בס”ד
By Rabbi Moshe Goodman, Kollel Ohr Shlomo, Hebron
In the Tehilim R’ Nacshon published this painting is attached to the verse in chapter 25 of Tehilim “the secret of Hashem is to those who fear Him, and His covenant is to teach them.” This chapter is known to be the famous Ladavid elecha nafshi esa, recited as part of the Tahanun prayer everyday according to the Kabbalah and Sefardic tradition and also said in Selichot of Sephardic tradition. The usage of this chapter in the context of repentance and asking of forgiveness in these prayers suggests that all its verses have a close connection to the world of repentance. If so, what does the “secret of Hashem” have to do about repentance? Repentance implies a tuning in to the messages of Hashem to awaken us to return to Him. The verse implies that through the secret of Hashem one will reach the covenant, i.e the connection, “conversation,” and the message, that Hashem wishes to teach him. The external world is full of extraneous “static” that bothers one from truly listening to the message Hashem is telling. In contrast, the secret of Hashem carries the internal call that allows one to truly be honest with Hashem’s call. Yom Kippur is unique day of the year when we all concentrate on our internal quest for Hashem’s call to our souls, leaving the external needs of eating, drinking, and other worldly pleasures, concentrating on repentance and prayer.
This painting exhibits the layout of the sefirot, a dominant theme in the “secret of Hashem” – the Kabbalah, along with the shofars, instruments of repentance, at the painting’s top. The ordering of the alphabet here is in accordance to the Kabbalah found in Sefer Yetzira in which there are three letters that represent the three horizontal lines between the sefirot, seven letters that represent the seven vertical lines between the sefirot, and twelve letters that represent the twelve vertical lines.
We see flames that look like birds and beneath them drops of water. These represent the contrast of kindness hinted by water, considered to represent Divine blessing from “above to below”, i.e to the earth, while judgment is hinted by fire, considered to represent Divine “sparks” ascending from “below to above,” i.e to the heavens This intricacy may also reflect a type of connection and covenant heaven and earth mentioned in the verse we mentioned “the secret of Hashem is to those who fear Him, and His covenant is to teach them.” This is also the message of Hebron which means connection. Many Kabbalists lived and were buried in Hebron. Indeed, this city is a pure channel of connection and communication to the Divine lights, the “secret of Hashem,” awakening us to Hashem’s call.