El Na Refa Na La / אל נא רפא נא לה
O God Please Heal Her (Numbers 12:13)
A Conceptual and Artistic Exploration of the Forces of Healing in Torah
Na Refa Na La are the words Moses spoke in prayer as he beseeched God to heal his sister Miriam’s skin affliction. In these times, we are in similarly desperate need of physical, spiritual and emotional healing as individuals and as a society.
But what do we mean by healing and what kind of healing is possible? What can we learn from Torah about healing and what does prayer have to do with it?
Together we will explore biblical, rabbinic and mystical texts on healing, as well as Jewish prayer, to glean insights into the essential nature of healing. We will also consider what healing practices we might implement in our own lives.
Participants will use art to further explore and concretize issues we study in class.
About The Barbara C. Freedman Artists’ Beit Midrash
The Artists’ Beit Midrash was cofounded in 1999 through the collaboration of Rabbi Leon Morris and visual artist Tobi Kahn.
We are about to venture into the 23rd year of this multi-denominational, committed group of artists with a broad range in ages.
This group includes those who have never studied texts before as well as those deeply invested in many years of study; yet all love the study and deep discussions accessible to everyone. The 2-hour, once a week Zoom meeting on Monday from 7 to 9 PM is collaboratively co-led by a rabbi and an artist. The first hour is text based (text chosen by the rabbi) and the second hour is a critique led by Tobi Kahn, a professor at the School of Visual Arts, based on artworks created by the students inspired by the studied texts.
Tobi Kahn will meet the artists in-person at least one time during each of the semesters for an in-depth critique.
Sponsored by: Nancy, David and Jonathan Goldhill in memory of their mother, Barbara C. Freedman