Picture of the Day: Holy Graffiti

Amid the graffiti covering an overpass in the outskirts of Montreal, one particular work of art stands out – a portrait of the Lubavitcher Rebbe with the seven Noahide Laws in French calligraphy.

The same artist “tagged” another location in the city with a similar design.

15 Comments

  • Leviim Gallery

    The artists name is Michoel Zreyli. You can see his work on instagram, zreyli_art.

  • Sad

    I don’t think defacing public property is the way to go here. I don’t think the Rebbe’s holy image should be associated with vandalism.

    • Looking at a bright side

      Of course lets just assume, he did not ask for permisstion. Lets just judge people, no?

      SAD.

  • Rav K

    We are living in a time that each individual does whatever makes sense to him or her. The old fashioned way of asking a shaylah and seeking daas Torah is no longer applied. (Although for FINANCIAL decisions – even where to buy apparel, they DO consult with “experts” – go figure!) Sign of the times. Ish HaYoshor b’einov yaaseh.

    • Feh!

      Even if legal, this grafitti is not a dignified manner of presenting the Rebbe. Just because it was done with permssion, does that make it dignified? Imagine if NY Sanatation allowed the Rebbe’s picture on all public garbage cans – do we take dvantage of such an “opportunity”?!

  • montreal2

    i know that the second location, the house, he has permission from the home owner to paint there
    to prevent graffiti from being sprayed on!

  • Great Job Michael!

    I know the man, HE HAS A PERMIT TO PAINT on SPECIFIC WALLS,

    the city and property owners are very happy with his work.

    Great Job Michael!

    BTW he does Mivtza Tefillin every week and much more!!

    Hatzlacha Rabbah !!!
    Chazak Ubaruch!!!

  • Moshe (HaLevi) Sani

    BS”D
    Baruch HaShem Yisbarech, I can say that I’m BLESSED to have such a TALENTED artist cousin whose artist name is: Zreyli (aka: Rabbi Michoel Israily), Sh’Yichyeh!!!

    Keep up your BEAUTIFUL Sh’lichus & make us, ALL, Proud!!!

  • montrealer

    he has permission to do it and people should stop being so judgmental these days

    • Mendel Kohen

      Issue isn’t if he had permission or whether it is legal – instead, issue is is this a respectful venue of showing picture of Rebbe? As someone wrote, getting permission to put picture of Rebbe on public garbage cans and dumpsters does NOT mean it should be done!

  • Amazing!!!

    The graffiti spot in Montreal is a legal spot where artist spray there art freely. Zreyli choose that spot to publisize the 7 mitzvos benei Noah .
    This is a big kiddush hashem.
    U should stop judging before u know anything.
    Also zreyli is a respectable person who would never put the rebbe picture on a garbage can .
    Start looking at the good things a person does and so should u follow in doing some mivtzoyim yourself!

  • Moshe (HaLevi) Sani

    BS”D

    Shavua Tov U’M’vorach;

    Just like I posted a comment when a similar besmearing and un-kind article, less than a month ago was posted here (UNTIL it led to another one, on a competitor website with MORE attacks and HATEFUL comments):

    Baruch HaShem Yisbarech, I can say that I’m BLESSED to have such a TALENTED artist cousin whose artist name is: Zreyli (aka: Rabbi Michoel Israily), Sh’Yichyeh!!!

    Keep up your BEAUTIFUL Sh’lichus & make us, ALL, Proud!!!

    But, then, I THOUGHT: “I’ll just have to add one more-thing, BECAUSE, here’s a PURE and BEAUTIFUL project and INSTEAD of showing support and LOVE, here’s repeated Hatred and un-kind people mouthing-off and I’m a Levi and I can ALSO show my mouth!”, SO…

    PS:

    How come, no-one comes out, SCREAMING when Yechi-ists post stuff all over the city with messages like:

    “Rebbé’s ALIVE and he’s Moshiach and he’s here to redeem us”

    or

    “Rebbè’s ALIVE and Galus is over”

    or

    when Yashke freak students come to visit Crown Heights and B’Hashgachah P’ratis, they’re greeted by Yechi-ists in 770 or other places and they talk about the Rebbé like L’Havdil Elef Havdalos, these Yashkeh-freaks are used-to hearing about their false-prophet and resonates with them who go back to their towns and say: “Look! The Yidden, ALSO: have A ‘notion’ like Yashkeh coming back from the dead”

    So, no-one screams AGAINST that BECAUSE, we’re SCARED to mess with the Yechi-ists!

    A side-track message to Y’chi-ist: Before you come attacking, I USED to be one of you Yechi-ists and Bizchus Avos, I met the Rebbé and was Zocheh to get a REAL dollar from the Rebbé’s holy hands, DIRECTLY in the LAST Yom Rishon the Rebbé, HIMSELF gave out dollars in the LAST hours!

