The Rebbe’s Relationship with a Lithuanian-Born Cubist Sculptor

A Lithuanian-born Jewish Cubist sculptor, Mr. Jacques (Chayim Yaakov) Lipchitz grew up in a frum household, but started dwindling while studying art in France. In 1959, after recovering through the Rebbe’s bracha, he visited the Rebbe and developed a lifelong relationship with the Rebbe.

By Rebbe Responsa

Jacques (Chayim Yaakov) Lipchitz (1891–1973) was a Lithuanian-born Jewish Cubist sculptor. Mr. Lipchitz grew up in a religious household. While in France, where he attended art classes, his Jewish observances started dwindling.

In 1959, after recovering from Cancer after a blessing from the Rebbe, Lipchitz visited the Rebbe for the first time. During the audience, the Rebbe requested of him to begin donning Tefillin daily to which he agreed. The Rebbe said he would supply the Tefillin. 

It was only after Jacques had sent his first letter [along with some enclosures dealing with his works] to the Rebbe, was the Rebbe able to fulfil his promise. As the Rebbe noted: “Noting your address in your letter, it enables me to fulfill my promise to send you the Tefillin.”

In this beautiful letter, the Rebbe parallels the art of sculpting and the meaning behind Tefillin. Tefillin is placed on the hand — facing the seat of emotion — and head – the seat of the intellect.

The significance of this is: “that in both areas—intellectually and emotionally, making up the whole man—he is moved by the idea of submission to the Supreme Authority, the Creator and Master of the Universe, and by fulfilling the Divine Will and shaping his life accordingly, he transcends the gap between Creator and created and unites with Him, elevating, at the same time, his part of the physical world in which he lives. This, in fact, is the deeper meaning of all the Divine precepts, and the awareness of this enables man to strive constantly for the supremacy of mind over matter and ‘spiritualize’ gross matter.”

“[The sculptor] even more than the artist who paints,” the Rebbe draws the connection “takes a shapeless piece of gross matter, whether stone, wood, or metal, and gives it form and idea which belong entirely in the realm of the spiritual, thus breathing a spirit and vitality into something which was no more than a lump of matter before.”

The Rebbe ends the letter that this is the “creativeness” and task of the Jew–to spiritualize the world. Using creativity elevates the artist to a higher level. When we spiritualize the world we become more spiritual and strive for spiritual matters. 

In the P.S. The Rebbe writes:  “The Tefillin have been sent to you by special courier, and

I trust was duly received.” After receiving the Tefillin Lipchitz began donning Tefillin every day, continuing for the rest of his life.

The new daily routine of donning Tefillin had a profound impact on Lipchitz. “It puts me together with all my people,” he later said. “I am with them. And I am near to my L-rd, to the A-lmighty. I speak with Him. I cannot make any individual prayers, but I speak to Him. He gives me strength for the day. I could not move otherwise. . . I know that it did something very important for me. I could not live any more without it.”

Once, at a Hasidic art exhibition in Detroit, he explained to the crowd that every artist needs inspiration. “You have to wait for a certain energy, a holy spirit, to enter. Putting on Tefillin gives me inspiration for the day”.

On a visit to Israel that included the celebration of his eightieth birthday, Lipchitz received a delegation of Chabad Hasidim who came to invite him to visit Kfar Chabad. When they entered his hotel room, he was in Tallis and Tefillin. “I am a greater Chassid than you,” the sculptor told them “I do all that the Rebbe tells me. He asked me to put on Tefillin, and I do. Do you fulfill all that the rebbe asks of you?” 

Many details of the Rebbe’s relationship with Jacques Lipchitz are from Dovid Zaklikowski’s book Dear Rebbe.

The complete letter was published by Rebbe Responsa here.