Power of Attention: Magic & Meditation in Hebrew "shiviti" Manuscripts

Attention

Zechariah 4:1–3

Deciphering the

shiviti

SH IVIT I [ YU D - H E-VAV- H E ] LE- N EGD I TAM I D ( I PL ACE [ GOD’S NAME ] BEFORE ME ALWAYS ) PSALM 16 : 8

YU D - H E-VAV- H E ( TE TR AG R AMMATON )

SC RI P TUR AL QUOTATIONS

SC RI P TUR AL QUOTATIONS

SC RI P TUR AL QUOTATIONS

PR AYER • AMULE TIC TE X T • IMAGERY

M IZ R AC H ( E AST )

TE X T OF ANA BE- KOAC H IN M ENO R AH FORM

TE X T OF PSALM 67 IN M ENO R AH FORM

PR AYER

PR AYER

AMULE TIC TE X T

AMULE TIC TE X T

IMAGERY

IMAGERY

PR AYER • AMULE TIC TE X T • IMAGERY

SC RI P TUR AL QUOTATIONS

SC RI P TUR AL QUOTATIONS

SC RI P TUR AL QUOTATIONS

TE X T OF PSALM 121 IN M ENO R AH FORM

Whoever recites Psalm 67 in the form of the menorah, no evil shall befall him, and he shall succeed in his endeavors. Bet ‘oved. Prayer Book . . . according to the Sephardic Rite, Livorno 1948

Whoever gazes at the menorah each day with intention, the Holy Script considers it as if he has lit it [the menorah] himself, and he is assured a portion in the world to come. From Shiviti plaque, Alexandria, Egypt, 1914–1915, The Magnes Collection, 67.17

According to [Rabbi Joseph ben Avraham] Gikatilla [(Spain, 1248–1305)], there are two sets of parallels between the menorah and the material world: the first is between the seven lamps and the planets, and the second is between the materials mentioned (gold, silver, and copper) and the three worlds—the supernal, the intermediate, and the lower world, in that order. These analogies express a perception of the menorah as a microcosm of the entire world (the macrocosm). However, the other interpretation, which sees the menorah and the details of its construction as a symbol of the divine powers known as sefirot, enjoyed far greater influence.

I have set yud-he-vav-he [four-letter Name of God] before me always. Psalm 16:8

Psalm 67 For the Leader; with string-music. A Psalm, a Song. God be gracious unto us, and bless us; may He cause His face to shine toward us; selah. That Thy way may be known upon earth, Thy salvation among all nations. Let the peoples give thanks unto Thee, O God; let the peoples give thanks unto Thee, all of them. O let the nations be glad and sing for joy; for Thou wilt judge the peoples with equity, lead the nations upon earth. Selah. Let the peoples give thanks unto Thee, O God; let the peoples give thanks unto Thee, all of them. The earth hath yielded her increase; may God, our own God, bless us. May God bless us; and let all the ends of the earth fear Him.

Moshe Idel, “Binah: The Eighth Sefirah, The Menorah in Kabbalah” in The Symbol of the Menorah: Story of a Symbol, 1999

The earliest letter-drawn menorahs known today appear in a group of 14th- and 15th-century handwritten manuscripts of the Rome Mahzor [Prayer Book]. The earliest texts referring to the combination of Psalm 67 and the menorah are found in works of mystical commentary on liturgical texts, assigning utmost importance to the number of words in the liturgical text dealing with magical numerical relationships in the context of prayer. [. . .] The menorah composed of the letters of Psalm 67 adds a further, mystical-magical dimension to the menorah as a symbol. It places the worshiper or the person gazing at the menorah at a juncture where the past Temple [of Jerusalem], the future one, and the worshiper himself may meet.

