Introduction
Dr Raz began painting lessons in Australia in 1997, and developed his painting skills as the years went by. He is passionate about his Art. "I quit painting lessons soon after I started. I let the imagination guide me to what I paint, and I thank Hashem for it. About the actual artist skills, in this area I also let Hashem guide my hands, and I try to bring out onto the canvas what is in my head. It comes out interesting...with a personal feel, vibrant colours and lots of life! And my purpose is to enlighten! To lift up! To spread Holiness through the paintings! And for you to enjoy and decorate your space with life, holiness and Yidishkite! People ask me 'when do you have time to paint' and I pause and say...'late at night usually...the passion doesn't sleep and it keeps me awake...”
In the past few years Dr. Raz appeared in exhibitions, articles and interviews, and his name is spreading throughout the Jewish communities of the American, Canadian and French.
Here are some of the paintings that are currently for sale. The paintings are for private sale. To enquire regarding purchasing please be in touch using the form below the painting desriptions. Enjoy!
Paintings by Itamar Raz
The Tree With the Golden Leaves
As Appeared in the Exhibition 'Times of Redemption' - Adar I 5771 – The Hills of Jerusalem
About the Painting...
I love painting trees. This is actually the original and first tree that I painted. Rabbi nachman explains - the Tzaddik, the righteous one, is like the tree, which protects the grass blades from the sun. Even those far away from the tree are protected, and they do not even know that they are being protected. Such is the Tzaddik, who protects those even far from him and those who do not even know about his existence.
This tree serves as the basis for a children story named...The Tree With the Golden Leaves which is in the process of being published.
May we merit to get close to the real Tzaddikim. Amen
The Temple of Hashem - A Gift From His Hands
As Appeared in the Exhibition 'Times of Redemption' - Adar I 5771 – The Hills of Jerusalem
About the Painting...
The Mikdash of Hashem Your Hands Will Make Ready/Founded. מקדש ה' כוננו ידיך
This painting describes the giving of the Beith Hamikdash to the people of Israel, which will happen in the final Redemption. In the song that Am Yisroel sang to Hashem at the splitting of the sea, they said, "the Temple of Hashem will make ready/founded" On this the commentator Rashi says (Shemot parashat Beshelach): The Temple of Hashem is so precious to Him that even the world was made with one hand and the Temple with two, as it is said (in the prophet Yeshyahu): “My Hand has founded the world”
And when will it be built with two hands? When the next verse in the song at the sea, "Hashem will reign for all eternity" is fulfilled. In the the redemption , the days of Mashiach – when all the reign will be His.
So the idea came to me to paint the Mikdash being presented to us from the hands of Hashem - coming down from Shamayim at the Kotel, where we have been praying for it for over 2000 years.
Note that there are all types of people praying there, from very religious to hardly at all, from young to old. There is even a soldier pouring out his heart in prayer to Hashem. The women's section is also full of righteous women who are praying for salvation. This is to signify the Achdut (unity) in Am Yisroel. We are all one, all children of Hashem, and Rabbi Nachman says that Mashiach will come when Am Yisroel is united!!
So let us all unite in peace and ahavat chinam (baseless love) and Mashiach will come speedily, Amen!
Birkat Kohanim – The Priests' Blessing
About the Painting...
The blessing from the Kohanim (Priests) – descendants of Aharon the Kohen HaGadol (High Priest) – who bless us every morning, as is written in the Torah (below). The words come at you from the painting...A wonderful piece of work.
וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה, אֶל-מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר:
דַּבֵּר אֶל-אַהֲרֹן וְאֶל-בָּנָיו לֵאמֹר, כֹּה תְבָרְכוּ אֶת-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, אָמוֹר, לָהֶם:
יְבָרֶכְךָ יְהוָה, וְיִשְׁמְרֶךָ:
יָאֵר יְהוָה פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ, וִיחֻנֶּךָּ:
יִשָּׂא יְהוָה פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ, וְיָשֵׂם לְךָ שָׁלוֹם:
וְשָׂמוּ אֶת-שְׁמִי, עַל-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וַאֲנִי אֲבָרְכֵם:
(במדבר ו: כב-כז)
May we merit to be blessed by the Kohanim in the Beit Hamikdash soon, Amen!
