Torah and Jewish Idea > Torah and Jewish Idea
Judaism: Forbidden art?
muman613:
--- Quote from: Ariel Shayn on February 02, 2010, 12:53:00 AM ---I have a tiny little buddha statue someone gave me. Its like a inch tall. I know Buddha is not worshiped, or considered a G-d, but surely he is a "molten" creation. I have a wonderful friend who is a Buddhist, may I give her this item freely? I might as well get rid of this tile I have that looks like the sun with a face on it... someone gave it to me because I work in tile sometimes. - I never really liked it, so it also may be happy in my friend's home. I kinda feel good because she is my old room mate, and I think that my Judaism influenced her to go to Church w/ her Mom, and to delve into Buddhism on her own spiritual path.
Houseplants are kosher, yes? Best replacement for iconographic contraband!
--- End quote ---
Yes houseplants are Kosher but if you want to be completely shomer Shabbat you should understand the rules about watering plants on Shabbat.
Here are the 39 prohibited forms of labor on Shabbat:
http://www.ou.org/chagim/shabbat/thirtynine.htm
--- Quote ---
14. Plowing (Note 31)
This includes any work that improves the ground.
Digging up a garden and fertilizing it fall under this heading. Also included is raking a lawn.
15. Planting (Note 32)
This includes all forms of planting and gardening.
Also included is anything that encourages plants to grow. Thus, one may not water plants on the Sabbath.
It is likewise forbidden to place cut flowers in water, or even to change their water.
--- End quote ---
Kahane-Was-Right BT:
--- Quote from: White Israelite on February 01, 2010, 11:41:23 PM ---Is the statue of David forbidden then? Am I violating halacha by sketching people or drawing life like pictures of people?
--- End quote ---
These are good questions, and while Muman's references from sites summarizing the general issues are useful, there is nothing like a direct teacher-to-student mesorah to ask a specific halachic shailah to a qualified Rav with a breadth of knowledge in Talmud, for his psak halacha on your specific question, so bli neder I will bring up this issue and ask the questions to my rabbi tomorrow, as you have written them. He is a very understanding person with vast knowledge whom I trust, and I must say these are few and far between.
muman613:
--- Quote from: Kahane-Was-Right BT on February 02, 2010, 02:30:23 PM ---
--- Quote from: White Israelite on February 01, 2010, 11:41:23 PM ---Is the statue of David forbidden then? Am I violating halacha by sketching people or drawing life like pictures of people?
--- End quote ---
These are good questions, and while Muman's references from sites summarizing the general issues are useful, there is nothing like a direct teacher-to-student mesorah to ask a specific halachic shailah to a qualified Rav for his psak halacha on your specific question, so bli neder I will bring up this issue and ask the question to my rabbi tomorrow, as you wrote it.
--- End quote ---
Of course... I should caution more often that what I provide is simply what Rabbis have said and written and do not constitute a halachic decision... Only a real Rabbi is able to decide these issues.
Kahane-Was-Right BT:
Please forgive me for I will need another day to post a reply. Thank you.
Kahane-Was-Right BT:
--- Quote --- I've been reading rabbi interpretation of halacha and from my understanding, it's forbidden to draw an image of a man or anything that would represent Hashem or the stars, moon, sun. This article goes as far as to claim that one should deface a statue, trophy, or a doll with human features.
Is this true? I am looking to get into art myself and do some sketches myself and would not want to engage in forbidden activity. I have seen some Jewish art that focuses on drawing people and while finding such artwork is rare (when I think of Jewish art, I don't think of focusing on a person as the picture), what I have seen is very well done and I am curious if this is a violation of halacha?
--- End quote ---
I showed this to my rabbi and he explained to me his ruling on this matter. You can draw a picture of a person since it's 2 dimensional. The only things you can't draw are a picture of the sun, stars, and moon, where some opinions hold that even with these it is forbidden to depict in 2 dimension. But pictures/drawings of humans and other objects/things in 2 dimension are definitely permitted.
A statue of a human being, a full statue, which you own - That is a case where you have to deface it - meaning knock off a piece, or make it incomplete in some way. The real issur (prohibition) regarding the statue is to MAKE such a statue. To own it and have on your possession is an issue of maris ayin (suspicion) - ie halachically speaking, people might suspect that you made it since you own it. So to avoid such a suspicion, one would have to break a piece off to make sure it's not a complete statue - this will reflect the fact that you did not make it. So in the first place, you shouldn't buy such a statue, but if you already own one, then you should do some small action to it which takes away the suspicion that you made it - makes it incomplete.
But as far as painting and artwork, you can paint and do art and depict anything except for the sun, moon, and stars.
(Under very specific circumstances my rabbi did say that there could be room to be lenient - bsha'at hadechak (in a very difficult situation) - even about the sun, moon, and stars, but that is not your situation, White Israelite. And since you are just getting into art now, (a "lechathila" 'before-the-fact' situation) you should avoid depicting the sun, moon, and stars in your artwork).
--- Quote from: White Israelite on February 01, 2010, 11:41:23 PM ---Is the statue of David forbidden then? Am I violating halacha by sketching people or drawing life like pictures of people?
--- End quote ---
If it's a full statue and you made it, it's forbidden - a very strong issur (from the 10 commandments). To have it in your house is forbidden on a different level - due to maris ayin - and in that case if you already have one, you should do something to it to make it incomplete/defaced (as discussed above).
There is no violation to sketch people or drawing life like pictures of people in 2D.
My rabbi said, even a doll does not violate the (3D) statue prohibition because it does not duplicate what a person looks like. If it's not an exact replica of a person with human features, there is leniency there.
And on what 3D human statues are prohibited to make, the issur (prohibition) is in an entire thing according to some opinions, so accordingly an incomplete statue can be made by those of the opinion that the real prohibition "m'ikkar hadin" (in the essence of the law) is to make the full thing. But some hold that making an incomplete human statue would also be forbidden.
With regards to a picture, it is for sure mutar (permitted), with the exception of sun moon and stars. The issur (prohibition) otherwise involves 3-dimensional things.
So in sum, do not make statues of people, avoid having complete statues of people in your possession, and don't draw the sun, moon, and stars, and you're clear sailing.
Hatzlacha (have success) with the artwork.
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