POWER OF VISUAL INFLUENCE

“וכל העם ראים את הקולת”

 “The whole Nation could see the sounds”, as Hashem conveyed the עשרת הדברות to כלל ישראל. Rashi explains, רואין את הנשמע, they saw what they heard. The obvious question is, why did Hashem feel it was also necessary for כלל ישראל to actually see what they were hearing? Why wasn’t hearing sufficient enough?

The conclusion we must draw is that Hashem felt, hearing alone would not be enough to insure that כלל ישראל would remember what they heard. Hashem who created the human mind and understands best how it works, felt that in order for כלל ישראל to remember His directives, they would also need to see the  spoken words, not just hear them.

It is interesting to note that studies have validated the Sinia lesson, that visualization plays a major role in remembering. Visual images have the power to implant themselves in the human brain and have a greater impact on memory then words do.

Over 600,000 adult Yidden witnessed the Torah giving, which they acquired at הר סני. Not only did they hear Hashem speak to them directly, they also saw the sounds come forth, everyone together. Every single Yid heard and saw, what every other Yid in כלל ישראל heard and saw. There was no denying, what took place at Sinia. Hashem gave the Torah to the Jewish People as an eternal heritage. To them and only to them. What happened was real, true, beyond a shadow of a doubt and recorded with perfect accuracy for eternity.

The visualization insured, that the events of the day would make an everlasting indelible impression on all the attendees. It would never be forgotten and would last for eternity.

How important then does the role of visualization play, in transmitting knowledge and information. Not enough to just lecture to Talmidim and Talmidos. Need to also incorporate visual aids into lessons wherever possible, to enable better comprehension and retention. “A picture they say is worth a thousand words”. An image with a spiritual message has the power to captivate a students mind. It can eventually help transform the student to imitate what they have seen, since it entrenches itself into the mind.

The reality is, people remember what they see much more then what they hear. As a retired Rebbe, parent and grandparent I have come to know this truth. Visuality somehow creates attachment, which goes straight to the mind and heart. The mind takes a photograph of the picture seen, which creates retension power.

This is the reason why imagery and multi media have become so popular and successful throughout the world. The media world has figured out how to create stickability. Their grapic advertisements, imprint themselves into the minds of their viewer’s. This makes the message they are trying to convey difficult to forget. Eventually it triggers the buy reaction they are looking for.

By taking this important lesson into consideration, we may have an answer to the following question. How can we Mechanchim conteract the negative, enticing, visual influences, attacking our childrens minds daily? The displays of vanity, immodesty and fantasy constantly bombarding Jewish minds, with values that are contrary to our own.

Part of the answer may be, to fight negative visual influences with positive visual influences.

To teach properly, in today’s day an age, we need to do more then just lecture about ethics and morality. By providing illustrations that students can relate to, accompanied by inspirational spiritual messages, we can be hopeful to bring about meaningful change.

Truthful Jewish Living Inspirational Spiritual Posters do just that. They are graphic, full color illustrations that convey strong spiritual messages, that go beyond mere words. All to often, what we hear, goes in one ear and out the other. Information conveyed to Talmidim today needs an anchor. With short attention spans and minds being bombarded with all sorts of distractions, it’s important to create strong focus in Talmidim. Need to captivate their minds and create a reality that dominates their attention, where what we are trying to teach can gain traction. Just like the vision that was implanted into the minds of Klal Yisroel at Sinia, has proven to endure, so to today, a consciousness needs to be embedded into our Talmidim and Talmidos. Visual aids help insure that what we teach lasts a lifetime.

So Truthful Jewish Living an initiative of The Cheyus Organization has already released sixty Inspirational Spiritual Posters on its website, which can easily be downloaded and printed, with the hope of inspiring positive spiritul visualizations into the mindsets of our people. They have the power to help everyone be more mindful of who we are and what kind of conduct is expected of every member of Klal Yisroel.

It has already been proven that these visual alerts bring Yidden closer to Hashem and help them understand a little better what we are all about and what we need to be cognizant of. They infuse insightful spirituality into our minds, beyond ritual practice and thereby help counteract many of the negative influences surrounding us.

Was very pleased to recently receive a letter from a Rebbe who had displayed some posters in his classroom. He related how the boys in his class say to each other when someone acts up, “Don’t just study Torah, learn from Torah” a saying they picked up from a poster. That four color graphic poster resonated with them and became implanted into their consciousness.

It is encouraging to have the support of Gedolei Yisroel and Mechanchim who have already reviewed the posters. It is also noteworthy that many of the observations and suggestions shared by them at the recent Torah Umesorah Convention are already addressed in the first sixty published posters.

Now let’s imagine for a moment if Inspirational Spiritual Posters were displayed in all hallways and classrooms of Yeshivas, Beis Yaakov’s, Day Schools across the country. If every child was handed a new colorful poster to take home every Shabbos. If each Rebbe or Morah would just spend a few minutes every Erev Shabbos engaging their students in conversation about the spiritual lessons contained in the poster. Eventually that colorful poster would wind up on the Shabbos table, thereby increasing spirituality in the entire home, from the bottom-up.

This important initiative has the power to create real spiritual change, syncing ritual practice with spiritual connection. It can enable this generation of Klal Yisroel and those to follow, to maintain and preserve our stature of being a  ממלכת כהנים וגוי קודש, a priestly Holy Nation sanctifying Hashem’s name throughout the world.