And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made, even its base, and its shaft; its cups, its knops, and its flowers, shall be of one piece with it; And there shall be six branches going out of the sides thereof: three branches of the candlestick out of the one side thereof, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side thereof. Exodus 25:31–32

Esther Juhasz, “The Amuletic Menorah: The Menorah and Psalm 67” in The Symbol of the Menorah: Story of a Symbol, 1999

And this was the work of the candlestick, beaten work of gold; unto the base thereof, and unto the flowers thereof, it was beaten work; according unto the pattern which the LORD had shown Moses, so he made the candlestick. Numbers 8:4

Power The boundaries between prayer directed toward the Tetragrammaton and magic underscored by the mention of other names of God and angels are more porous among material Jewish objects than among Jewish theologies. The appeal to heavenly powers is ultimately inseparable from the appeal of the shiviti to presence and prayerfulness: it is because the shiviti is a devotional object saturated with divine presence that it becomes an object capable of providing defense from unseeable and harmful forces. It is this linkage between meditation, prayer, and magic that makes a shiviti a unique and resilient Jewish object.

And the angel that spoke with me returned, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep. And he said unto me: “What seest thou?” And I said: “I have seen, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and its seven lamps thereon; there are seven pipes, yea, seven, to the lamps, which are upon the top thereof; and two olive-trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.” Zechariah 4:1–3

Yosef Rosen, Doctoral Candidate in Jewish Studies and Magnes Graduate Fellow (2015–2016)

THE POWER OF ATTENTION: Magic and Meditation in Hebrew shiviti Manuscript Art This project explores the power of textual and visual motifs in a selection of documents, manuscripts, prints, textiles, and ritual objects that are part of The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life and that were collected in South and Central Asia, North Africa, and Europe. By leveraging a multidisciplinary approach to the artifacts of Jewish culture, the exhibition integrates the collective research efforts of a team of curators, graduate and undergraduate students, and the contributions of colleagues from Jewish Studies, Art Practice, the Berkeley Center for New Media, and Digital Humanities at Berkeley.

E XHIB IT ION TE AM

Francesco Spagnolo, Curator Zoe Lewin, Curatorial Assistant Yosef Rosen, Magnes Graduate Fellow 2015–2016 Greg Niemeyer, Department of Art Practice, GIF Collider animation Julie Franklin, Registrar Ernest Jolly, Head Preparator Gordon Chun Design: Casey Knudsen and Andrew Stacklin

Major support for The Magnes comes from the Helzel Family Foundation, the Magnes Museum Foundation, the Koret Foundation, the Walter & Elise Haas Fund, The Magnes Leadership Circle, and The Office of the Chancellor at the University of California, Berkeley. Research for The Power of Attention was made possible in part by funds and resources provided by the Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program (URAP). Digital documentation and research for this project was supported in part by Digital Humanities at Berkeley. Support for the installation of this exhibition was underwritten by an anonymous donor.

V I DEO A RT WO RK :

Greg Niemeyer (Switzerland and United States, b. 1967)

GifCollider, Chapter 11: Night Vision Created on January 11, 2017 Custom processing software developed by Greg Niemeyer and Olya Dubatova, GIFs from GifCities, The GeoCities Animated GIF Search Engine (Internet Archive)

The shape of the menorah is anchored in the night vision of the Prophet Zechariah. In the text, Zechariah does not understand what he sees, and asks an inter­preting angel about the meaning of the vision (Zechariah 4:1–14). This question about meaning also arises for us, when we are engaging in the com­plexities of our current lives. Night Vision’s computer-generated image traces the shape of the menorah in a sea of GIF animations from the Internet Archive, layering, moving, and blurring them to suggest stratas of digital memory. Above these layers, the program draws and redraws the basic shape of the menorah, the pipes and the two olive trees from Zechariah’s vision. The colors change from cycle to cycle and from day to day. The animations interweave the noise of contemporary life with the pure spiritual form of the menorah, and invite us to answer the same question that Zechariah was asked: “What seest thou?”

