ESTHER In this painting, I honor the beautiful and brave Queen Esther, who was the seventh of the seven Jewish prophetesses. The Shekhina hovers above, in the shape of a dove, as the six other prophetesses hand Esther the blazing seven-branch menorah. The menorah symbolizes the souls of the Jewish nation, and the number seven is a powerful mystical number. Just as in mysticism, where things are often veiled and hidden, so, too, Queen Esther's Jewishness was hidden from King Achasuerus. We see her here, "dressed in all her royalty" (one of the quotes in the painting), bolstered by her sister prophetesses as she is about to reveal to the King who she is and that Haman is plotting against her people. She is graceful, she is soft and feminine, but she is also fiercely determined and powerful.

REBECCA In a field bathed in the rays of the afternoon sun, Rebecca has just caught her first glimpse of Isaac. As though smitten, she falls from her camel and, at that moment, she simultaneously has a vision of the birth of her future sons, Esau and Jacob (who can be seen at the top of the painting). In the center of the painting, Isaac is praying in the direction of Mt. Harmoreah, where his father took him as a sacrifice. Isaac appears only as a shadow to symbolize the part of him that left his body and momentarily went into the heavenly realms as he was about to succumb to Abraham's knife. The line on the left side of the painting refers to Isaac bringing Rebecca into the tent of his mother Sarah. The tent can be seen with the cloud of glory overhead, because Sarah was Rebecca's spiritual predecessor. The bottom of the painting shows a bride and groom under the chuppa.. Rebecca and Isaac were the first Jewish marriage.

LEAH Leah was a great prophetess. She was destined to marry Essau the brother of Jacob but she knew she must marry Jacob to give birth to six of the twelve tribes. She used her powers and "stormed the gates of heaven"(where she is standing in the painting) to change destiny. She cried and prayed and it is said that "her tears shifted the flow of destiny."   The rain on the upper left of the painting signifies her tears, the sun on the right; her triumph and her will breaking through. The Chuppa Leah stands under signifies the wedding to Jacob, the planets are painted on the chuppa because Leah did indeed "change" the planets with her powers. The viel covering Leah's face signifies not only the wedding to Jacob, (her face and true identity "veiled" to him) but it represents Leah"s great mystical powers and the spiritual strength of her inner world, hidden from the physical. Leah was a very strong, introverted woman. Leah is standing at the gates of Heaven with her hands raised in the position of the priestly blessing. Leah gave birth to the tribe of the Levites out of which came the Kohanim, the high priests who bestowed the "priestly" blessing in this manner. She is surrounded by the signs of the twelve tribes she gave birth to: Ruven; The mandrake flower Shimon; The city (castle) Laivi; The priestly breast plate Yehuda; The lion Yissachar; The sun and the moon Zevulan; the ship Quotes in the painting: "Give her the fruits of her hands and let her be praised by her very own deeds." From the Ashes Chial in Proverbs. "Her children rose up and praised her" " The eyes of Leah were soft", signifying the hidden world and Leah's tears of prayer.

HANNAH Hannah is famous for her prayer. It is said Hannah's prayers were like "jewels going up into the crown of God". Her prayers are depicted in the painting with the gold leafed Hebrew letters yud and heh which are letters signifying the name of God. The letters are floating up "into the crown of God" on the top of the painting. Hannah was the first person to pray silently, to move her mouth with no sound, a style of prayer adapted by her fellow Jews. Hannah was praying from her heart. Hannah's prayers were focused on God giving her a child. They were not selfish prayers, Hannah promised God she would return the child to him, bringing him to the temple of Shiloh to become a priest and devote his life to God. God heard the prayers of Hannah. She gave birth to the great prophet Samuel.   In the painting the astral body of Samuel is floating above Hannah, waiting to come into his earthly mother. At this time a whole generation of women named their sons Samuel, they were told that a great prophet named Samuel would be born, Hannah was the "chosen " one. Samuel was conceived on Rosh Hashanah, during the full moon (in the corner right of the painting). The peacock in the painting signifies beauty and grace which is what Hannah stands for. Birds are also "messengers to God" as were the prayers of Hannah.   Quotes and phrases in the painting: "I poured out my soul to God" from the Book of Samuel. "I will give him to Hashem all the days of his life" Hannah' s promise to God, from Samuel. Faith, Beauty and Grace, the traits Hannah stands for.   We learn from Hannah to pray from our hearts, focus on God and never loose hope for our prayers.

DEBORAH Deborah was a Judge, a peacemaker, a warrior, a poet, (she is said to have written part of “Judges”) and of course a great prophetess. She was a woman of fire, enthusiasm and inspiring speech. Deborah led the Jews into battle against the oppressing Cannanites and against great odds. From Deborah's prophetic powers, she knew through a message from God that the Jews will win this battle. Barak, the greatest Jewish General of the time said to Deborah (quoted in the painting) “If you lead, I will follow (you into battle).” Deborah led Barak’s troops into battle and the Jews did indeed win.   In the painting Deborah is pictured sitting on the throne of Judgment, holding the scales of balance, upon which are written “darkness” and “light”. Around her head are the doves signifying the 40 peaceful years she ruled over the land, they also are the symbol of the Shekhina. There are seven doves, seven being the number of Jewish prophetess of which Deborah is the sixth. The sky is a night sky full of the planets, signifying the “mystical war” and the changes God made in the planets causing the Jews to win the war against the Cannanites. Mars is overhead commemorating the great warrior we find in Deborah, as well as the moon which celebrates the feminine, compassionate, intuitive side of this powerful prophetess. In Deborah, there is an equal balance of the male and female, enabling her to judge both from the "male" rational side, and the female side, the heart, with feminine compassion. The roses signify the heart, the pool under the moon symbolize the female, the pillar of fire in the right hand border represent the male. Deborah was a wealthy women in her own right, all her wealth accomplished without moral compromise. She owned vineyards, olive groves and a white mountain called Ephriam - all pictured in the borders of the painting. In the left hand border is the famous palm tree Deborah sat in judgment under.   Text in the painting: “Woman of Light or Woman of the Torch” - Deborah was the carrier of light for her people. “Awake, Awake oh Mother of Israel.” - Deborah is calling to herself, she referred to herself as "Mother of Israel". At one point her ego overcame her being and she lost her connection to God. She is calling for her divine soul to wake up and rise above the ego. The line "If you lead I will follow" is explained in the second paragraph.   Deborah signifies balance, between the male and female aspects. She reminds us to stay "in balance" and to remain in touch with the divine in ourselves, not permitting the ego to disconnect us from the sacred within us and about us.   Click here to return to the first page of lluminated visions: WOMEN OF THE BIBLE

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