“The Lord went before them in a pillar of cloud by day, to guide them along the way, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light, that they might travel day and night.”
Exodus 13:21
This artwork is inspired by the image of two pillars, one of cloud and one of fire, that led the nascent Israelites on their travels through the desert. These pillars are mentioned several times in the Torah, and are powerful yet mysterious evocations of God’s presence among us.
Three times in the book of Exodus, Gd reveals himself to the Israelites in these forms, at key turning points in our sacred history:
- At the crossing of the Red Sea
- At the revelation on Mt. Sinai
- In the mishkan
It is interesting to note that these are public revelations, between Gd and the entire people, not private conversations, as in prior communications with patriarchs or prophets. As such, they have a deeply democratic
orientation, an appropriate symbol for a contemporary congregation.
Aluminum, resin panels, 30” w x 15’6” h
