For those who hold it

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When I was in Tzfat last month, I visited the gallery of the ‘Kosmic Kabbalah’ artist David Friedman.

We had a fascinating chat about Zohar and meditation, and I bought a poster of this painting of his.

The two fiery figures are Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, the purported author of the magnificent Zohar, and Rabbi Issac Luria, whose teachings made the mystical wisdom of the Kabbalah more widely accessible.

The town on the right is Meron, the town on the left is Tzfat. These are the respective resting places of the two giants.

The branches of the tree form a menorah. On the trunk of the tree is the Tree of Life, a central concept of Kabbalah. David based the picture loosely on a Grateful Dead album cover.

The image is called ‘A Tree of Life for Those Who Hold It.’ I love it, and I’m putting it above my writing desk for inspiration.

You can visit David’s website here. And why not pop in and see him if you’re ever in Tzfat?