Zadik (צ)

The letter Zadik stands for the number 90.

1. Zar (צר) - narrow; like trying to look through a narrowed eyelid, when we find ourselves in narrow places our mind has a tendency to narrow itself for self preservation -- for survival. We focus on the limited perspective we have in our own experience, or in the experience the ones we love are going through and we neglect to see the larger picture at play. And yet, it is precisely at these narrow placed that the most miraculous human experience of faith and strength are birthed; it is in the narrowest and darkest places, when we are pushed beyond our existing mental and physical limits, that we find our inner treasure, the Divine voice of G-d, and a mighty force within us that we never even knew we had.

2. Zvaot Hshem (צבאות השם) - the armies of G-d; standing guard are the armies of hosts, spirits of old, souls of those we love, and messengers of divine forces from beyond. While we cannot see them, they are there tugging at us, helping us push through the hard moments, and directing us forwards when our strength falters. Each one of us has their own army of helpers to guide us towards our inner treasures. In this drawing the army of hosts is represented by the birds in the horizon, watching over our beautiful struggle through our narrow state.

3. Zeva (צבע) and Zelil (צליל) - colour and sound; our visual and auditory perceptions allow us to connect with realities that are very far from us, in a way that other sensory input does not allow us to do. In this art, the colours and the sound waves are represented as what functions as our walls between us and what is beyond our narrow state of mind. Whether these perception boarder are there to cause us delusions, keeping us in our narrow valley, or whether they protect us from what is beyond our immediate experience -- colour and sound are bridging our narrow perception with a reality that is just beyond our reach.

4. Zibor (ציבור) - the public; all around the bridge that connects the pain of our past with the unknown future, are the public -- the general population that comes together to form communities, organizations, and governments. From friends to entire countries, we all need to have mutual responsibility (ערבות הדדית) that connects us to one another. We all go through our narrow times and when we do, we all need a helping had. By owning up to our mutual responsibility within our social circles and the societies we live in, we all become a 'united army of the Divine.' It is us -- the public -- that has the power to make the change we want to see in our own lives and in the word.

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In this alphabet art series I explore biblical and Jewish-spiritual ideas, as they reflect through the shapes or associated meaning of each letter.

This project is based on my personal musing and not on any Jewish teachings. Any connection to other teachings is unintentional.

My hope is that through this art we get a deeper glimpse into our realities, our worlds illusions and the hope that can be found in the power of the Hebrew letters.