Lecha Dodi

December 18, 2024

Watercolor and acrylic paint pen on paper

Artist’s Statement

This piece is a reflection on Lecha Dodi’s placement in the Kabbalat Shabbat service, its kabbalistic themes and expression of the desire to welcome Shabbat and the feminine aspects of the divine, to bring about the union of all of God’s manifestations.

Lecha Dodi often evokes tenderness, an experience of getting lost in the beauty of the words, and the many melodies that adorn it. This work uses soft yet vibrant colors in reference to the sumptuous beauty that are associated with Shabbat and Shekhinah.

The piece is divided into bands, each with an arc, to reflect the kabbalistic notion that what happens above happens below. As Lecha Dodi is sung around sunset, ideally (for the kabbalists) in a field, the piece depicts a kahal (community) as the sun sinks low in the sky, and the golden light of midday departs. The romantic hues in the lower bands recall the earthly colors of springtime, which is associated with Shir HaShirim (the Song of Songs), to which the Lecha Dodi refrain alludes. These colors contrast with the darker band, which refers to the mystery and infinite expansiveness beyond human comprehension.

The sefirot (divine emanations) in their formation are hazily present in the sky, reflecting that the nine verses and one refrain of Lecha Dodi are meant to give voice to the ten sefirot.

*This piece was made for an assignment in the Shabbat Liturgy class at the Academy for Jewish Religion – with gratitude for my teacher and fellow classmates.