DESCRIPTION: A fish rises to the surface to catch a fresh drop of water. A house rests at the edge of the water. Through the window a table is set with Shabbat Candles and Challah. On the left side seems to be a Shul with the Holy Ark visible through the window. The artist has skillfully combined these items to create a beautiful piece of artwork which portrays the theme of Jacob's Blessing.

You shall be fruitful in the midst of the earth. (Genesis, 48;16)

With this famous blessing, Jacob, the Patriarch, blessed his sons, the fathers of the 12 tribes of Israel, grandchildren and all future generations with many children. Rashi, in his commentary on this verse, explains that the Hebrew word used to mean fruitful has the same root as the word for fish, indicating that the descendant of Jacob will be as numerous as the fish in the seas.

The Meaam Loez explains an even deeper meaning to the comparison of the Jews to fish. Although fish are entirely sustained by the water in the ocean, they swim vigorously to a fresh drop of water that appears on the surface. Similarly the Jewish people are immersed in the study of Torah and its observance, yet run quickly with great enthusiasm to gain new insights in their learning.

ARTIST INFORMATION: : Today's renaissance of the traditional Jewish lifestyle has been accompanied by the blossoming of a multi-faceted Chasidic art movement. Michoel Muchnik, among the foremost Chassidic artists, has gained prominence with his joyfully imaginative renderings in acrylics, watercolors, and original lithographs. He frequently combines his delicate use of color and fine line work into a story book motif. Even at its most mystical, a Muchnik painting is inexplicably familiar.

Born in Philadelphia in 1952, Muchnik received his artistic training at Rhode Island School of Design. He later studied at the Rabbinical College of America, in Morristown, New Jersey.

Muchnik has staged exhibits of his original paintings, bas-relief mosaics and lithographs throughout the world. His originals have been displayed at the Brooklyn Museum, the Goldman Arts Gallery in Washington, D.C., Yeshiva University Museum in New York, Dansforth Museum in Massachusetts, the Sydney Jewish Museum and the Sharei Tzedek Collection in Israel.