WHERE IS SHIRI
February 21, 2025
Watercolor and acrylic paint pen on paper
Drawn in the cruel time of agony when we were waiting for Shiri Bibas to come home.
She is now home. The agony remains.
Texts in the Artwork
ישעיהו מ׳:י״א
Yeshaiyahu / Isaiah 40:11
יא.
11.
כְּרֹעֶה֙ עֶדְר֣וֹ יִרְעֶ֔ה
Like a shepherd who pastures the flock,
בִּזְרֹעוֹ֙ יְקַבֵּ֣ץ טְלָאִ֔ים
[God] gathers up the lambs
וּבְחֵיק֖וֹ יִשָּׂ֑א
And carries them in the divine bosom,
עָל֖וֹת יְנַהֵֽל׃
While gently driving the mother sheep.
ישעיהו ס״ו:י״ג
Yeshaiyahu / Isaiah 66:13
יג.
13.
כְּאִ֕ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אִמּ֖וֹ תְּנַחֲמֶ֑נּוּ
Like one whom a mother comforts.
כֵּ֤ן אָֽנֹכִי֙ אֲנַ֣חֶמְכֶ֔ם
So I will comfort you:
וּבִירֽוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם תְּנֻחָֽמוּ׃
You shall find comfort in Jerusalem.
יחזקאל י״ט:א׳-ב׳
Yechezkel / Ezekiel 19:1-2
א.
1.
וְאַתָּה֙ שָׂ֣א קִינָ֔ה
And you are to intone a dirge
אֶל־נְשִׂיאֵ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
over the princes of Israel,
ב.
2.
וְאָמַרְתָּ֗
and say:
מָ֤ה אִמְּךָ֙ לְבִיָּ֔א
What a lioness was your mother
בֵּ֥ין אֲרָי֖וֹת רָבָ֑צָה
Among the lions!
בְּת֥וֹךְ כְּפִרִ֖ים
Crouching among the great beasts,
רִבְּתָ֥ה גוּרֶֽיהָ׃
She reared her cubs.
תהילים כ״ב:י׳-י״ב
Tehillim / Psalms 22:10-12
י.
10.
כִּֽי־אַתָּ֣ה גֹחִ֣י מִבָּ֑טֶן
You brought me forth from the belly,
מַ֝בְטִיחִ֗י עַל־שְׁדֵ֥י אִמִּֽי׃
caused me to trust at my mother’s breast.
יא.
11.
עָ֭לֶיךָ הׇשְׁלַ֣כְתִּי מֵרָ֑חֶם
I was cast down upon you from the womb,
מִבֶּ֥טֶן אִ֝מִּ֗י אֵ֣לִי אָֽתָּה׃
from my mother’s belly You have been my God.
יב.
12.
אַל־תִּרְחַ֣ק מִ֭מֶּנִּי
Do not be far from me,
כִּי־צָרָ֣ה קְרוֹבָ֑ה
for trouble is near,
כִּי־אֵ֥ין עוֹזֵֽר׃
and there is none to help.
איכה א׳:ט״ז-י״ז
Lamentations / Eicha 1:16-17
טז.
16.
עַל־אֵ֣לֶּה ׀ אֲנִ֣י בוֹכִיָּ֗ה
For these things do I weep,
עֵינִ֤י ׀ עֵינִי֙ יֹ֣רְדָה מַּ֔יִם
My eyes flow with tears:
כִּֽי־רָחַ֥ק מִמֶּ֛נִּי מְנַחֵ֖ם
Far from me is any comforter
מֵשִׁ֣יב נַפְשִׁ֑י
Who might revive my spirit;
הָי֤וּ בָנַי֙ שֽׁוֹמֵמִ֔ים
My children are forlorn,
כִּ֥י גָבַ֖ר אוֹיֵֽב׃
For the foe has prevailed.
יז.
17.
פֵּֽרְשָׂ֨ה צִיּ֜וֹן בְּיָדֶ֗יהָ
Zion spreads out her hands,
אֵ֤ין מְנַחֵם֙ לָ֔הּ
She has no one to comfort her;
צִוָּ֧ה ה׳
The LORD has summoned against Jacob
לְיַעֲקֹ֖ב סְבִיבָ֣יו צָרָ֑יו
His enemies all about him;
הָיְתָ֧ה יְרוּשָׁלַ֛͏ִם
Jerusalem has become among them
לְנִדָּ֖ה בֵּינֵיהֶֽם׃
A menstruating woman.
