חֲפֵץ חַיִּים

Chofetz Chaim, The alias of Rabbi Israel Meir Kagan, became the inspiration for this calligraphy artwork. It stemms from the title of Rabbi Kagan’s highly acclaimed first book that dealt with the religious rules regulating gossip and slander. Gabriel Wolff decided to express the highly charged epithet of Rabbi Kagan in this energetic calligraphy artwork. Gabriel says: “the first time that I’ve encountered this exceptipnal name, Chofetz Chaim, was when I visited the Chafetz Chaim religious Kibbutz in Israel as a kid. I liked its meaning so much, that for a while I’ve used it to nickname imaginary characters I’ve made up. Later on, as I learned about the tragic destruction of the Jewish communities in the area of Belarus where the desirer of life was teaching, his name gained a darker meaning - symbolizing the Jewish urge for life in its struggle against the forces that persecuted Jews throughout the generations. In this piece, I depict this struggle: the words Chofetz Chaim cut through the darkness representing the triumph of life over death and the persistence of the Jewish spirit.

Desirer of Life (2018)
Acrylic on Canvas
98x65cm/39x26”

Private Collection, US