Shabbat Shuvah

Mark Podwal (b. 1945)
Digitial archival pigment print on paper
7 7/16 x 7 9/16″
USA, 2020
© Mark Podwal

Shabbat Shuvah (The Sabbath of Return) occurs between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur during the Ten Days of Repentance. These ten days are regarded as one’s last chance, through one’s actions, to be inscribed in the Book of Life. The word “shuvah” (return) is derived from the first word of this Shabbat’s special haftarah (reading from Scripture) which begins with Hosea 14:2 “Return, O Israel, unto the Lord.” Traditionally, rabbis only gave sermons on two Shabbats, the one preceding Passover, and Shabbat Shuvah. It is the custom on Shabbat Shuvah for rabbis to deliver an admonitory sermon focusing on repentance, prayer, and charity, which according to the High Holidays prayer Un’taneh tokef (We shall ascribe holiness to this day), can ensure a positive fate. The word “shuvah” appears in Hebrew in a word bubble in Podwal’s revision of the original woodcut.