About the “Images of Tanya”
The Institute for Judaism and Civilization, together with the painter Victor Majzner and the artist-print maker, Shaike Snir, completed a limited edition of 120 folios of ten images (silk-screen prints) each, associated with a classic mystical Jewish text (“The Gate of Unity and Belief”) in the work Tanya. The screen-printing process is in fact a creative one undertaken by the painter and printmaker together, so that each print is original and not simply a reproduction. The size of the images is 675 by 470 mm and come with descriptive captions which can be mounted together with the images. This set of silk screen prints has been reproduced in small format in a book on Majzner's art, Earth to Sky, published by Macmillan in 2002. To read Rabbi Cowen’s explanation of the prints at greater length, see this excerpt of his essay printed in Earth to Sky and then again in his Aesthetics and the Divine.
Folios of the ten silk screen prints, “Images of Tanya” have been acquired by the Jewish Museum of Australia, Sholom College of the University of New South Wales, several Jewish schools and the Chabad Centre “Spiritgrow” led by Rabbi Laibl Wolf. Additionally, it has entered private collections in Australia and abroad.
To Purchase
There remain a number of folios of the 10 images for sale at AUD 5000 (approximately USD3400 as of 26 December 2023) plus shipping. Contact the Institute for further information.
Rabbi Chaim Gutnick z”l, former Chief Rabbi of Victoria, Australia on the Images of Tanya Project
Historically, the prohibition on certain graven images and the strong secular currents
which prevailed in the academies and environments of artistic culture may have
inhibited the development of Jewish art in the spirit of Torah. There is, however, no
necessary contradiction between Torah and artistic expression, where the latter is
imbued with an understanding of the Torah and its commandments. To the contrary,
where the power and beauty of art comes to enhance and heighten Torah and mitzvos,
art has achieved a profound purpose.
Dr Victor Majzner, a Jew and one of Australia's leading artists, has drawn closer to the study and practice of traditional Judaism. The set of ten "Images of Tanya" is the result of a period of study of the second book of the classic mystical Torah text, Tanya, namely the Sha'ar HaYichud v'Ho'emunah (Gate of Unity and Belief), in which he engaged with Rabbi Shimon Cowen. Having studied the work together, Dr Majzner painted ten images, which relate symbolically to summaries, written by Rabbi Cowen, of the chapters of this work. Based upon these paintings, Dr Majzner and Mr Shaike Snir have undertaken to produce limited edition prints of the ten images.
It is important that the images be viewed in conjunction with these texts, which are to be included in the folios of prints. Better still is to study in full the work itself, which has been translated with English commentary. I commend this project and wish it success with the particular hope that it will help to disseminate the knowledge of G-dliness not only among the Jewish people, but also throughout humanity at large.
Chapter 1 (Image 1)
By G-d's word the entire creation is enlivened in every detail in every moment. This is expressed in the statement of the verse: "Know this day and take it unto your heart that G-d is the L-rd in the heavens above and upon the earth below; there is no other". It remains to be understood how the creation reflects G-d's oneness, and His ongoing creative act.
Chapter 2 (Image 2)
The creation is enlivened by Divine "speech", specifically by the letters of the holy language, Hebrew. "You", here referring to G-d, is in Hebrew the word Atoh. It is composed of the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet, together with the letter heh, symbolizing the five parts of the mouth which articulate the letters from within, so to speak, the Divine "breath". These letters, through the words they compose, are "instruments" of creation.
Chapter 3 (Image 3)
Everything in creation derives from the transcendent creative power of G-d associated with the tetra-grammaton (here rewritten as Havayeh). In terms of this infinite power, everything, while existing, is as though nullified in its source.
Chapters 4 and 5 (Image 4)
The reason why specific and limited entities can exist within creation is because G-d joins a power of contraction with this infinite engendering power. This contracting power is associated with name Elo-him. It does not truly contract the infinite creative power (or "light"), but screens it out from the perspective of the creation.
Chapters 6 and 7 (Image 5)
Both the Divine powers of infinite creative force, represented by the names Havayeh and Elo-him, are employed in creating by G-d Himself. They are not He, but are His instruments, wholly united with Him. This is expressed in the words: "He and His attributes are one".
Chapter 8 (Image 6)
So too are all the Divine attributes, called in Kabbalah and Chassidus, s'firos ineffably united with G-d. The letters of Divine thought, speech and action, through which the creation is concretely articulated, are all nullified - wholly dependent and insignificant in relation - to their immediate source, the Divine s'firos.
Chapter 9 (Image 7)
The s'firos themselves are in turn totally nullified to "Him", Atzmus, Who brought forth the s'firos. Everything - the s'firos, the letters of creation, and the physical entities of creation themselves - are all equally insignificant, besides Him.
Chapter 10 (Image 8)
However, G-d - Atzmus, quintessential G-dliness - has chosen to unite Himself with the s'firos, in order to create the world. Therefore, Atzmus is, so to speak, invested or enclothed within the s'firos, and so their G-dliness is unknowably exalted.
Chapter 11(Image 9)
In turn, the G-dly powers of the s'firos are drawn into the letters and words of Divine speech. This is "G-d's speech", through which the concrete entities of creation are animated and enlivened.
Chapter 12 (Image 10)
The concrete entities of heaven and earth, in the letters of their names, represent a coding of the Divine powers of the s'firos. It turns out that the very being of each created entity is - through the letters of creation into which are drawn the powers of the s'firos and through the s'firos which are united with Atzmus - the power of Atzmus Itself.