Rachel's Tomb (Kever Rochel)

Over the years, Rachel’s Tomb has been a place of pilgrimage for Jews, especially Jewish women unable to give birth. Many come to visit on the 11th of the Jewish month of Cheshvan, the anniversary of her death.
According to the Bible, on the outskirts of Canaan, Rachel, wife of Jacob, went into a difficult labour with her second son, Benjamin. She died during childbirth on Cheshvan 11. The Bible records the event:

“And Rachel died, and was buried on the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem. And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave: that is the pillar of Rachel’s grave unto this day.” — Genesis 35:19-20

The tomb site in Bethlehem consists of a rock with 11 stones upon it, one for each of the 11 sons of Jacob who were alive when Rachel died in childbirth. Over the centuries, the rock was covered by a dome supported by four arches.

Jewish tradition teaches that Rachel weeps for her children and that when the Jews were taken into exile, she wept as they passed by her grave on the way to Babylonia.

In 1864, the Sefardi Jews of Bombay donated the necessary money to dig a well. Although Rachel’s Tomb is only an hour and a half walk from the Old City of Jerusalem, many pilgrims found themselves very thirsty and unable to obtain fresh water.

Sir Moses Montefiore and Judith, Lady Montefiore visited the Land of Israel seven times. Lady Montefiore first saw Rachel’s Tomb on their first visit, in 1828. The couple were childless, and Lady Montefiore was deeply moved by the tomb, which was in good condition at that time. Before the couple’s next visit, in 1839, the Galilee earthquake of 1837 had heavily damaged the tomb.[2] The Montifiore’s paid for the building to be restored.

The Torah Ark Rachel’s Tomb is covered with a curtain (Hebrew: parokhet) made from the wedding gown of Nava Applebaum, a young Israeli woman who was killed by Palestinian terrorists in a suicide bombing at Cafe Hillel in Jerusalem on the eve of her wedding.

Priestly Blessing (Birkat Kohanim)

The verses of the Priestly Blessing (Birkat Kohanim) are among the oldest in continuous liturgical use. Archaeologists found the words etched on silver scrolls found in tombs from the seventh century BCE. The words of the Priestly Blessing come from the Book of Numbers 6:24-26.

“May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May the Lord let His face shine upon you and be gracious to you.
May the Lord look kindly upon you and give you peace.”

In the time of the Temple in Jerusalem, the Priests recited this blessing every day. Today some synagogues, such as those in Jerusalem, perform this rite every morning. In other synagogues, it is recited only on the Sabbath. In the Diaspora, there are many synagogues that perform this rite only on Jewish holidays, when most of the congregation is gathered.

When performing the Priestly Blessing, the Kohanim stretch their arms and hands forward. They hold their hands together palms-down. They split their fingers so there are 5 spaces: one space between the thumbs, a space between the thumb and first finger of each hand, and a space between the second and third finger of each hand.

It is believed that the five spaces allude to verses in Song of Songs (2.8-9). The verses state that God “peeks through the cracks in the wall.” In other words, God watches over and protects the Jewish people even when He is hidden.

When the Kohanim recite their blessing, members of the congregation are supposed to look away. One reason given is that it is easier for the Kohanim to focus on the blessing when the congregation isn’t looking directly at them. In addition, it is written in the Talmud (Chagiga 16b), “One’s eyes will grow weak if he looks at the hands of the Priests” while they are blessing the congregation.

The symbol of this hand gesture is often engraved on the tombstones of Kohanim. This hand symbol has become symbolic of the Jewish priestly class.

The Encounter

The meeting of Eliezer and Rivka
Original on canvas:
80 x 85cm – 31.5″ x 33.5″

The Shepherd

“…surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
Psalms 23:17

Oil on Panel:
80 x 80 cm – 31.5″ x 35.5″

Tiberias

Original on canvas:
43 x 45cm – 17″ x 18″

Jerusalem

Original, oil on canvas:
80cm. x 56cm – 31″ x 22″