In the Hebrew month of Adar, the “novel” coronavirus broke out in Israel. Adar is “…the month that turned for them from sorrow to joy, from mourning to a holiday…” (Esther 9:22). Corona, translated as crown, is viewed by many as a stage in the Divine Revelation of The King of Kings, from within the hidden, a stage in the Tikun Olam and purification of the world and its Creation. A New World Order!! In a non-corrupt world, life is the highest value. However, in the modern world, all too often we see civilizations prioritize material over lives. Hashem sends a microscopic virus and the entire world economy comes to a halt.
The world was created in six days and on the seventh Hashem rested. The artist, Raquel Sanchez, who was born on Purim, in her special technique, aided by deep philosophical thought and observation, has compiled a unique “Corona Journal”. The journal comprises seven works of art on paper, coinciding with the Days of Creation in reverse. Each work expresses, in the artist’s eyes, the relationship between Tikun Olam and corona.
A recurring motif throughout the series is the vertical lines, connected to almost create a bridge. These lines symbolize the graphs of rates of infection and the goals to which we must strive in order to return to normal, whatever that New Normal may be. The connecting lines symbolize different forces as they attempt to pull in various directions.
Sanchez uses various borrowed, used tools—tools of an architect, old school supplies, remnants of old computer ink to name just a few, in order to illustrate the world’s rejuvenation even under the most unfamiliar circumstances. The tools, which she borrowed from friends, symbolize the newfound connections and chesed being performed during corona, in spite of the obligatory social distancing.
The order of the works is in reverse order to that of Creation. (??? ??????) The sin of Adam and Eve, the Generation of the Great Flood, The Golden Calf, The Destruction of the Temple through the present day have all caused destruction and distancing from the Divine Source. This has caused changes and destruction to Nature, animals, plants, the earth, the heavens and the entire creation. A tikkun must start with Humans, who were created last.