איכה ב׳:א׳
Lamentations / Eicha 2:1
א.
1.
אֵיכָה֩
How!?
יָעִ֨יב בְּאַפּ֤וֹ ׀ אדושם אֶת־בַּת־צִיּ֔וֹן
In His wrath, the Lord has overcast the daughter of Zion
הִשְׁלִ֤יךְ מִשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ אֶ֔רֶץ
He has cast down from heaven to earth
תִּפְאֶ֖רֶת יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל
The splendor of Israel
וְלֹא־זָכַ֥ר הֲדֹם־רַגְלָ֖יו
And He did not remember His Footstool [the Temple]
בְּי֥וֹם אַפּֽוֹ׃
on the day of His wrath.
איכה ג׳:מ״ח-נ״א
Lamentations / Eicha 3:48-51
מח.
48.
פַּלְגֵי־מַ֙יִם֙ תֵּרַ֣ד עֵינִ֔י
My eyes shed streams of water
עַל־שֶׁ֖בֶר
Over the ruin of
בַּת־עַמִּֽי׃
the daughter of my people.
מט.
49.
עֵינִ֧י נִגְּרָ֛ה
My eyes flow,
וְלֹ֥א תִדְמֶ֖ה
they will not cease,
מֵאֵ֥ין פֻגֽוֹת׃
there is no stopping
נ.
50.
עַד־יַשְׁקִ֣יף וְיֵ֔רֶא
Until He will look down and see,
ה׳ מִשָּׁמָֽיִם׃
God, from heaven
נא.
51.
עֵינִי֙ עֽוֹלְלָ֣ה לְנַפְשִׁ֔י
[That] my eyes deal severely with me [my eyes give me pain],
מִכֹּ֖ל בְּנ֥וֹת עִירִֽי׃
because of all the daughters of my city.
איכה ה׳:י׳-י״ד
Lamentations / Eicha 5:10-14
י.
10.
עוֹרֵ֙נוּ֙ כְּתַנּ֣וּר נִכְמָ֔רוּ
Our skin glows like an oven,
מִפְּנֵ֖י זַלְעֲפ֥וֹת רָעָֽב׃
With the fever of famine.
יא.
11.
נָשִׁים֙ בְּצִיּ֣וֹן עִנּ֔וּ
They have ravished women in Zion,
בְּתֻלֹ֖ת בְּעָרֵ֥י יְהוּדָֽה׃
Maidens in the towns of Judah.
יב.
12.
שָׂרִים֙ בְּיָדָ֣ם נִתְל֔וּ
Princes have been hanged by them,
פְּנֵ֥י זְקֵנִ֖ים לֹ֥א נֶהְדָּֽרוּ׃
No respect has been shown to elders.
יג.
13.
בַּחוּרִים֙ טְח֣וֹן נָשָׂ֔אוּ
Young men must carry millstones,
וּנְעָרִ֖ים בָּעֵ֥ץ כָּשָֽׁלוּ׃
And youths stagger under loads of wood.
יד.
14.
זְקֵנִים֙ מִשַּׁ֣עַר שָׁבָ֔תוּ
The old men are gone from the gate,
בַּחוּרִ֖ים מִנְּגִינָתָֽם׃
The young men from their music.
Sourcing
“
Yeshaiyahu / Isaiah 40:11
Translation:
JPS 1985
Hebrew from:
Yeshaiyahu / Isaiah 66:13
Translation:
JPS 1985
Hebrew from:
Yechezkel / Ezekiel 19:1-2
Translation:
JPS 1985
Hebrew from:
Tehillim / Psalms 22:10-12
Translation:
adapted from JPS 1985 and Biblehub
Hebrew from:
Lamentations / Eicha 1:16-17
Translation:
lightly edited from JPS 1985
Hebrew from:
Lamentations / Eicha 2:1
Translation:
Talia Werber, referencing JPS 1985
Hebrew from:
Lamentations / Eicha 3:48-51
Translation:
Talia Werber, referencing JPS 1985
Hebrew from:
Lamentations / Eicha 5:10-14
Translation:
JPS 1985
Hebrew from:
Sefaria
“