The Spiltting of the Sea
About the Painting...
The people of Israel went out from Egypt thousands of years ago, yet Hashem splits the sea for us at every single moment. This incredible painting of the Spilitting of the Sea into 12 paths is a true masterpiece. It is a conceptual image of the Spiltting of the Sea combined with the prophecy that the people saw the Temple and proclaimed:
מקדש
ה'
כוננו
ידיך
The Temple of Hashem Your Hands Have Founded
The motion of the people towards the temple (this part painted by Eliyahu Ohayun) as spcified by Dr. Raz, signifies that the people, as we are, always going through the split sea towards the Holy Temple.
If you noticed, the top part of this painting is used in the header of this website. ..
May we merit to realise and thank Hashem for splitting the sea for us ever day, Amen!
In Its Shade I Yearned and Sat and His Fruit Is Sweet to My Taste
As Appeared in the Exhibition 'Times of Redemption' - Adar I 5771 – The Hills of Jerusalem
About the Painting...
A friend of mine told me that there is such a tree in Gan Eden which the Tzaddikim have great pleasure being under it, eating from its fruits and learning delights of Torah...
So this gave me the idea to paint it...
May we merit to sit with the Tzaddikim in Gan Eden, Amen!
The Rose
As Appeared in the Exhibition 'Times of Redemption' - Adar I 5771 – The Hills of Jerusalem
About the Painting...
Israel is likened to the rose amongst the thorns, and the righteous of the nation of Israel are the light of the world.
May we merit to be amongst the righteous of Israel, Amen!
The Third Temple Shining to the World
As Appeared in the Exhibition 'Times of Redemption' - Adar I 5771 – The Hills of Jerusalem
About the Painting...
The Beith Hamikdash is built in yerushalaim, in the past and in the future. It is half way between heaven an earth, the holy city of Yerushalaim is the highest city in spirituality, and the Beith Hamikdash is the highest most holy place in the world...
The place from which all holiness and light spreads out to. The whole world. And we are waiting for the eternal Mikdash to be built "...and the wolf shall dwell with the sheep''. No more wars. No more competition. A world of peace and tranquility.
And it's up to us! Every mitzva brings it closer!
Every good deed from each one of us!
May we merit to see the eternal temple built speedily in our days. Amen!
The Temple in Making
About the Painting...
In this painting, The Holy Temple is in the making, in the conception, as before creation...The imagination of the artist, painted as if the temple is in conception, in an egg shell, with angels dancing around.
Let the imagination wonder...
May we merit to see the Temple in its full glory in the Final Redemption soon, Amen!
The Heart And The Wellspring
As Appeared in the Exhibition 'Times of Redemption' - Adar I 5771 – The Hills of Jerusalem
About the Painting...
This painting tells of a mini-story with-in the story of the Seven Beggers from the famous book of the great Rabbi Nachman from Breslov – Sipurei Ma'asiyot. It is known that Rabeinu hid many secrets in his stories and that he told these stories in public, to great scholars.
This story tells of the heart of the world - the Jewish neshama of every Yid, and its adventures. The heart yearns for the Ma'ayan - the wellspring of life, which is the Torah of Hashem. The heart so longs to get to it but it cannot get closer- because if it were to get closer it would lose sight of it and it cannot live without seeing it- even in the distance. So the heart – our soul - has great yearning which is never fully fulfilled.
Another aspect of the soul's troubles, is that it is constantly being bombarded by the heat from the sun - which signifies the ta'avot - the lusts of this world - and it has great suffering from this.
Yet sometimes a large bird, which represents the Tzaddik (the righteous one), spreads his wings and protects the heart from the heat of the sun – meaning, the soul from the lusts of this world...Even at that time though, it is still yearning for the spring...
An incredible story - please read for yourself.
May we merit to yearn to Hashem and his Torah and get close to the true Tzaddik. Amen
The Tree
As Appeared in the Exhibition 'Times of Redemption' - Adar I 5771 – The Hills of Jerusalem
About the Painting...
Rabbi Nachman explains - the Tzaddik, the righteous one, is like the tree, which protects the grasses from the sun. Even those far away from the tree are protected, and they do not even know that they are being protected. Such is the Tzaddik, who protects those even far from him and those who do not even know about his existence.
