The Talmud tells us that when God was instructing Moshe regarding the detailed architectural plans for the Mishkan (the Tabernacle), written textual instructions were not enough. Moshe failed to understand. He had to be given a visual image - a pictorial sketch - in order to appreciate the full grandeur of the Mishkan: "According to all that I show you, the pattern of the Mishkan and the design of all its vessels.... Make according to the design which you have been shown on the mountain" (Shemot 25:9, 40).
Rashbam and Ibn Ezra point to Yechezkel, who visualizes the Temple in his prophetic visions. The Rambam (Maimonides) tells us that prophecy was communicated through visual "parables" that need decoding and explaining by the spiritual virtuosity of the prophet. Again, spiritual messages are communicated via imagery and art. Sometimes pictures speak louder than words. Text, especially in Hebrew, can be an obstacle to some children, and pictorial stories can open up entire worlds. Some people are simply visual learners. How about children who are not yet reading? For others, images are a means of connecting to a side of the story that they wouldn't appreciate through mere words; the pictures bring the words to life.
It is for this reason that it is my pleasure and honor to welcome Andrew Galitzer's book Torah Comics, which has been years in the making. Andrew, with whom I have studied at Yeshivat Eretz Hatzvi, is a talented artist and a magnificent cartoonist. He is also a wonderful teacher who can connect with young and old alike. He brings a sincerity, a conscientiousness, and a deep commitment to all he does. I have seen many of his parshah comics, and they are a fabulous resource - enjoyable for kids and a superb teaching tool for adults - as he summarizes the major topics and themes of the parshat hashavua and brings them alive in cartoon format. I can see parents using the images as a way of transmitting the content of our Torah, as well as using the pictures as the basis for discussion around the parshah. Andrew has put in hours of thought and research into his parshah comics.
I highly recommend this book.
--From the forward by Rabbi Alex Israel, Yeshivat Eretz Hatzvi
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