Parshiyot Nitzavim-Vayelech - 5763

 “Chazak VeEmatz”
“Be Strong and of Good Courage”

The basic charge given by Moshe to the People of Israel (Devarim 31:6) and to Yehoshua (Devarim 31:7), as well as the charge given by HaShem to Yehoshua on the eve of his assuming the leadership of the People of Israel (Devarim 31:23), is “Chazak VeEmatz,” Be strong and of good courage! And HaShem concludes his words with Yehoshua with “VeAnochi Eh’ye imach,” And I will be with you. This belief that HaShem was with the Jewish People and with its leaders over the millennia is the only reason that we have had to face our otherwise insurmountable enemies with courage. In our time, an excellent example of Jews who express in their lives this degree of “emunah,” faith in HaShem are those who live in the Hebron-Kiryat Arba area of Israel. My family recently received the Hebron Calendar 2003-4, which is graced with a copy of an original painting for each month. I’m going to try to describe each of those paintings, despite the fact that I have yet to be appointed official Art Critic of the Orthodox Union.

September 2003 Elul 5763 -Tishrei 5764 “Hebron in the Light of the Month of Selichot” by Shmuel Mushnik
The “Mearat HaMachpelah,” Cave of Machpelah, surrounded by the earth-toned houses of the city, against the background of the Hills of Hebron. In the foreground are trees and a clearing in which two “matzevot,” gravestone monuments of a cemetery are visible, reflecting the recent tragic history of Hebron.

October 2003 Tishrei-Cheshvan 5764 “Autumn in the Hills of Hebron” by Shmuel Mushnik
Leaves changing color on a hill with still-green trees on a rise; ancient stone fence-work visible in foreground.

November 2003 Cheshvan-Kislev 5764 “Like the essence of a clear blue sky” (Exodus 24:10) by Shmuel Mushnik
The sky above Hebron, which seems to capture the vision of HaShem mentioned in the verse. Hills of Hebron in background; part of the landscape of Eretz Yisrael, promised to our Avot in the parshiyot of this month.

December 2003 Kislev-Tevet 5764 “Wall of the Giants – View from Ancient Hebron” by Baruch Nachshon
An impressionistic depiction of the ancient city of Kiryat Arba

January 2004 Tevet-Shevat 5764 “Faithful Shepherd in the Field of Machpelah” by Elkanah Blumental
The picture depicts a shepherd protecting his flock, with the Mearat HaMachpelah looming large in the background. There rest the Avot and Imahot whose merit has protected the Jewish People from its enemies over the ages. The “Faithful Shepherd” is most appropriate for the month in which the early parshiyot of Shemot are read, where Moshe Rabbeinu is introduced, who is called the “Faithful Shepherd.”

February 2004 Shevat-Adar 5764 “Flowering in Tel-Hebron” by Shmuel Mushnik
An impressionistic painting of a tree, for the month containing “Tu B’Shevat,” the “Rosh HaShanah” for Trees; bent over but powerful, with “kolaniyot” and other flowers blooming in the foreground, against the background of a dappled blue and white sky.

March 2004 Adar-Nisan 5764 “The Jews had Light and Gladness” (Esther 8:16) by Baruch Nachshon
A fantastic painting, depicting elements of the Purim story (some historical, some existing only in the artist’s imagination): Jews celebrating, hamentaschen, Mordechai riding on a horse, another Jew riding on an elephant holding aloft a Megilah, our enemies depicted as mice, and a “retzua,” a strap, of Tefilin encompassing the happy parade.

April 2004 Nisan-Iyar 5764 “Ma Nishtana” by Baruch Nachshon
Another fantastic painting, this time depicting the story of Pesach, against a background of a night-time sky of the universe, corresponding to the title, “How is this night different from all other nights?” We see a whip of an Egyptian taskmaster, representing “Ha-shata avdin,” “Now we are slaves,” turning into a “retzua,” a strap of Tefilin (clearly a motif of Nachshon), and a Jew putting on Tefilin, representing “leshanah haba’ah bnei chorin,” “Next year we’ll be free.”

May 2004 Iyar-Sivan 5764 “All the People saw the sounds” (Exodus 20:15) by Baruch Nachshon
For Sivan, the month of Shavuot, yet another fantastic (I appear to be over-using that adjective, but it seems the most appropriate) painting; this time a depiction of the Revelation at Sinai. The Jews received the Torah and were raised to a different level of reality, when they could actually “see” the sounds of the Shofar.

June 2004 Sivan-Tammuz 5764 “Let everything that has breath praise the L-rd” (Psalms 150:6) by Baruch Nachshon
A painting of the varied living creatures of the world praising HaShem, and serving as the strings of a harp that stands in the middle of the painting.

July 2004 Tammuz-Av 5764 “Foxes Walked Upon It” (Lamentations 5:18) by Baruch Nachshon
In the months of “churban,” destruction, an Escher-like painting of Jerusalem, with foxes seen walking on the stones of the Holy City

August 2004 Av-Elul 5764 “Joy of Redemption in the City of the Patriarchs” by Baruch Nachshon
A joyous painting depicting residents of Hebron celebrating the Redemption of the Jewish People

September 2004 Elul 5764-Tishrei 5765 “Ohel Avraham Synagogue Built in Jerusalem for the Refugees from the 1929 Hebron Massacre” by Shmuel Mushnik
A somber look at the past, at a House of Prayer built for survivors of the 1929 Tragedy, expressing the Jewish spirit of “Aph al Pi Ken,” “Nevertheless!”

During Elul, Jews have been reciting the “L’David HaShem Ori” Prayer, that concludes “Hope in the L-rd, let your heart be strong and of good courage and hope in the L-rd!” With this calendar page, we close out a year that has hopefully seen abundant blessings from the “Ribbono shel Olam,” the Master of the Universe, and we begin a year that will, G-d Willing, continue on the path of “Geulah V’Yeshuah,” Redemption and Salvation.

I plan to hang this beautiful calendar on the wall above my desk. For more information contact:

The Hebron Fund
1760 Ocean Avenue Brooklyn NY 11230; Tel. 718-677-6883; e-mail: hebronfund@aol.com
OR
The Jewish Community of Hebron
POBox 105 Kiryat Arba – Hebron 90100; Tel. (972)2-996-5333 Fax: (972)2-996-5304 ISRAEL
e-mail: hebron@hebron.org.il http://www.hebron.org.il

Hebron Dinner November 17, 2003 at the N.Y. Marriott Marquis

Rabbi Pinchas Frankel
Rabbi Frankel is an Educational Coordinator at the OU

Archive