwich of matza and marror

שְׂמֹאלוֹ תַּחַת לְרֹאשִׁי וִימִינוֹ תְּחַבְּקֵנִי׃

His left hand was under my head, His right arm embraced me.

Song of Songs 2:6

X - Shulchan Orech - Enjoy a festive meal

בָּאתִי לְגַנִּי אֲחֹתִי כַלָּה אָרִיתִי מוֹרִי עִם־בְּשָׂמִי אָכַלְתִּי יַעְרִי עִם־דִּבְשִׁי שָׁתִיתִי יֵינִי עִם־חֲלָבִי אִכְלוּ רֵעִים שְׁתוּ וְשִׁכְרוּ דּוֹדִים׃        

I have come to my garden, My own, my bride; I have plucked my myrrh and spice, Eaten my honey and honeycomb, Drunk my wine and my milk.

Eat, lovers, and drink: Drink deep of love!

Song of Songs 5:1

XI - Tzafun - Find and eat the afikomen

יוֹנָתִי בְּחַגְוֵי הַסֶּלַע בְּסֵתֶר הַמַּדְרֵגָה הַרְאִינִי אֶת־מַרְאַיִךְ הַשְׁמִיעִנִי אֶת־קוֹלֵךְ כִּי־קוֹלֵךְ עָרֵב וּמַרְאֵיךְ נָאוֶה׃        

O my dove, in the cranny of the rocks, Hidden by the cliff, Let me see your face, Let me hear your voice; For your voice is sweet And your face is comely.

Song of Songs 2:14

XII - Barech - Grace after the meal

מִי זֹאת עֹלָה מִן־הַמִּדְבָּר כְּתִימְרוֹת עָשָׁן מְקֻטֶּרֶת מֹר וּלְבוֹנָה מִכֹּל אַבְקַת רוֹכֵל׃

Who is she that comes up from the desert Like columns of smoke, In clouds of myrrh and frankincense, Of all the powders of the merchant?

Song of Songs 3:6

XIII - Hallel - Songs of Praise

אִתִּי מִלְּבָנוֹן כַּלָּה אִתִּי מִלְּבָנוֹן תָּבוֹאִי תָּשׁוּרִי  מֵרֹאשׁ אֲמָנָה מֵרֹאשׁ שְׂנִיר וְחֶרְמוֹן מִמְּעֹנוֹת אֲרָיוֹת מֵהַרְרֵי נְמֵרִים׃

From Lebanon come with me; From Lebanon, my bride, with me! Sing from Amana’s peak, From the peak of Senir and Hermon, From the dens of lions, From the hills of leopards.

Song of Songs 4:8

XIV - Nirtza - Concluding desires for the future

בְּרַח  דּוֹדִי וּדְמֵה־לְךָ לִצְבִי אוֹ לְעֹפֶר הָאַיָּלִים עַל הָרֵי בְשָׂמִים׃

Hurry, my beloved, Swift as a gazelle or a young stag, To the hills of spices!

Song of Songs 8:13

[ta-chazei]

First seven seder tarot-inspired cards for Passover on homemade card stock

I - Kadesh – Recite the Holiday Kiddush over a cup of wine

יִשָּׁקֵנִי מִנְּשִׁיקוֹת פִּיהוּ כִּי־טוֹבִים דֹּדֶיךָ מִיָּיִן׃

Oh, give me of the kisses of your mouth, For your love is more delightful than wine.

Song of Songs 1:2

II - Urchartz – Wash your hands without a blessing

מַיִם רַבִּים לֹא יוּכְלוּ לְכַבּוֹת אֶת־הָאַהֲבָה וּנְהָרוֹת לֹא יִשְׁטְפוּהָ אִם־יִתֵּן אִישׁ אֶת־כָּל־הוֹן בֵּיתוֹ בָּאַהֲבָה בּוֹז יָבוּזוּ לוֹ׃

Vast floods cannot quench love, Nor rivers drown it. If a man offered all his wealth for love, He would be laughed to scorn.

Song of Songs 8:7

III - Karpas – Eat a springtime vegetable appetizer

כִּי־הִנֵּה הסתו [הַסְּתָיו] עָבָר הַגֶּשֶׁם חָלַף הָלַךְ לוֹ׃

For now the winter is past, The rains are over and gone.

Song of Songs 2:11

IV - Yachatz – Break the middle matza

הַנִּצָּנִים נִרְאוּ בָאָרֶץ עֵת הַזָּמִיר הִגִּיעַ וְקוֹל הַתּוֹר נִשְׁמַע בְּאַרְצֵנוּ׃

The blossoms have appeared in the land, The time of singing has come; The song of the turtledove Is heard in our land.

Song of Songs 2:12

V - Magid – Tell the story of liberation

הַתְּאֵנָה חָנְטָה פַגֶּיהָ וְהַגְּפָנִים סְמָדַר נָתְנוּ רֵיחַ קוּמִי לכי [לָךְ] רַעְיָתִי יָפָתִי וּלְכִי־לָךְ׃

The green figs form on the fig tree, The vines in blossom give off fragrance. Arise, my darling; My fair one, come away!

Song of Songs 2:13

VI - Rochtza – Wash your hands with a blessing

מַעְיַן גַּנִּים בְּאֵר מַיִם חַיִּים וְנֹזְלִים מִן־לְבָנוֹן׃

[You are] a garden spring, A well of fresh water, A rill of Lebanon.

Song of Songs 4:15

VII - Motzi, Matza – Bless the matza

אֲנִי חֲבַצֶּלֶת הַשָּׁרוֹן שׁוֹשַׁנַּת הָעֲמָקִים׃

I am a rose of Sharon, A lily of the valleys.

כְּשׁוֹשַׁנָּה בֵּין הַחוֹחִים כֵּן רַעְיָתִי בֵּין הַבָּנוֹת׃

Like a lily among thorns, So is my darling among the maidens.

Song of Songs 2:1-2

[ta-chazei]

Wall decoration used on Purim. Eastern Europe, 1939. The Hebrew inscriptions read, (top) “When Adar comes, we increase rejoicing” (Talmud, Tractate Ta'anit  4, 29a) and (center), “To life, Luck, Adar, Fish.” The toast “L'Khayim” (To Life) refers to the Talmudic injunction to drink “ad d'lo yodah” on Purim, until one cannot distinguish between Haman and Mordekhai. Fish, associated with Pisces, the astrological sign for the month of Adar, are also symbols of abundance. (Moldovan Family Collection, YIVO)

[ta-chazei]

"Thank God! Thank God ... in his dream he saw..."

[ta-chazei]

Home developed film photos of trees for Tu Bishevat

[ta-chazei]

"I didn't know this was here."