jewish culture in different fields
“And hear the truth from whoever utters it”
– Maimonides (Rabbi Moses Ben Maimon, The Rambam), Introduction to the Ethics of the Fathers
“Whoever has been endowed with the soul of a creator must create works of imagination and thought. He must not confine himself to shallow studies alone…”
– Rabbi Abraham Isaac HaCohen Kook, “Lights of Holiness”
The culture of the Jewish people seeks to attribute meaning and significance to human existence through faith, thought and creativity. Ever since the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, Jewish culture has relied for the most part on daily customs. Those customs were supposed to articulate the fundamental values of the Jewish people and were perceived as proof of the unique covenant between the Jews and their God.
Jewish creative works are not, however, strictly confined to those themes. Throughout the generations, Jews also produced works of literature and poetry that examined their relationship with themselves and with others. Mystical and Kabbalistic writings were later added, as were philosophical treatises that conduct a dialog with human culture as a whole.
All of the above are also manifest in Jewish visual art – in the design and decoration of religious and secular artifacts.