May we merit to get close to the real Tzaddikim. Amen.
In the Beginning God Created the Heavens and the Earth...
As Appeared in the Exhibition 'Times of Redemption' - Adar I 5771 – The Hills of Jerusalem
About the Painting...
The Sun and the Moon are together in the sky.
With their crowns, not jealous with no competition.
As will be in the time of the redemption,
And the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun!
Speedily in our days. Amen.
The Candle of Hashem is the Soul
As Appeared in the Exhibition 'Times of Redemption' - Adar I 5771 – The Hills of Jerusalem
About the Painting...
This painting describes the soul. In Chassidut it is explained that just like the flame of the candle yearns to its source and rises upwards, so too the soul of each Jew (which was carved from under the Throne of Glory of the Almighty), strives and yearns upwards to our God - our Father in Heaven.
In the word Tefilla, is also the word Petil which is a candle wick. With Tefilla, we raise our souls and feel the spirituality and Kedusha of Hashem's Presence.
May we merit to be feel the joy of yearning for Hashem with all our heart, Amen!
Jacob’s Lader
As Appeared in the Exhibition 'Times of Redemption' - Adar I 5771 – The Hills of Jerusalem
About the Painting...
After fleeing at the command of his parents Yitzchak Avinu and Rivka Imenu, Yaakov dreams a dream.
The Torah says in Bereshit parashat Vayetze:
“And he dreamed and behold! A ladder set up on the ground and its top reaches the heavens and behold! Angels of Elokim ascending and descending on it.”
May we merit to dream the Dreams of Tzaddikim, Amen!
In the Sukkot You Shall Dwell Seven Days
As Appeared in the Exhibition 'Times of Redemption' - Adar I 5771 – The Hills of Jerusalem
About the Painting...
This painting describes the first Sukkot in the dessert that am Yisrael celebrated. The Sukkot are decorated nicely and the men are out at dawn with their Lulavim and Etrogim, Hadas and Arava, on the way to the big Sunrise Minyan with Moshe Rabbeinu. Note that the moon (Levana) is not full, as you would expect on Sukkot - and I purposely painted it this way to remind us of the deficit that Hashem created in the moon in the time of the creation of the world...
Also seen here is that the camp of Israel is surrounded and protected by the Clouds of Glory, which one of the main reasons that we build a Sukkah today on the Holy festival of Sukkot - to remember the great miracles and kindness that our King did for us when we went out of Mitzrayim.
May we merit to have Hashem’s Clouds of Glory protecting us Always, Amen!
Yerushalaim in the Heart
As Appeared in the Exhibition 'Times of Redemption' - Adar I 5771 – The Hills of Jerusalem
About the Painting...
Yerushalaim, Rabbi Nachman explains, is composed of the words yiraa - awe of Hashem, and shalem - complete. The heart that is full of awe and love for Hashem spreads these Midot (qualities) to the whole body, thereby spreading spiritual and thus physical health to all the organs.
I painted the aorta, the main artery going out of the heart and spreading the blood to the whole body. In the Torah is says that the Nefesh - the soul - is in the blood. In the ancient Jewish Kabbala medical texts (as in Chinese medicine), the heart is the king, who is responsible for all the body's organs. When these Midot of love and awe of Hashem are fixed in the heart there is perfect spiritual and thus physical health.
May we merit to yiraa shelema and a healthy heart, soul and body, Amen!
The Rivers Shall Clap Hands Together, the Mountains Will Rejoice
As Appeared in the Exhibition 'Times of Redemption' - Adar I 5771 – The Hills of Jerusalem
About the Painting...
Yerushalaim, Rabbi Nachman explains, is composed of the words Yiraa - awe of Hashem, and Shalem - complete. The heart that is full of awe and love for Hashem spreads these Midot (qualities) to the whole body, thereby spreading spiritual and thus physical health to all the organs.
I painted the aorta, the main artery going out of the heart and spreading the blood to the whole body. In the Torah is says that the Nefesh - the soul - is in the blood. In the ancient Jewish Kabbala medical texts (as in Chinese medicine), the heart is the king, who is responsible for all the body's organs. When these Midot of love and awe of Hashem are fixed in the heart there is perfect spiritual and thus physical health.
