Chiaroscuro and the Bible

I heard a fabulous sermon at services last month, delivered by Rabbi Adir Posey. Rabbi Posey posed the following dilemma: as part of our Jewish heritage, we are told to be happiest, not during the month of our exodus from Egypt, not on the days designed for the coronation of God, but rather during the (Jewish) month of Adar. How is it that we are supposed to be happiest on a month during which so many afflictions and attacks have tormented the Jewish people? Just last year, the Yeshiva Merkaz HaRav was attacked during Adar, leaving five students and three teachers dead. In 1996, 13 were murdered when a suicide bomber detonated a bomb outside of the Dizingoff Center. In Adar, 2002, the bombing of a Jerusalem café left 11 people dead and 54 wounded; in Adar, 2003, another 17 people were murdered and 53 were injured as a result of a suicide bombing of a bus in Haifa. Just today, a terrorist rammed a construction vehicle into a police car and bus, injuring two police officers. How can we be happiest at a time when we have experienced so many horrors and have had so many reasons to grieve?

To resolve this dilemma, Posey, in typical Jewish fashion, asked another question: what was the catalyst for Jethro’s choosing to leave his position of esteem in the pagan world to join the wandering Israelites in the desert? Jethro did not ally himself with the Israelites following the miracles of the Exodus nor following the phenomenon of the splitting of the Red Sea. In fact, Jethro joined the Israelites only after their battle with Amalek. The Amalek militants attacked the Israelite women, children and elderly, and for the first time since their miraculous exodus from Egypt, the Israelites were seen as being vulnerable. In spite of their weakened image and great losses, following the battle with Amalek, the Israelites continued their journey to Mt. Sinai to receive the Torah. Posey argued that Jethro was inspired by the commitment of the Israelites to their religious destiny even when armies stronger than their threatened their survival.

Following the miracles of the Exodus story, the Israelites were in a state of complete invincibility. Much like a Monet, the entire future of the Israelites was bright, colorful, and easy to appreciate. In contrast, Posey compared the state of the Israelites after the attack of the Amalek people to a Rembrandt. The master of chiaroscuro, Rembrandt’s paintings were often dark, practically nocturnal. Inset into these dark paintings would be a single candle used to illuminate the entire scene. Even when facing the dangers of Amalek, the Israelites’ commitment to their objectives allowed them to continue pursuing their goals. Their flicker of hope and dedication lit their way and inspired Jethro to join them.

The contrast between light and dark is a theme carried out in all traditions. Literary analysis is replete with the juxtaposition of light and dark imagery. Even Disney films employ this technique to add to their films. Disney antagonists, such as Ursula, Snow White’s stepmother and Jafar, were all dressed in black. Conversely, the protagonists in Disney’s films were always dressed in light and bright colors. Like Disney films, the chiaroscuro technique in art enables the audience to appreciate the light because it is unique in its dark surroundings. Unlike a Monet where colors and brushstrokes are remembers, those who view a Rembrandt remember the light.

In the Jewish month of Adar, the Jewish people celebrate a single day of salvation on the holiday of Purim. On that day, the Jewish people were saved from immanent death and annihilation. Their salvation was not complete. But that single day, surrounded by many days of worry and suffering was all the more remarkable and worthy of celebration.

Today, with the constant threats of a crumbling economy and a strengthening military foe in Iran, it is important to look at the entire picture and recognize that we are living in a period of chiaroscuro. Surrounded by many troubling conditions, there are fragments of light. It is crucial that we recognize these rays of hope, possibility, and goodness in spite of the overall bleakness of today. These precious features will be what allows this period in time to be remembered not as the period of darkness, but as a period remembered for the glimmer of light.