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Eliezer Reiner The Mitzvah Of Memory
Posted
3/4/2004 By Richard McBee
Remember.
The commandment to remember reverberates throughout the
Torah, starting with the Exodus from Egypt, continuing to
Receiving the Torah and finally climaxing in the
weekly remembrance of the Sabbath itself. Embedded in the
six remembrances is the commandment to, "remember what
Amalek did to you on the way" (Devarim 25:17).
As
an extension of this commandment, Megillas Esther is
one long act of remembering that reaches back to ancient
Shushan and returns with horrifying regularity in our daily
newspapers. Eliezer Reiner, a sofer and artist of
illuminated manuscripts, concentrates on the act of
remembrance by simultaneously remembering the good and holy
we have inherited. His labors are a constant homage to
the glories of Jewish illuminated manuscripts from the
Middle Ages and the Renaissance.
Reiner is a Sofer
Stam with semicha from Rav Wosner of B`nai Brak who quickly
found that the holy work of being a sofer held a hidden
benefit for him, in the singular opportunity to express his
creativity while beautifying the mitzva embodied in
every text he wrote. Beyond the inherent beauty of the
letters themselves, he is able to glorify G-d with
elaborate images and decorations surrounding the Megillot
and other texts he produces.
Born in Hungary, he
studied calligraphy in Budapest and then later, the
exacting skills of the sofer in France and Antwerp. Being a
sofer carried great responsibility, illustrated by the
simple question; "Who must be more proficient, a shohet or
a sofer?" If a shohet`s work and examination is not exactly
perfect, his customers risk the sin of eating neveilah or
treifah. What a responsibility! However a sofer
actually carries a heavier responsibility. While his work
must have a corresponding accuracy, getting each word
correct, he must have the proper intention with each Torah,
mezuzah, tefillin and sacred text in which he writes G-d`s
holy name. That kavanah, for the sake of heaven, is
necessary for any holy text to be kosher, and yet only
the sofer and G-d know whether the kavanah is proper. A
sofer lacking the proper kavanah exposes his customers to
the risk of a lifetime of unfulfilled mitzvot. We are
totally dependent upon his skill and piety.
Reiner is
well aware of his responsibility to halacha and
therefore went to Rav Wosner to make sure that the
illumination of manuscripts was permitted in contemporary
times. He was told that the use of images, even of human
beings, was well within the accepted norms for general
texts and Megillot. Reiner proceeded with his project
of the revival of the Golden Age of manuscript
illumination. In the Middle Ages, a sofer frequently had to
work with a non-Jewish artist to produce the luxuriously
illuminated Jewish texts. Problems arose, however,
concerning some of the illuminations creating
inappropriate images of Greek and Roman figures, angels,
and nudes that were out of place in sacred Jewish texts.
Reiner`s vision is to create works that will be beautiful,
expressive and firmly within Jewish law.
Not
surprisingly Reiner has illuminated many versions
of Megillas Esther. His website, www.artilluminations.com,
exhibits no less than eight examples of this work, out of
the over 20 hand illuminated Megillas he has created. Each
Megilla is custom made for the specific needs of the
customer, often reflecting individual tastes
and sensibilities. The text, normally surrounded by an
ornate floral design border done in gold leaf, egg tempera,
acrylic paint and colored inks, is sometimes interrupted by
illuminated panels, such as the startling image of the Beis
haMikdash (2004) set in a bejeweled rondo, reminiscent of
Italian Renaissance manuscripts. This placement reminds the
reader that the Book of Esther takes place after
the destruction of the First Temple and before the
construction of the Second. Much like today, the Jewish
people felt themselves suspended in longing for a peaceful
homeland and access to G-d.
The intensely lush visual
style in all of Reiner`s work transcends mere ostentatious
decoration. His images, never directly copied from ancient
examples, always reflect historical styles that express a
pride and love of Jewish cultural life. A developed sense
of aesthetics is not foreign to Judaism, it seems it has
only been temporarily forgotten. Reiner reminds us that
when Noah blessed his two sons, Japheth was crowned with
the skill and appreciation of beauty. Shem and Japheth were
meant to live together in harmony, Torah and beauty in partnership. Over the ages, many Jews have forgotten
how beauty can enhance so many aspects of Jewish
life.
Reiner`s Tree of Life, (1999) carries its image
well beyond a simple family tree. The surrounding "carpet
page" decoration exists in exquisite tension with the
naturalism of the many-branched tree. The swirling mass of
brightly colored flowers, leaves and branches create
a joyful meditation on sumptuousness, a reflection of the
glorious but undocumented generations both past and future.
Crowning the upper branches of the tree poetic verses from
Taanis 5b remind us of "a tree of fruits of which were
sweet, its shade pleasant, May it be [G-d`s] will that all
the shoots taken from you be like unto you."
Reiner`s blessing is one of visual beauty.
"This is
my G-d and I will glorify Him" was uttered at the
very moment of our salvation from Egyptian bondage as we
were on the threshold of freedom. To remember that moment,
we recite the Haggada. The Haggada which Reiner illuminated
in 1982 took almost a year to complete, and it is filled
with a series of totally original images that leap
gleefully back and forth between ancient Egypt
and contemporary Hasidic life. A little girl in a white
pinafore and pigtails gingerly washes her hands,
illustrating the ritual of Rahatz at the seder, while she
reappears again almost hidden behind a piece of matzah
to illustrate Hamotzie, reciting the Grace After Meals. The
Four Sons appear, surrounded by the appropriate text
and a beautifully eclectic decoration. Hasidic children are
lovingly depicted and contrast with the one rebel, the
young man who has chosen to become a boxer, using his might
instead of his brains to challenge the world.
Visual
creativity of this quality takes tremendous effort, time
and skill that are usually beyond the means of most
individuals` compensation. Currently, Reiner is working on
an illuminated Sefer Tehillim. Ashrei, the opening psalm,
is richly decorated with golden crowns in each corner, a
gold-leafed first word and illustrated inserts of the Tower
of David. The psalm is set within an elaborate
floral decoration that echoes the delicately crowned text.
The Jewish public must recognize that in order for artwork
of this quality to be created, some kind of partnership
needs to be established in the form of institutional
sponsorship. In the last great age of manuscript
illumination, medieval and Renaissance donors would
commission elaborate works. Contemporary institutions could
use such sponsorship to honor the donors of a yeshiva, a
synagogue or other large communal structure.
The act of
remembering remains central to Jewish life. We need to
remember our rich cultural heritage that some artists,
including Eliezer Reiner, are taking it upon themselves to
bring back to life. We need to remember, and recognize the
efforts of artists past and present who labor to create a
Jewish culture that enriches us all.
Eliezer Reiner;
Sofer Stam & Illuminated
Manuscripts www.artilluminations.com; (718) 404-
8058.◙
Richard McBee is a painter of Torah subject
matter and writer on Jewish Art. Please feel free to
contact him with comments
at www.richardmcbee.com
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