18: A collection of abstract artworks
January 15 - March 1, 2023
Excerpt from Janice Charach Gallery:
“Meanings Behind the Number 18
Kabbala #18: Center of the Earth
(balance between opposing forces)
Jewish Kabbalah is a set of esoteric teachings meant to explain the relationship between the unchanging, eternal God—the mysterious Ein Sof (אֵין סוֹף, "The Infinite")—and the mortal,
finite universe (God's creation). It forms the foundation of mystical religious interpretations within Judaism.
For Jews the world over, the number 18 has long enjoyed a special status.
In Jewish liturgy, the prayer known as the Amidah is also called the “Shmoneh Esreh” (“the 18”), referring to the number of separate blessings that originally comprised the prayer. In the Jewish numerological tradition of gematria, the number 18 has long been viewed as corresponding to the Hebrew word “chai,” meaning “alive” (derived by adding the eighth and 10th letters of the Hebrew alphabet, chet and yud).
Anyone who has written a check on the occasion of a Jewish simcha using a multiple of $18 knows that the number is synonymous with “Mazel Tov!””
Participating artists:
