Benjamin, the progenitor of the tribe connected to this month, was born to Rachel at the moment of her death. As her soul left her she cried out "Ben Ani," - son of my affliction as she saw in a vision the future sufferings of her children. Immediately Yaakov changed the judgment and renamed him Benjamin as he envisioned the Beit HaMikdash (the Temple) being built in his inheritance. The very beginning of Benjamin's life was connected with altered states of consciousness brought on by death and visions. This hints to the sense of this month which is sleep and dreams. It is a time for refining our reception of divine wisdom through dreams.

The background of the painting depicts the land inheritance of Benjamin, the site of the third and final Temple. This is the vision that G-d has given us - a promise that will be fulfilled. Since the Second Temple was destroyed through causeless hatred, our work in helping to actualize the vision is to tap the place of causeless love within.

Juxtaposed on the landscape is the letter samech through which this month was formed. Its womb-like shape emanates a sense of support and security, a nurturing embrace. Thus surrounding, protective Divine light provides the womb-like space for giving birth to our visions. The seven surrounding, protective mountains of Jerusalem are also depicted in this painting. They represent the seven shepherds: Avraham, Yitzhack, Yaakov, Moshe, Aaron, Yoseph and David as well as the seven midot of the heart: loving kindness; judgment; harmony-beauty; victory-assertion; submission; foundation and kingship. The seven lights of the menorah, which is the object of the miracle of Chanukah were lit with one of several intentions; to purify the midot of the heart. This process of purification is necessary for clarifying the vision.

Our natural tendency is to take our desires and hopes and construct visions from them. Often this results in imaginations and painful longings of realities that we have created and are not being fulfilled. Even our most altruistically motivated visions contain elements of ego. Therefore, in later versions of this painting, the vision inside the figure of the shechina contains the menorah. The menorah, the vision given to us from G-d, represents the simple yearning for Divine light. The most effective way to receive individual direction is by simply longing for the Divine light. Thereby the deepest potentials of our soul are thus revealed.

The strength of our personal visions, nurtured in security, is what gives us the ability to endure through times of danger and confusion. In the face of battle, if we see ourselves merely as existential entities with a desire to survive, then as hardships increase there is less possibility to connect with an enduring will to continue. Without our visions, life, when put on the line, simply loses its meaning. Those possessing a true vision, rooted in the deepest place of unity, transcending and embracing life, will ultimately be victorious.