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Shiviti amulet dedicated to Rachel and Mosheh Avraham Sassoon [Kolkata, West Bengal], India, 19th century India ink, pigment and gold enamel paint on heavy laid paper Judah L. Magnes Museum purchase, Bernard Kimmel collection, 74.0.01

Manuscript dedicated to Rachel and Mosheh Sassoon on the occasion of their wedding. Features the Tetragrammaton prominently at top, and includes eight unique seven-branched word-drawn candelabra, each using the words of a different Psalm or mystical prayer. The two candelabra at the top are drawn from Psalms 93 and 100 and set horizontally, while the remaining six below are from Psalms 23, 128, 67, 121, 54, and from the kabbalistic liturgical poem, ana be-koach. The middle section of the manuscript includes a double dedicatory panel at the center, and depictions of the Temple of Jerusalem on each side. The bottom section includes an array of mystical symbols: a “map” with four cardinal directions at its outer corners, and names of the four rivers that flow out of Eden (after Genesis 2:10–14) at its inner corners; the text of Psalm 123, with added angelic names intersecting each word of the Psalm, written in spiral shape; and the mention of yam oqyanos (a likely reference to the Mediterranean) at its center. Two hands, inlaid with magical and kabbalistic writings including the fourteen-letter name of God, are depicted on each side of the “map.”

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Ya‘aqov Meir bar Aba Shalom Khashiyof

Shiviti plaque for the synagogue Alexandria, Egypt, 1914–1915 India ink, graphite, and pigment on paper with applied paper decal transfers Judah L. Magnes Museum purchase, Bernard Kimmel collection, 67.17

Manuscript featuring the Tetragrammaton in large square script at top, and other texts throughout: Psalm 67 at center in menorah form; a quotation from Genesis (49:18) followed by Psalm 121 on the right; the Aramaic translation (from Targum Onkelos) of Genesis 49:18, followed by the kabbalistic liturgical poem, ana be-koach also drawn, on the left side of the sheet, in menorah form. The texts on this shiviti illustrate a web of diasporic networks between Asia and North Africa. The dedi­ catory inscription below the central seven-branched depiction of the candelabrum, written in 1914–15 by an Iranian Jewish scribe, Ya‘aqov Meir bar Aba Shalom Khashiyof, records that the manuscript was donated to the “Azuz synagogue in Alexandria [rebuilt in 1853] by Shlomoh Pinhasof, known as Babadjan.” Pinchasof (1843–1927), known as “Ha-Rav Babadjan Kaabuli,” immigrated from Uzbekistan to Jerusalem in 1895, and led one of the first Bukharan Jewish communities there. Directly above the dedicatory inscription is written: “Whoever gazes at the menorah each day with intention, the Holy Script considers it as if he has lit it [the menorah] himself, and he is assured a portion in the world to come.”

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Shiviti plaque with personal blessing Jerusalem, Palestine, ca. 1900 Lithograph, goldtone ink on paper LIB 73.29 D

Printed shiviti featuring the Hebrew letters of the Tetragrammaton interpolated by those of one of God's names, adonay, along with depictions of Moses holding the Tablets of the Law, Aaron the High Priest, the text of Psalm 67 in menorah form, images of Temple vessels, and the forty-two-letter name of God. The bottom left of the print includes a Hebrew blessing for a specific individual (whose handwritten name is illegible), followed by the text: “Whoever gazes at the menorah each day with intention, the Holy Script considers it as if he has lit it [the menorah] himself, and he is assured a portion in the world to come, and whoever recites Psalm 67 in the form of the menorah, no evil shall befall him, and he shall succeed in his endeavors.” The print is framed by two biblical quotations: at the top, “If I forget thee, O Jerusalem” (Psalm 137:5), and at the bottom, “[Nevertheless for David’s sake] did the Lord give him a lamp in Jerusalem” (1 King 15:4).

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Shim‘on Tzarum [1908–1973]

Shiviti memorial plaque Jerusalem, Palestine, 2 Adar [5]691 (February 19, 1931) India ink and graphite on paper Judah L. Magnes Museum purchase, Bernard Kimmel collection, 67.18

