Artist/author Adam Rhine takes Psalm 145, an acrostic whose lines begin with the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, and writes a short but meaningful essay to accompany his own "illumination" of each letter. In the book’s second half, Rhine offers 22 selections from his "Magen David" (Shield of David) artwork series. Each of these illustrations explains and celebrates a holy day, prayer, blessing, or tradition of Jewish life and faith.

Of what interest can all that be, to a reader who’s neither an art critic nor a student of Jewish history and culture? For anyone who senses a Divine hand behind the human creative impulse, Rhine’s work - both his paintings, and the words accompanying them - should provide a real treat. He shares with his audience his own journey from youthful disinterest in the faith of his ancestors to a vibrant, day-by-day practice of that faith in adulthood. And this format succeeds because of his firm belief that G-d (his spelling, not mine) has used his art for that very purpose.

That’s the book’s emotional and inspirational side. It also offers a surprising amount of information about how the Hebrew alphabet fits into the culture that ancient language carries.

Rhine’s self-proclaimed labor of love manages to "illuminate" a great deal more than the letters of his magnificent paintings.