2002 - SHEKHINA
94 pages black & white photography and text
About the Shekhina – the presence of God
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Shekhina is a feminine Hebrew word describing the presence of God. It occurs, for example, during the time the Israelites are following the pillar of fire showing them the way through the desert. Here I'd like to add that the journey lasted 400 years, which means: The number "400" symbolizes the longest term thinkable for us. It lasts forever. We are still on our spiritual journey and the Shekhina, the presence of God is with us.
"Shakan" (the infinitive form) is literally "to dwell, to sit down" and means the living, yes, the dwelling of God in us. Leonard Nimoy shares his own "anima" (Jung) "clothed in light" (King David), his personal spiritual insights and experiences with us.
In the introduction Leonard Nimoy quotes Teilhard de Chardin: "We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, we are spiritual beings having a human experience."
Sometimes in clear separation of light and darkness, sometimes in interwoven appearance the Shekhina hides and reveals herself, basically, naturally and in all her warmth and gentleness.
He works with darkness and light, both inseparable.
There is no need to "fight" the darkness, where there is light, darkness simply cannot be. But darkness has it's place - to reveal the shapes of light, to show the movement of the Shekhina.
The "beth", the "2", dominating the human being from the beginning in all possible and thinkable variations really
shines through: darkness + light, materialism / flesh + spirit, cold and warmth, fear +
faith ...
The blue book's inside pages are held in silver. "Receiving" or "Receive!" is the color's message. A color which –for me – is associated with nobility. All images are sacred, they are beautiful, they portray truth and clarity. Above all they are profound, they reveal as well as they make us aware that we long for discovering more. A deeply spiritual meditation shared on a very personal level.
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The idea developed from experiencing the letter
"shin" in an Orthodox Jewish service when Leonard was 8 or 9 years old. Shin symbolizes the Shekhina and is used as a sign of blessing. In the service the blessing is shouted onto the congregation while the Khohanim form the shin with both
hands.
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Art by Ina Kratzsch
The book is presenting the images in several chapters:
The
Blessing
The Spirit in the Flesh
Prayer against the Darkness
The Gathering
Embracing the Light
I prayed, and the understanding
came to me; I called on God, and the spirit of wisdom came to me.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
For she is a reflection of eternal
light, a spotless mirror
Of the working of God, and an image of his godness.
Although she is but one, she can do all things, and
while remaining in herself, she renews all things, in
every generation she passes into holy souls and makes
them friends of God, and prophets ...
She is more beautiful than the sun,
and excels every
constellation of the stars.
From: "The Wisdom of Salomon" - New Revised Standard Version Bible
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