Posted to Op-Ed on
by Rabbi Gershom Francis
Dutch artist Rembrandt van Rijn's 'Old Jew Seated' (left) and 'Jacob wrestling with the Angel' (right).

Jews and Art: The Old Jew and Jacob’s Struggle

Of the various famous artists one can easily notice that the 16th century painter Rembrandt van Rijn was in close rapport with simple people and common everyday life.

Historians tell us that although he was well to do, his spending always kept pace with his income. Eventually he went bankrupt and had to sell many of his personal things.

During his life he dealt with much sadness and challenge yet he was able to maintain his spirit and undistorted view of beauty.

In addition, one may take note of the fact that although the 1600’s was a time of rebirth and trial for the Spanish Jews or Sefardim who left the clutches of the inquisition to settle in Amsterdam, Rembrandt embraced those Spanish Jews wholeheartedly as part of his colorful portrait of mankind and nature. Because of this we have many paintings and portraits of famous Jews such as the Rabbi Menashe Ben Israel and others who lived in near to Rembrandt’s’ neighborhood and were part of his social circle.

Within the collection of Rembrandt paintings, the one that strikes me most is the “Old Jew Seated”. In this painting Rembrandt portrays the Jewish soul in its most classical form. An old man is sitting on a chair; his head is bent down and supported being by his right hand. On his face is an expression of misery mixed with comedy or in other words the absurdity of misery! In that portrait of fine representational art Rembrandt may be suggesting to us the mystical expression of the wandering Jew throughout the ages.

Considering the state of the Jewish people Rembrandt would say; there is no suffering without love.  As it says in Proverbs: “For whom G-d loves, he reproves; even as a father reproves the son in whom he delights” (Proverbs 3:12). A father chastises his son not out of mere hate but out of the desire to see the son flourish and grow. Pain and suffering are thorns that grow only around roses. The burden of keeping G-d’s commandments under punishment, hatred, and exile may sound like abandonment, but this painting suggests that, in truth, it’s a mystical call of love and the dignity of being called upon. What the old Jew seated says to us is; Misery is only the apparent but its true meaning is love and joy. The greater the challenge the greater it’s reward (Avot). It is this very same facial expression that Rembrandt shows on “Moses breaking the tablets”, “The Sacrifice of Isaac” and on so many other portraits of classical Jewish figures that he painted.

In our Parsha the stranger who wrestles with Jacob cries “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” But Yakov says, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” The stranger says said to him, “What is your name?” Yakov tells his name, and then the stranger responds, “Your name shall no longer be Yakov, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed.”  Yakov asks, “Please tell me your name.” and to this the stranger responds “Why is it that you ask my name?” This mysterious encounter is perplexing. Why isnt the name of the stranger revealed?

Rabbi Joseph Ber Soloveitck points out that the Jews were destined to be challenged through history and the enemy is not identifiable but rather mysterious each time it appears. The challenger to the Jew will always assume another identity and mask itself under another cause. “Why is it that you ask my name?” says the stranger.

However, “Your name shall no longer be Yakov, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed.” Ironically, there is one painting of Rembrandt’s that may hint to the meaning of this episode, which is, in truth, the meaning of suffering from the Biblical point of view.

In Rembrandt’s painting of “Yakov wrestling with the Angel,” Rembrandt has the angel of G-d knock Yakov in his rib. Yet, one can see that Rembrandt paints a serene peaceful look on the face of the angel while causing historical damage on our father Yakov. How can there be a glimmer of happiness during this episode of strife and battle?

Here again, Rembrandt is telling us that we usually see only half of the movie in this world. We never get to see the outcome or the credits at the end. In this painting Yakov holds the angel till dawn, the angel begs for freedom and Jacob settles for a precious blessing, a blessing that tells him he will always succeed in the end. It is this blessing that holds Jacob through the torture of the Romans, the Spanish inquisition and the Holocaust. It is this blessing to mankind that tells the Jewish people collectively that G-d is with us till the end of our mission and we will soon achieve global peace and harmony. “Your name will no longer be Jacob, it will be Israel for you have struggled and overcome.”

In addition the portrait “Old Jew Seated” appears to be saying that I am old and experienced, I have seen the wisdom of Solomon, the beauty of Sheba, the strength of the 12 tribes and the art of Rome. Yet who can compare it to the Holy message G-d gave though his servants Moses and Aaron?   I may be a wandering Jew but that doesn’t mean I don’t know where I am from or where I am going. Times may seem spiritually dark or challenging, however, the mysterious angel gave us a glimpse of an end that we are not always privy to hear; that it is precisely our destiny to overcome and triumph. With this in mind let us remain steadfast in our hope and belief in the almighty as we hear that powerful and timeless prophecy echoed in our synagogues on the Sabbath and pray that all of us, as well as those who have passed, will merit to see the temple rebuilt together with all the tribes of Israel.

“When the Almighty brought back the captive ones of Zion, We were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter and our tongues with joyful shouting; Then they said among the nations, “The almighty has done great things for them (Psalm 126:1)”… Amen.

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18 Comments

  • Cholent Mit Kugel

    Gawd! A lot worse on Kingston. Cover your eyes if it offends you. Go learn a dvar Torah.

  • leah swe....

    Yes so true the enemy is most often withen.may hashem give us the strength to always have strong Jewish unity and identity mashiach now !!!!! Proud to be a Jew!

  • I agree with #1

    and #2&3 be realistic-if u saw that painting in any place without any caption, what would u think?

  • Seriously!?

    This is neither a dvar Torah nor an art review – which it seems to want to be.
    The history of Rembrandt and his affection of Jews is strictly conjecture – he lived were most artists did near the Jewish quarter and several Jewish acquaintances, which was natural considering his neighborhood.
    Deriving wisdom from the artistic nuances of his portraits is simply hogwash.

    • Are you Jews for J?

      Indeed he was versed in the Bible just as the Pope and Pat Robertson – from a strictly Christian perspective. In fact his association with several Jews was seen as an attempt to bridge the gap between Christianity and Judaism to hasten the coming of his false Messiah (aka Yoshke). This is a Jewish site not Jews for J, this nonsense is simply apikorsus. Any Rov would throw this out.

  • Great article

    Great article. In college art class was all about analyzing the nuances of great painters like Rembrandt. This brings torah into the equation.

  • College art class?

    The fact that a particular method of analysis was applied in your supposed “college art class” only furthers the point that this is treif. Vdal.

  • Reb Moishe

    Good Article, I love art and I think you hit a great point. Makes me want to take a class in art appreciation.

  • Oh PLease..

    I Agree Reb Moishe.. If Rembrandt was in any way a harm to Jews why did the wealthy Sephardic Pinto family sponsor his paintings?????
    I would faster BLAME THE RAMBAM for quoting Aristotle which many Rabbis Did…

  • Aron Sterk

    The Jewishness of Rembrandt is overestimated. He lived by them, painted commissions for Jews, rented out his cellar to a Jewish neighbour – with whom he got into a legal dispute. He know Menasseh ben Israel well enough to borrow the inscription in ‘Belshazzar’s Feast’ from his book, but he was a Christian and Jews were not among his intimate friends.
    His interest in Jewish themes was common among Protestants, but the interest was in the ‘Old Testament’ – there is nothing in his works about contemporary Jews other than portraits. He is not interested in synagogues or Jewish festivals, etc. For him there Jews were just a relic of the past who couldn’t accept J.
    Nevertheless many of his paintings are taken from Jewish subjects and show a remarkable sympathy with Jewish experience as the Rabbi’s reading brings out very well.