May we merit to yiraa shelema and a healthy heart, soul and body, Amen!
The Field and All Within It Shall Be Joyous, Then the Trees of the Forest Shall Sing in Praise
As Appeared in the Exhibition 'Times of Redemption' - Adar I 5771 – The Hills of Jerusalem
About the Painting...
This incredible Tehillim chapter and the ones that come after it (which we sing in Kabbalat Shabbat on Friday night), speak of the Redemption (the Geula) and the amazing Simcha that will be at that time. And if they, being that they are plants, will be so happy, it is unimaginable how much joy we, Am Yisrael, the children of Hashem, will have, when He, may He be Blessed, returns to Redeem us.
May we quickly merit to rejoice with the trees of the forest together with Am Yisrael, Amen!
Praise Him the Sun and the Moon, Praise Him All Stars of Light
As Appeared in the Exhibition 'Times of Redemption' - Adar I 5771 – The Hills of Jerusalem
About the Painting...
This painting is based upon the Tehillim (Psalm) that describes the whole of creation and its praise to the Almighty Creator, and is filled with inspiration and positive vibes.
It is a call to all of creation to give thanks and praise it's Creator. From the highest of creations such as Angels, the Stars, the Sun and the Moon, to all creations on earth, such as the fire and wind, the animals and all people great and small. This is a wonderful Psalm that instructs us to serve Hashem with joy and gratitude and seals its statement with the comforting words:
“And He Will Revive the Hope of His Nation, Praise to All His Servants - to the Children of Yisrael, His Beloved Nation, Hallelu-Yah!” Tehillim 148:14.
Paintings by Other Great Artists
In the year 2010, Dr Raz set up 'The Agency for Jewish Art' , which aims to spread Art by Jewish Israeli Artists with themes of Chassidus, Torah, Tanach, and Kabbala throughout the world. We have several artists already enrolled, each one having a unique style. Support Jewish artists! Here are some of their works...Enjoy....
The Temple in Jerusalem
About the Painting...
This is a painting displaying the Temple in the ancient Holy city of Jerusalem.
May we merit to the building of the Eternal Temple speedily in our days. Amen
Aliya LaRegel To the Temple of Jerusalem
About the Painting...
This incredible piece is a painting displaying the people of Israel going up to the Temple in the ancient Holy city of Jerusalem.
Having it on your wall would be’ezrat Hashem enlighten the house, and those who see it will say, “wow!”, Reminding us all of the coming temple!!
May we merit to the building of the Eternal Temple speedily in our days. Amen
Approaching the Cotel
About the Painting...
The Cotel itself serves the role as a herald of future redemption. Every Jew, as he or she approaches this holy place, deep in their heart, feels an arousal of hope and yearning for that time in the future when the sword shall be beaten to a ploughshare, and tears of 2000 years of sorrow shall transform into tears of joy and happiness.
May we merit to the building of the Eternal Temple speedily in our days. Amen
Yashar El... (Straight To...)
About the Painting...
The Torah writes that the praise of the Jewish Nation is that each and every of its members has a direct, intimate channel of relationship with the Master of the Universe:
ומי גוי גדול אשר לו אלקים קרובים אליו
In fact, the word "Israel" can itself be translated as Direct to G-d. Where more then at the Western Wall does a Jew feel this intimacy? The railing besides the man praying is the artist's way of expressing this "direct route".
May we merit to the building of the Eternal Temple speedily in our days. Amen
The Glory of the Holidays
About the Painting...
There is no beauty like the beauty of the Jewish Calendar. Each month offers her bounty and her splendor to the Congregation of Israel. In this painting each holiday (even Tisha B'Av which is destined to be the happiest of days) is embedded in a moon shape, and all the holidays orbit around the central axle of the Jewish people: the Holy Temple, because the actually meaning of the (one of the) word(s) for Holiday : Mo’ed means "coming together", as we all await the time when our Holidays shall be celebrated, triumphantly, at the Jewel of our nation; the Holy Temple.
May we merit to celebrate all our festivals in the Eternal Temple speedily in our days. Amen