{"id":70286,"date":"2020-02-17T16:27:32","date_gmt":"2020-02-17T14:27:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=70286"},"modified":"2023-09-14T14:08:32","modified_gmt":"2023-09-14T11:08:32","slug":"a-pottery-masterpiece-class","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/a-pottery-masterpiece-class\/","title":{"rendered":"A Pottery Masterpiece Class\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Like the clay in the hand of the potter<\/span>
\n<\/span>He expands it at will and contracts it at will<\/span>
\n<\/span>So are we in Your hand, O Preserver of kindness.<\/span>
\n<\/span>Look to the covenant and ignore the Accuser.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

This piyyut<\/em>, medieval poetic composition, has its foundation on Jeremiah 18:6. The prophet cries: <\/span><\/p>\n

O House of Israel, can I not deal with you like this potter?\u2014says the LORD. Just like clay in the hands of the potter, so are you in My hands, O House of Israel!<\/span><\/p>\n

Our sages observed this frightening verse and reflected on Israel as they said: Master of the world, this is what you said to us: “As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in mine, O house of Israel.” This is why, even though we are sinners and fill You with anger and exasperation, don’t leave us, because we are the material and You are our Maker. If this Maker created a jar, and left a tiny stone in it, when it came out of the oven, it would drip and leak. But who caused it to leak and lose its contents? You, the Potter who made it!<\/span><\/p>\n

Why pottery? Is it because this art reflects the uniqueness of each product or is it because the crevices of imperfection in the porous material are what develops the essence of beauty in each piece?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As one of the <\/span>oldest human inventions<\/span><\/a>, pottery has been around since before the Neolithic period, with objects dating as far back to 29,000 BCE. Pottery has been preserved throughout history witnessing emerging civilizations and downfalls of nations and cultures.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pottery is fragile. Pottery reflects in this poem the vulnerability of life. But pottery also shows resilience. In its process of creation, pottery is fired at very high temperatures in order to become hard, evoking human beings\u2019 spirits that through the passage of difficult times acquire strength to keep moving on.<\/span><\/p>\n

We are these pieces of clay, unformed when we are born, facing the endless opportunities of creation and re-creation in the vast world of chances. We are expecting God to crystallize the words of Jeremiah \u201cI may decree that a nation or a kingdom shall be built and planted\u201d (Jer. 18:9)<\/span><\/p>\n

As you watch the walls of the Temple fall, dear Prophet Jeremiah, I offer you my words of consolation:<\/span><\/p>\n

Powdering crevices of impermanence<\/span>
\n<\/span>Spilled blood and words of intolerance<\/span>
\n<\/span>Have flooded the streets of your city<\/span>
\n<\/span>Abandoning the Potter, Master of Beriah.<\/span>
\n<\/span>But we have come back as masters of Yetzirah<\/span>
\n<\/span>Rebirthed with renewed fresh alveoli of opportunities<\/span>
\n<\/span>To breath, to live, to rebuild, to heal, to plant, to harvest.<\/span>
\n<\/span>To recreate the Potter\u2019s creation.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":70287,"id":70287,"title":"jer18-pots","filename":"jer18-pots.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer18-pots.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/a-pottery-masterpiece-class\/jer18-pots\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"jer18-pots","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":70286,"date":"2020-02-17 14:27:16","modified":"2020-02-17 14:27:29","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1920,"height":1079,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer18-pots-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer18-pots-300x169.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":169,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer18-pots-768x432.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":432,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer18-pots-1024x575.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":575,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer18-pots.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":863,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer18-pots.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1079,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer18-pots-1200x674.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":674,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer18-pots-747x420.jpg","home_baner-width":747,"home_baner-height":420}},"embedded_video":"","video_duration":"","show_fb_comments":true,"credit_media":""},"tile":{"top_caption":"The Potter and the Clay - 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