Benjamin
Artist: Maria Stolz

“Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he shall devour the prey and at night he shall divide the spoil. “ Gen.49:27

The standard of Benjamin is the wolf upon whose shoulders, sages tell us, the Temple was built, housing the Holy of Holies.  The Temple represents, among other things, the physical structure reflecting the soul of man, the meeting of the spiritual and the divine.

The Temple in this window is an artist’s concept of Solomon’s Temple, with the high gate called the “Gate of Benjamin.”  The temple had two great bronze pillars topped with lilies and 200 pomegranates in rows (depicted on the right). The right-hand pillar was called “jakhin” and the left “boaz.” Later, replicas of these pillars were often depicted on breastplate, or as silver ornaments called “rimmonim” (pomegranates), which literally were set atop the rollers of the Torah.

Other symbols in this window include the lulav and etrog as part of the tradition of Sukkot; the-dove of peace, and the lead lines inclining toward Jerusalem of Gold. I call this window "Jerusalem of Gold."

The tribe of Benjamin became noted for brotherly love and strengthening the foundations of the Temple.

©Maria Stolz

Reuben | Simeon | Levi | Judah | Dan | Naphtali | Gad | Asher | Issachar | Zebulun | Joseph | Benjamin

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