Calligraphic manuscript featuring texts written in menorah and pointed arch forms. Texts include the interpolation of the Tetragrammaton and one of God's names, adonay; quotations adapted from the Mishnah and Talmud (”Know before whom you stand, before the king of kings the holy blessed be he,“ after Babylonian Talmud, Berachot 28b; and ”Know from whence you came and to where you are going, and by whom you will be judged,“ Mishnah, Avot 3:2); Psalm 67, Psalm 121, and the kabbalistic liturgical poem, ana be-koach; the names of Adam, Eve, and the biblical foremothers and fathers, along with a variety of additional biblical quotations and magical texts and formulae. Created in 1931 by Shim‘on Tzarum, then eighteen years old, who signed his name at the bottom of the manuscript—“Writing by my hand, the youth, Shim‘on Tzarum, on Thursday, the 2nd day of [the month of] Adar [5]691, [in] Jerusalem” (the date corresponds to February 19, 1931). Dedicated in memory of the maker’s father. Members of the Tzarum family were among the early Jewish immigrants from Yemen to settle in 19th-century Palestine.

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Shiviti plaque for the synagogue, featuring texts recited on Purim Iranian Kurdistan, ca. 1920 Ink, graphite, and gouache on paper Judah L. Magnes Museum purchase, Ms. Ella Steffens, 2000.40.2

Painted manuscript featuring floral motifs and oil jugs. It includes traditional shiviti texts—a quotation from Psalm 16:8, the Tetragrammaton, and the text of Psalm 67 in menorah form—along with quotations from the Book of Esther (2:5, 6:1, and 8:15), Hebrew blessings, and the liturgical poem (Heb. piyyut ) Tenu shirah ve-zimrah ‘am segulah (“Offer a poem and song, oh chosen people”) by Yefet Ben Y[ehud]ah, traditionally sung by Iranian Kurdish Jews before reading the Esther Scroll in the synagogue.

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Shiviti plaque for the synagogue [Mumbai, Maharashtra], India, ca. 1900 Ink on paper Gift of Rabbi Bernard Kimmel, 2006.0.16

Calligraphic manuscript featuring shiviti texts, includ­ ing the graphic interpolation of God's name, adonay, within the Tetragrammaton, Psalms 67 and 121, and the kabbalistic liturgical poem, ana be-koach written in menorah form. Additional texts include an admonition (“prayer without proper intention is like a body without a soul”); the quotation of Psalm 36:10 (“For with Thee is the fountain of life; in Thy light do we see light”); and the kabbalistic prayer berikh shemeh (Aramaic, “Blessed is His name”), based on the Zohar and recited for the opening of the Torah Ark during synagogue services. The outer frame includes quotations from the Talmud (Berachot 28b), the Psalms (5:8), as well as the description of the menorah from the book of Numbers (8:4).

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Shiviti amulet for household protection [Kochi, Kerala], India, ca. 1900 Ink, graphite and watercolor (faded) on paper Museum Purchase, Bernard Kimmel collection, 2007.0.73

Calligraphic manuscript featuring shiviti and amu­letic texts. Shiviti texts include a quotation adapted from the Talmud (Berachot 28b), and the interpolation of one of God’s names, adonay, within the Tetragrammaton. Psalms 67 and 121, as well as the kabbalistic liturgical poem, ana be-koach, are each written in menorah form. At the bottom of the sheet, a reference to the biblical figure of Joseph from the Talmud (“I am from the seed of the righteous Joseph” Berachot 55b), meant to ward off the evil eye, is inscribed between the stems of the candelabra. The names of five angels—Uriel, Raphael, Michael, Nuriel, and Gavriel—are listed along with their collective Hebrew acronym, argaman, at the bottom of the document. The outer frame features the forty-twoletter name of God written in nine semi-arches that also contain quotations from Jacob’s blessing to Joseph (Genesis 49:25).

