Dominic from Singapore came to us with a verse that had accompanied him for years:

אם לא עכשיו, אימתי

“If not now, when?”

For Dominic, these words became more than a philosophical idea. They became a response to hesitation and a way of moving from thought into action. He described the phrase as a daily reminder to live fully, to value people while they are here, and to stop waiting for the perfect moment to become who he already feels called to be.

In our conversations, another part of Hillel’s teaching entered the process:

אם אין אני לי, מי לי

“If I am not for myself, who will be for me?”

Though the tattoo began with the final line, it became clear that the full verse reflected something essential in Dominic’s story. His path into Judaism has largely been solitary. Without a strong community around him, he built his relationship to spirituality through persistence and an ongoing dialogue with God. Shabbat became a place of grounding and peace, while the Hebrew language slowly became a compass.

Gabriel approached the piece through three movements he recognized within Dominic’s story: inward toward the self, upward toward the divine, and outward into the world through action. The Hebrew letters spiral inward toward a grounded center, while several lines continue beyond it, extending upward and downward like channels of energy flowing between spirit and daily life.

For Dominic, this piece became a reminder that spiritual life is inseparable from action. A mark of courage, responsibility, and the willingness to meet the present moment fully.