Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Spinning Star
Photo of a necklace with a spinning triangle is courtesy of Eric from Flickr. When you spin it quickly it looks like a Jmagen David. Eric's Spinning Star is working on the same principle my twirling flag of Israel is working on, and that's why I was so surprised to stumble upon it. Something similar happened to me with the Jewish Clock that I thought I invented until I stumbled upon a photo that my predecessor took of his Jewish Clock...
Unity of the Opposites
The Star of David is made out of three pairs of equilateral triangles. The one above is not better or bigger or richer than the one below. When you turn the Star of David so that the above is below you don't see any difference. They are identical. They are the same. You may say the one that was above is now below and vice versa; you may say that the wheel turns.
The one on the right side is the same as the one on the left. Turning them the other way round doesn't make any difference – they look identical; they look the same.
If you turn it so that the front is now the back it doesn't make any difference: they look identical, they look the same.
Above and below, right and left, front and back – these are representatives of OPPOSITES. There are other opposites that are represented by them: right (right) and wrong (left); rich (up the social level) and poor (down the social level); heaven (up, good) and hell (down, bad).
Now, in this world there's a constant fight between the opposites: those who feel down (like slaves, or workers) fight those who are up (like masters or owners), those who feel right criticize those who seem wrong.
In the Star of David they all live together in the same shape without hurting each other. In the Star of David they live in PEACE.
The distance between reality (fights and friction between the opposites, war) and dream (no fights, peace) is expressed in this shape which contains the opposites without taking sides – like the 24 hours that contain the day and the night without being any one of them; like the next world which contains Garden of Eden and hell without being any one of them; like exhaling and inhaling which constitute our breath.
Monday, May 08, 2006
Brewer's Star
Beer star made from alchemical symbols
It is a well known fact that the Brewer's Star on beer kegs, beer guild logos, beer cups - looks exactly like the Star of David. I read that there are many speculations about the meanings of this emblem, which can be traced to the 13th century in Europe and later in America:
1. It's somehow descended from the Star of David. There are even those who claim that King David was a brewer.
2. It symbolizes PURITY: brewers wanted to declare that their beer was pure of additives and adjuncts.
3. It represents the six aspects of brewing: water, hops, grain, malt, yeast, and the brewer.
Samuel Bak
Painter Samuel Bak expresses in his works his traumas as a holocaust survivor. His style is a form of surrealism. His themes deal with deep theological questions. Here we see one of his numerous paintings which "mention" the Magen David, The Ghetto, which interprets the Yellow Badge in a new light.
Picture is courtesy of Samuel Bak whom I met personally at his lecture in Binyaney Ha'uma in Jerusalem. Copyright: Samuel Bak 2006
The Israeli Flag Book
This is the cover of Uri Ofir's book, The Flag, which was published by Sefer Lakol, Tel-Aviv, 2001 Tl. 97235580111, 52 pages. The last 13 pages explain the origin of the Star of David.
Red Star of David for Sukkoth
This Red Star of David for Sukkoth is one of the models of our new Stars of David 30/30 cm which we expect to be ready for Sukkoth 2006.
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