In his letter to the founders of the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem, Rabbi Abraham Isaac HaCohen Kook writes: (אגרות הראי"ה ס' קנח)
The desire [for the beginnings of an art institution in the land of Israel] is in essence a sign of life, a sign of hope, salvation and comfort. Our nation looks well upon the sweet beauty of art which is expressed through human creativity. However, this relationship is also limited as we draw close with the left hand we push away with the right.
Shevah is a preparation. It is our entry into the divine presence. Hodaya is a leave-taking. We thank God for the goodness with which he has favoured us. Bakasha, the central section, is standing in the Presence itself. We are like supplicants standing before the king, presenting our requests. The spiritual form of the first and last actions- entry and leave taking- are dramatized by taking three steps forward and at the end, three steps back. This is the choreography of ascent and descent.
