This piece was based on concepts of light and movement and the inspiration of stained glass windows created by Louis Comfort Tiffany. Light is a symbol that relates to humanity’s connection to the divine. In addition, it relates to a midrash summarized below:

In short: light that was summoned just before Creation was so powerful that it shattered into a million zillion scattered pieces. These pieces of light have been left for beings of the earthly realm to put back together. It is not our job to complete, but to help in the task piece by piece and each to our own ability. See a longer version at the bottom of this page.

Light is also related to endurance (as ner tamid endures through time). There is a transformation we might see within another person if we choose to “endure” (in this context, to fully feel and experience) their true emotion / personhood. When there is someone present to witness that transformation, there is healing possible for both people who are attuned to one another. And, when we heal we have a greater capacity to feel into the pain of the larger world. We are all bound up in one another in this way (among other ways). 

I love this in relation to the promise of marriage because you are deciding to bear witness to one another’s transformation day after day after day, and in doing so you heal one another and the world.

*****

This print is created using a combination of archival giclée and hand painted techniques. The typeface and text are customizable. Made on Somerset cotton paper.

Size: 18.25 x 23”

Once you make your purchase, please fill in the ketubah survey and send to info@batsarahpress.com.

Please allow 8 weeks lead time. Orders that come in under this timeline will be considered “ rush” orders and will ship as soon as is possible, add $100.

Shipping notice: as shipping prices vary widely based on numerous factors, shipping costs will be invoiced at the end of the project rather than charged upfront.

*****

The SHEVIRAH Midrash
Isaac Luria (a 16th century mystical Rabbi) described the beginnings of creation in mystical terms – in a way that sheds light on the importance of embracing brokenness. At the beginning of time, G!d’s presence filled the universe. At a certain point, G!d decided to create our world, so G!d contracted G!dself to make room for it. From that contraction, darkness was created. Then G!d said, “Let there be light” (Gen. 1:3) and light filled the darkness, contained by special vessels. Unfortunately, the vessels could not contain the light. They burst open from its power, both the vessels and the light were scattered and those shards and sparks disbursed. As the story goes, our role is to gather the sparks, which are hidden in everything, and bring them back to a holy place. In this way, we need not see brokenness in the world as a problem, but rather a condition of creation – one that we can help to remedy by both accepting the brokenness and then working to repair it.