Torah & Texts

Artists’ Statement: If you only read the first half of the story of Achnai’s oven, that’s exactly what you might think, but it’s a little more complicated than that. Given the events that unfold after the initial debate is over, “Lo Bashamayim Hi” becomes more of a question than a statement—it’s even unclear what side G-d’s on. The artists of this tale decided to capture this uncertainty by telling the entire story with all its difficulties, and not giving away any easy answers. The length and wordiness of the text lent itself to a ballad, weaving narration and dialogue through one voice with a medieval- traveling minstrel feel. The characters engage with the story through a full range of emotions, expressing the passion and exasperation that arise because of this debate. The music itself dips and swells, becoming the argument, the mourning rabbis, and the turbulent sea. There is so much action and so many questions in this story that it is a microcosm of the Talmud itself; loud, messy, without a clear end or beginning, and raising more questions than answers. We hope our film does the same.

Created in chevruta, or partnership, between a visual artist and a songwriter as part of a 2012-3 program called Studio G-dcast.