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Shiviti plaque for the synagogue India, ca. 1940 Ink, graphite and tempera paint (black) on paper attached to cardboard Judah L. Magnes Museum purchase, Kimmel Collection, 2007.0.74

Calligraphic manuscript featuring nine candelabra in text form. Includes shiviti and amuletic texts, as well as the Ten Commandments in abbreviated form and the Priestly Blessing, each written within the outline shapes of the Tablets of the Law. At the top of the sheet, one of God’s names, adonay, is interpolated within a large-lettered Tetragrammaton. Underneath the Tetragrammaton is one of the four numerological permutations of each of its letters (Hebrew charac­ ters with the numeric values of 72, 63, 45, and 52 respectively). Directly below the Tetragrammaton, in smaller letters, is a quotation from Deuteronomy 4:44 (“And this is the law which Moses set before the children of Israel”). Six small candelabra are composed of texts from Psalms (from left to right, Psalm 122, 120, 127, 129, 131, and 133). Three larger candelabra are composed of texts from Psalms 67 and 23, and from the kabbalistic liturgical poem, ana bekoach. Apotropaic abbreviations appear between and underneath the lower candelabra. The outer frame includes a quotation from Psalm 118:20 (“This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter into it”), as well as the description of the menorah from the book of Numbers (8:4).

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L. Glade

Shiviti amulet for household protection Königsberg, Germany, Bils, 1844 Copperplate lithograph on paper 2006.0.15

Print featuring shiviti texts and six vignettes depicting biblical scenes. At the top is the quotation from Psalm 16:8, ”I have set [the four-letter Name of God] always before me.“ At center, the text of Psalm 67 printed in menorah form is surmounted by the interpolations of the Tetragrammaton and God‘s name, adonay, and surrounded by amuletic formulae and abbreviations. The bottom text is a protective text from Psalm 121:8: “The Lord shall guard thy going out and thy coming in.” The six vignettes illustrate six biblical scenes from top right to left: Adam, Eve, and Snake, and the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden; Moses holding the Tablets of the Law; Cain and Abel; the Binding of Isaac; Aaron the High Priest; and Jacob’s Ladder.

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“Alef” birth amulet with shiviti texts Ioannina, Greece, 10 Shevat [5]648 (January 23, 1888) Watercolor, graphite, and ink on paper 2007.0.49

“Alef amulets” are birth amulets created for newborn boys in the Romaniote communities, which originate from the Byzantine Empire (Greece and Asia Minor). They include mystical and magical formulae, and angelic invocations to ward off the demonic Lilith, who, following Babylonian literature, is identified as Adam’s first wife and is believed to seduce men and kill male infants. “Alef amulets” often include shiviti texts (notably, Psalm 16:8). The texts on the outer borders of the manuscript include protective biblical quotations along with biographical information about the newborn. On the right and lower borders: “ ‘The angel of the Lord encamps around those that fear Him, and delivers them’ (Psalms 34:8); this child born to his honorable parents, Elliah Joseph Elliah on 10 Shevat 5648 (January 23, 1888), ‘so shall the sons of Aaron bless’ (Numbers 6:23), and may his name be called Moshe, may his parents rejoice in him, and may his days and years be numerous.” On the top border: the Priestly Blessing (Numbers 6:24–27). On the left border: verses from Song of Songs (3:7–8) associated with protection during sleep. The graphical structure of the manuscript includes an architectural design that contains a series of visual and textual motifs. Among these are: the Tablets of the Law with abbreviated text of the Ten Commandments, flanked by hands in Priestly Blessing position inlaid with the text of the Priestly Blessing and the magical twenty-two-letter name of God written into the five fingers; the text of the prayer shema‘ yisrael (Deuteronomy 6:4–9); a biblical prayer for the angelic protection of children (Genesis 48:16); and the text of Psalm 67 in menorah form, flanked by the names of biblical matriarchs and patriarchs. A focus on angelic protection runs throughout: at the top corners, the three amuletic angels—sanui, sansanui, semangalof— appear; and the Hebrew acronym argaman is written on both sides, underneath the crescent moons, standing for the five angels: Uriel, Raphael, Gavriel, Michael, and Nuriel. 10

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Eliezer Einhorn

Painted mizrach with shiviti text Nowy-Sącz, Poland, 6 Av [5]684 (August 6, 1924) Tempera, ink, and gold metallic paint on paper Judah L. Magnes Museum purchase, Zaleznik collection 78.4.33

