About Wabi Sabi Jew

The Full Story

Wabi-Sabi is the philosophy of accepting imperfection and impermanence. Wabi-sabi is the conjunction of two unrelated aesthetic concepts - Wabi and Sabi - and cannot be grabbed out of the air to explain a personal feeling, even while deeply intimate in its nature. According to the Stanford Dictionary of Philosophy, wabi may be translated as "subdued, austere beauty," while sabi means "rustic patina." Wabi-Sabi is about embracing the transient nature of life and existence. Everything in this world ages and weathers with time. Why should we surround ourselves with complete and perfect objects and spaces? Why should we be the only thing in our homes that contort and age with time? – Our physical bodies are the only thing we can’t pass down in this physical world. This idea became clear to me under the chuppah at my own wedding.

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To commemorate our ancestors and accentuate Jewish legacy and lineage, we used her late grandfather's kiddush cup, my late grandfather's ring, and the old, yellowed tallis of my namesake, my great-grandfather, as the tallis we married under. The kiddish cup used for thousands of kiddushes is not in tip-top shape, but Wabi-Sabi means appreciating its beauty and value as it is. And it is more valuable than anything we can get at the Judaica store.​

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Characteristics of Wabi-Sabi aesthetics and principles include asymmetry, simplicity, economy, austerity, modesty, and intimacy. Wabi-sabi principles emphasize the use of natural materials. Artists traditionally use clay, linen, bamboo, wood, stone, and paper, and favor unglazed or unpolished finishes. These objects are intentionally made, sustainable, economical, practical, and easily traceable to their source. Signs of wear, chips, frays, cracks, and time lend to the Wabi-Sabi aesthetic, but most importantly, its inherent goodness. An object used for good is good, and an object used for good often can transcend itself. When this transcendental object exists, it is imperative to keep it in your home and family. A good object passed along or inherited gains insurmountable value (which we commonly refer to as ‘sentimental’ value). It is even better when it is of natural material, unfinished, and worn down through use, because that is an object with a story. 

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Too often in the modern Jewish home and community, something chipped and frayed is frowned upon and immediately banished from eyesight. This mindset feeds the unhealthy and cyclical striving for perfection that causes irreparable damage to one's home and mental well-being. In reality, a Wabi-Sabi vase or platter resembles our personal and communal challenges. Jewish people — children and adults — can be as cracked, frayed, and weathered as a hand-thrown bowl or spice box, and holy leaders understand that they are not to be banished for this. We all struggle with our own battles, and it would serve us well to fill our homes with beautiful objects that also carry transcendent goodness and, if they're Judaica, holiness, to remind us that we are all part of an old, storied, weather-beaten legacy that will remain strong for many more millennia. 

Wabi Sabi Jew is a call for the Jewish community to re-embrace old traditions — storytelling, workmanship, and our inherent connection to nature — while striving for simplicity in our daily life.

Rabbi Nachman of Breslov taught us that our natural reality is a reflection of our spiritual reality, and when working in unison, we can stir up our soul in a meaningful way:

"As often as you can, take a trip
out to the fields to pray.
All the grasses will join you.
They will enter your prayers
and give you strength to sing
praises to G-d."

It is in this sense that when we build a Jewish home fit for G-d's presence, we should try to fill our houses with objects that stir our souls in the same way: natural, storied, and reflective of our spiritual reality. Reminiscent of the Wabi Sabi aesthetic of craftsmanship. 

Wabi Sabi Jew says, dust off, polish, and fix up those relics in your storage and tell your children their story!