Shivat Haminim
Chana Nachal McKereghan
About Chana Nachal McKereghan
I am a creative person who is one of the founding members of a Jewish needlework group, Rimon Calgary. I love the tradition of having challah covers reflect the parshat (weekly Torah reading on Shabbat) or chag (Jewish festival). I love the details, history and richness of Judaism.I have made a fair amount with the last one entitled “Shivat Haminim” Seven Species (of Israel) which is used for Parshat Mishpatim of Shemot. The text Shemot 23:10-11. emphasizes that in the seventh, the shmita year, the grains barley and wheat, fruits, grapes of the vineyard and olives of the olive grove are left for the poor and the wildlife after the people have eaten. As I reflect upon this, I realize the depth of bitachon (trust in Hashem), chesed (loving-kindness), emunah (belief in Hashem) that observing the shmita year requires.
About Shivat Haminim
I really enjoyed making Shivat Haminim even how the colours bled together in unexpected ways during the painting on silk. Some of these bleeds I emphasized by stitching around the bleed. I love the freedom of the olive tree, the beadwork around the wheat and the date, the painting of the fig and pomegranates, and the green and brown colours of the ground and blue of the sky. I find that Shivat Haminim has a joyful almost animated quality that reflects another dimension of observing the mitzvoth associated with shmita.