    (If you don’t believe me, look it up on My Moments with the Rebbé)

    Also, I know the head of your organization (HaKohen, Sh’Yichyeh)! He’s my Rav’s cousin, I know his father, Sh’Yichyeh and I knew his Zeidi, ZTZ”L from Montréal!!!

    Where were you when the Rebbé talked about other Mivtzaim other than SCREAMING about the Rebbé being Moshiach???!!!

    Anyways, so, before you go SCREAMING about what the Rebbé wants, start following what the Rebbé’s Sichos, Maarim, Horaos, etc…

    Here’s my cousin, someone who comes and says: “Look, Hashem gave the Sheva Mitzvos to Noach to publicize and after a few generations, it got forgotten until Avraham Avinu & the Avos and again, got forgotten until Moshe Rabbeinu whom Hashem commanded to publicize it again and pass it down to Y’hoshua….UNTIL, The Rebbé of the generation is like Moshe Rabbeinu for our generation, so, the Rebbé made as part of his Mitzvos campaigns (Mivtzaim), Mivtzah Sheva Mitzvos Noach and it’s up to us to publicize it and this is how I know to do it with the gift of talent Hashem has given me”!

    Here’s a BEAUTIFUL project which he has taken upon himself WITHOUT, ANY financial backing from ANYONE, AITH Permission from people whom he paints it on their properties and he does it as a BEAUTIFUL and PURE notion of LOVE to BRIGHTEN people’s days when they walk by his murals!

    BUT, other JEALOUS people who are talent-LESS or their ONLY talent is to run their mouths off, come and SCREAM: Rebbé is not this and is not that! Or the Rebbé didn’t say this and the Rebbé didn’t say that!!!

    Go and read Rebbé’s Sichos and other public talks and see how the Rebbé made it the TAFKID of OUR generation and left it up to US to CONTINUE the job & to take over, after he left this physical world!

    If you haven’t learnt Rebbé’s Sichos, at-least, open the Chumash!!!

    Stop HATING and CREATING Machlokes!

    You chose to mess with my cousin who’s HUMBLE and doesn’t want to fight, is a SUBSCRIBER of peace no-matter what and doing things as peacefully as he can, being even, Ohev Es HaB’riyos, BUT, you run your mouth off at a BEAUTIFUL and PURE notion of LOVE with so-much HATE and TRYING to stir up trouble, you NEED a Levi whom with ASKING M’chilah from the Kohen, for being RUDE and INSULTING, WILL stand up for his cousin!!!

    The Blesofskys, Sh’Yichyu whom I know, are Kohanim, they’re KIND, LOVING, PEACEFUL, CARING, non-judgmental, so, haven’t you been reading the Chumash, EITHER in the pst few Parshiyos of Aharon HaKohen (your great-great-great-….grand-father) spreading LOVE, PEACE, no-judgement, EVEN “Ohev Es HaB’riyos”???!!!

    Or do you, like me, ONLY know that we come from Levi whom BESIDES for ALL of his Maalos, had ONE Chisaron which he had HOT temper whom he left it as a Y’rushah to his descendants???!!!!

    The key is to use it for glGOOD and to stand-up for what’s JUST and what’s RIGHT as well as to choose your battles WISELY!!!

    Being a Zealot like Pinchas HaKohen (who became a Kohen SINCE he stood up for Hashem) doesn’t mean to lash out & run your mouth off at ANYTHING & EVERYTHING you see that you don’t agree with, BUT, to show RESTRAINT, ask your Rav like this week’s Pirkei Avos says: “Aseh L’cha Rav”, Pinchas went to his Rav, Moshe Rabbeinu who taught him which things you SHOULD go & wage war and which things you should ‘cool your engines’ and which you should go & join in & assist!!!

    Pinchas didn’t pick up a Spear & go to kill, rather, he asked his Rav for advice!!!

    What does YOUR Rav say about this!!!

    Did you consult YOUR Rav before picking up YOUR Spear???!!!

    Did he give YOU “the green-light” to wage a battle AGAINST such a pure and holy project???!!!!

    Did he tell YOU: “Go-ahead! It’s a battle Hashem wants YOU to fight and if you DON’T, no-one-else is their Tafkid”???!!!

    You can ask your uncle, Rabbi Y’hudah HaKohen or your cousin, Rabbi Hillel Hakohen, Sh’Yichyu for my contact info, IF you are inclined to discuss this in person to enlighten me WHY you BELIEVE that this IS the RIGHT thing to do and it’s YOURS and YOURS-ONLY to fight this battle!!!

    Or if you like, I can, even, set up a meeting and to put you in touch with the artist, himself, jn-person, so you can bring your point & he’ll being his point and PEACEFULLY, discuss it, in-person!

    This is NOT the RIGHT place for this!!!

    This is a place for NEWS and NOT: Propaganda, gathering an ARMY like Korach & spreading HATRED!!!

    OK?