Original, size 120 x 76 cm / 47 x 30 inch
 
This painting is painted in the colours of the fabrics of the mishkan, the Sanctuary, and the fabrics of the special clothing worn by the Kohanim, the priests, who served in the Beit Hamikdash. The colours are blue, scarlet, purple and white. This painting also included the colours beige, brown and gold, just like the beams and vessels of the Beit Hamkidash. 
 
The Lubuvitcher Rebbe expounds on the different colours as follows; the colour blue signifies Fear of G-d, and the colour scarlet signifies Love of G-d. Together these two qualities create humility, which is the colour purple, and also the colour you would get when combining blue and red. White is the colour of Loving Kindness, G-d’s Divine and eternal nature.
 
The Beit Hamikdash was a physical building with real walls and stones and bricks, and gold and silver vessels and marble pillars and wooden beams.
 
 You know that when you touch the stones of the ancient outer Western Wall, the last remnant of the Second Temple (and which you can see a tiny part of in the painting on the left, peeping out behind the Sanctuary..) Whether you feel the holiness or not, you can definitely feel it's cold, tangible and very real physical stones. 
 
Yet it was the most Heavenly place on Earth. If Heaven could touch Earth it would be here.  The limitations of space did not exist. However packed the courtyard would be, there was always space for each person to bow down. The fire on the Mizbeach was never extinguished by rain, even though it burnt outdoors! The pillar of smoke rose in a direct column above the Temple, and no wind, however strong, disturbed it. 
 
How do you paint such a place? How can you incorporate it's Mysticism, it's Holiness, it's Transcendence and most importantly it's Relevance, to us today? 
 
I can only do that by reaching into my own soul. And I think to live your fullest life is to live and listen to your body and spirit. And when you struggle to see the reason for things and to feel true love, true unity and true joy, you know what you are missing. 
 
It's the knowledge of the eternal bond and connection between Heaven and Earth, between the Creator and the Created, between our current Reality and Eternity. 
 
You are not here to wander alone, you are here, being guided, always. It's just a little harder to see. 
 
And that's the Divine light which the human soul yearns for. And that is the light which emanated from the Beit Hamikdash, and that is that light which we hope to return to the world.