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TEMPLE BETH EL Aliso Viejo, Ca Design for Chapel Stained Glass December 23, 2007 |
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| Above is a new design for the Chapel Stained Glass based on the artwork we had originally created for the space, in 2002. | |||
| The theme of this composition is "Al Shlosha Devarim" i.e. the world is supported by three things, by Torah, by Mitzvot and by Avodah, prayer. Here, a trellis supports three fruit bearing vines: the pomegranate, the grape and the fig. These are the three fruits Joshua brings back from his survey of the land of Canaan and the three most central of the Biblical fruits. Pomegranates symbolize Torah, by virtue of their 613 seeds. Figs are the universal symbol of sustenance and peace, and here, they stand for mitzvot. Grapes are the symbol of prayer, since we use wine to bless every Shabbat, Festival and Life Cycle Event. The three Hebrew words are rendered in Gold Leaf. Three stars shine in the sky, symbol of Shabbat and the world to come. Subtly, in the sky, rendered only in stars, in the single work, "Echad." The composition is grounded by a group of rocks. One is inscribed with the Hebrew word, "El." Another bears a likeness to a sleeping Jacob. On still another, some one has written Jacob's awestruck words, translated to mean, "Surely this is the abode of God and none other that the gateway to Heaven" |
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