Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Rembrandt & Rav Kook


Received via e-mail from a reader:

Jewish Chronicle article (PDF) by Avram Melnikoff (1892-1960), a sculptor from Jerusalem who lived in London from 1933-1959. The article was written two weeks after Rav Kook's passing and the author recounts a conversation that he had with Rav Kook, where the latter told Melnikoff:

"When I lived in London I used to visit the National Gallery, and my favourite pictures were those of Rembrandt. I really think that Rembrandt was a Tzadik. Do you know that when I first saw Rembrandt's works, they reminded me of the legend about the creation of light? We are told that when God created lighht, it was so strong and pellucid, that one could see from one and of the world oto the other, but God was afraid that the wicked might abuse it. What did He do? He reserved that light for the righteous when the Messiah should come. But now and then there are great men who are blessed and privilaged to see it. I think that Rembrandt was one of them, and the light in his pictures is the very light that was originally created by God Almighty."

Melnikoff concludes that he had "read much about Rembrandt, but none gives such a vivid description of his genius... Only a man as pure of heart and soul as Rabbi Kook could have seen Rembrandt in that light."

Sources: London Jewish Chronicle, September 13, 1935, p. 21.

7 Comments:

At October 23, 2007 at 11:47:00 AM EDT, Blogger DixieYid (يهودي جنوبي) said...

A suprising observation!

But then again, Rav Kook was able to see the light in everything.

-Dixie Yid

 
At October 23, 2007 at 1:11:00 PM EDT, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Gevaldig! He really puts the Kook in Chabakuk...

 
At October 24, 2007 at 7:05:00 AM EDT, Blogger Alice said...

Great story!

 
At October 25, 2007 at 4:32:00 PM EDT, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm sure Rav Kook spoke in Yiddish and did not use the term "legend".

 
At January 30, 2014 at 5:03:00 AM EST, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Avram Melnikoff - A great Sculptor.
Why do we not hear more of Him? He was a soldier for Israel and I think he Wrote A book In 1940 -

 
At May 30, 2014 at 3:44:00 AM EDT, Anonymous louis john flynn said...

Avram Did write a Novel Called 'MOOSKA' Published in 1940

 
At May 30, 2014 at 3:45:00 AM EDT, Anonymous louis john flynn said...

Avram Did write a Novel Called 'MOOSKA' Published in 1940

 

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