A mizrach, named after the Hebrew word for “east,” is a devotional plaque that designates the direction to be faced during prayer. The Hebrew word also contains the acronym mi-tzad zeh ruach chayim (“from this side [comes] the spirit of life”). Placed on the walls of homes and synagogues, the plaques are often inscribed with scriptural passages, amuletic and kabbalistic texts, and visual motifs. This painted manuscript was created in Nowy-Sącz (Yiddish, Tsanz), Western Galicia, the seat of a Hasidic dynasty established in the mid-19th century. It features the Tetragrammaton interpolated by the letters of one of God's names, adonay, and the quotation from Psalm 16:8, typically used in shiviti documents. These texts are combined with the abbreviated Ten Commandments surmounted by the depictions of a crown, the menorah, rampants lions and griffins, the twelve signs of the Zodiac (in the inner roundels), along with magical and apotropaic formulae, texts from the Bible (Deuteronomy 10:12–13), and the illustrated text from the Mishnah (Avot 5:20): “Be brazen like the leopard, light like the eagle, swift like the deer, and mighty like the lion, to do the will of your father who is in Heaven” (in the outer roundels). The signature of the maker appears in a roundel at the bottom left of the manuscript.

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L E F T TO R I G H T, TO P TO B OT TO M

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Miniature shiviti amulet featuring biblical texts for the protection of newborn children India, 20th century Ink, graphite and gouache on parchment Judah L. Magnes Museum purchase, Bernard Kimmel collection, 2009.0.72

Featuring texts from Genesis 48:16, evoking the angelic protection of children, and from Numbers 8:4, containing divine instructions on how to construct the menorah.

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Micrographic shiviti amulet featuring magical texts for household protection India, 20th century Ink on parchment Judah L. Magnes Museum purchase, Bernard Kimmel collection, 2009.0.32

Featuring scriptural verses invoking divine protection (Proverbs 3:2; Genesis 27:28–29; Numbers 17:13), as well as two textual roundels inlaid with texts in six-pointed star form, including names of biblical characters and magical formulae.

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Yom Tov ben Rafael Polokhron

be-sod sefer derash tov Ottoman Palestine, 1802 Ink on parchment, bound in leather covered board embossed with gold ink Judah L. Magnes Museum purchase, Siegfried S. Strauss collection, 67.1.7.4

Shiviti for personal prayer, included at the beginning of a manuscript collection of texts about liturgy inspired by Lurianic Kabbalah.

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Zechariah ben Shimon Ka”tz (Scribe)

Shiviti pendant amulet for personal protection, inscribed for a child born under the sign of pisces Iran (or Iranian Kurdistan), Adar [5]676 (February–March, 1916) Silver Judah L. Magnes Museum purchase, 76.230

Wearable amulet, including shiviti and amuletic texts on the front and, on the backside, the mystical twenty-two-letter name of God, fish and bird motifs, as well as date and signature of the maker.

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Moshe ben Barukh Yizthak

Miniature shiviti leaf created and signed by a mohel (ritual circumciser) for professional use India, 19th century Ink and graphite on laid paper Judah L. Magnes Museum purchase, Bernard Kimmel collection, 2009.0.46

Includes a short personal prayer: “May it be your will, my Lord, and the Lord of my fathers, that blessing and success be present in all the endeavors of my hand.”

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Miniature shiviti amulet for personal protection created for a young man named Yosef Chayim, son of rabbi Reuven Yosef 20th century Ink on parchment Gift of Mrs. Bernard Kimmel, 2008.26.2

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Torah Ark Curtain with shiviti text [Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, 20th century] Silk front and muslin backing, with gold and silver metallic embroidery floss Judah L. Magnes Museum purchase, Bernard Kimmel collection, 75.183.20

Featuring the words, shiviti [yud-he-vav-he] le-negdi tamid, a verse from Psalm 16 meaning “I have set yud-he-vav-he [the four-letter Name of God] before me always.”

Seven-branched candelabra for synagogue use Damascus, Syria, 1924–1925 Brass inlaid with copper and silver, wooden base Gift of Mrs. Bonnie I. Henning, 2000.5.1 and 2000.5.2

Seven-branched candelabra for synagogue use, designed after the menorah depicted on the Arch of Titus (Rome) n.d. Brass, with gold washed brass base 67.105 and 67.106