Tisha B’Av 5785 Art
Tisha B’Av is the saddest day of the Jewish calendar. The Beit Hamikdash (holy Temple) was destroyed. In addition to fasting, one is supposed to limit activities to those that are mournful. I wrote more about Tisha B’Av in past years in particular about the story of the fox in ruins and another fox in ruins watercolor.
In this version I added an abridged version of the text from Makkot 24B. I added a volume of Makkot, one of the volumes of the Talmud, to the right.
They saw a fox emerge. “Why are you laughing, Rabbi Akiva?” The prophecy of Uriah was fulfilled. Akiva, you have comforted us. – Makkot 24B
This year I also worked on my calligraphy by copying sections of Eikha (Lamentations), the megillah (scroll) that we read on the night of Tisha B’Av.
My eyes are drained of tears
My innards churn
My liver spills to the ground
Because of the brokenness of the daughter of my nation
— Eikha 2:11
This sketch was created with ink and watercolor on Tisha B’Av 5785.
Streams of water flow from my eye over the brokenness of the daughter of the nation.
My eye flows and does not stop, refusing to cease.
(Eikha 3:47-48)
I love the feeling of painting water with watercolor.