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Make
a new day or year
A sucess through beauty
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in the art of Roee Yossef Suffrin
by Pr. Rav
Yehoshua Rahamim Dufour modia.org
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We shall revise through pictures the process of preparation
and self-improvement which we underwent during the holidays,
from the time we began teshuva to the time of repentance and
pardon which we asked for and received, to the resolutions
we made, particularly that of loving our brothers.
We are one nation, a nation in which each
individual is indispensable and as worthy as another: there
are no super-Jews, nor super-religious Jews, nor untouchables
(who are always the other). We are like the letters of a Torah
scroll: each letter is as holy as the other, none is privileged
and if a single letter is omitted, the entire Torah scroll
is rendered invalid (pasul).
So, let us fulfill the plenitude of the entire nation: we
have a lot of work to do in this respect.
We should never forget the following: even
if some nations and religions have demonstrated, sometimes
or often demonstrate incredible cruelty and limitless spiritual
perversion,
we must never forget two important principles:
- The role of the Jewish people is to be a light, through
the Torah, unto all the nations and to serve as a permanent
channel for the blessing of Creation for all the nations of
the world.
- Just as the Torah should be adhered to by and among all
the Jewish people, we must also adhere to the teachings of
the Torah in our relationships with all other nations. They
themselves remind us of this in many ways: by enjoying coming
to Israel for the Festival of Succot (even if their goal is
ambiguous), and by demanding of us a standard of morality
which they themselves do not show towards others or towards
us.
There is solely One eternal Creator for
all of us.
I have illustrated these positive
reflections, which are essential in order to steer the nascent
year, with the powerful paintings of Roee Suffrin, of Jerusalem.
If these new, still available works, speak to you and if you
are touched by the way they capture the powerful inner light
of Jerusalem, and you wish to contact this impressive artist,
contact here: oeyuffrin@gmail.com or tel 972-2-0524483461
fax 972-2-6738785
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Let us always remember the sincerity and profundity of the days
of teshuva (repentance/return)
when we truly discovered the essential light, the one true existence.
(Painting by Roee Suffrin. Jerusalem. 80x60)
Now, let us maintain together this perfect equilibrium
from our feet on the ground
to our entire bodies, hearts, heads and celestial antenna,
steeping ourselves directly in the spirituality of the divine love.
A song rises within us, capturing and preserving
all the strength of Creation.
(Painting by Roee Suffrin. 80x60)
Let us now advance through action
and let us be propelled by a regained creative force,
which is that of the Torah:
(Painting by Roee Suffrin. 95x64)
Henceforth, all of Creation
and every individual, professional, collective and political action
will be perceived in the true dimension of the creative Presence,
and will be so harmonious and peaceful that our gaze will be
full of beauty and goodness like that of painters.
Sublime, complete, perfect happiness.
BUT
Each person and every Jew still has to renew every day his or her
total, personal combat:
in the face of the diverse propositions of the Sages, in the face
of the wise, rich, and powerful,
in the face of our own wisdom, intelligence, wealth and power,
the child in us must be able to emerge,
without fear of the immensity, and without fear of our own selves,
in order to "fulfill our light".
Even more so, this is vital for the world.
I repeat what I said above: we all know that, if just one letter
of a Torah scroll is in anyway damaged,
then the entire scroll is rendered invalid (pasul).
In the same way, the rebirth, every day, of the child within us
is essential for all of us.
Jews regularly recite this phrase: “naar hayiti GAM zakanti
…I was a child and I also acquired wisdom,”
which means that I am, simultaneously, at this very moment, a nascent
child and a wise, mature person.
The challenge we must constantly meet is that of continued creativity.
To my mind, this image by Roee Suffrin, like all his other works,
expresses well the continued challenge of light and its environment
and its eternal victory.
(Painting by Roee Suffrin.70x50)
In Latin languages, a child ("enfant" in French) stems
from the Latin “in-fans” which means he who is incapable
of speech and has no right to talk. In contrast, in Hebrew a child
is called yeled (walad in Arabic), which means he who is constantly
“nascent.”
May the child in us be ever present this year and be nascent for
ever.
Then the world will be reborn for the good of us all and all the
nations of the world.
A world in which all humans are in the image of God.
God bless us! God bless every one!
Be strong and courageous !
And in more paintings by Roee Yossef Suffrin
“Transmitting the tradition”
(Painting by Roee Suffrin)
The process of transmitting the Jewish tradition
and the emotion it involves is very well rendered here and reminds
me of my own experience: the bright, pure light of the young,
modest man, who does not know but wishes to learn, is respectful
and attentive. The ancestor whom one feels carries within him
every generation going Retour to Moshe Rabbenu, Moses our Master.
He holds himself erect, conscious of the celestial presence for
whom he is only a spokesman. And between them, flickers the essential
light: the light is the source of everything and it illuminates
each person according to his or her nature. Finally there is the
gravity of the written word, of the Book, which is handled with
respect. All eyes are centered on the presence
Studying the Torah”
(Painting by Roee Suffrin)
In my eyes, the power of this painting lies in the
way it grasps the inner challenges faced by each of the figures.
All are inclined, all are searching, each in his own direction.
Each figure is respected and each will have to guess the enigma
posed by the Torah and relate it to himself. Transmitting the
Jewish tradition in itself is not enough. At this stage, there
is no room for facile enthusiasm, there is no guru who knows everything
better than anyone else. The man who possesses years of learning
and the young man are in the same situation, when they open the
holy text and confront the questions it raises. And the wisest
is not necessarily the one who is dressed in clothes that are
graded according to his level of knowledge. Reality unites all
the figures in the same place and it is solid like Creation. Let
us remember that we were together at Sinai and that each individual
plays a vital role in the process of Creation, just like each
letter of the Torah is essential in order to ensure the completeness
of the holy text. If one letter is missing, the entire scroll
is rendered invalid. So let us study together. And let us look
more at this painting and we shall learn a lot.
Reading the Torah”
(Painting by Roee Suffrin)
Again we confront the questions posed by Torah,
and we do not have the option of fleeing or of fooling ourselves.
Each of the figures possesses wisdom, strength, and knowledge,
but suddenly, as they stand before the open Torah scroll, each
one is humbled: the light which we know resides in the Torah is
no longer perceptible, because of the gap between the immensity
of the Torah and our limited abilities. The moment of silence
that ensues is necessary in order to avoid saying inanities…….in
this way everyone is put in their place.
Only the young boy dares to confront the Torah directly and demands
to know. He is not part of the eminent hierarchy but his challenge
is the truest. He represents the future, and therefore the present.
