Rabbi Edgar F. Magnin described Ballin's murals in a book published in 1974:
"Rashi: The famous commentator is working at his desk. The pointed hat is typical of the period. One the left, on a smaller scale, he is depicted in his bed dreaming. Above him is the subject of his dream, a righteous man, his companion in Paradise, surrounded by a nimbus. On the right a Biblical theme taken from the eleventh chapter of Isaiah: 'And there shall come forth a shoot out of the stock of Jesse and a twig shall grow forth out of his roots.' A Messianic vision. Rashi's real name was Rabbi Shelomo bar Isaac, which means Rabbi Solomon son of Isaac. The first letter of each word (with the exception of bar) makes Rashi so that the name by which he is commonly known, is a contraction of initials. He was born in Troyes, France in the year 1040. His parents were poor, but were noted for their piety and learning. He probably received his early education from his father. Like Hillel and Akiba, his devotion to study was unsatiable [sic]. Legend has it that he journeyed far and wide seeking knowledge. It was said that on his travels he met a monk with whom he became friendly, but later both of them parted in anger over a religious dispute. On that very night the monk took ill and Rashi hurried to his bedside and cared for him with the devotion of a brother. The monk was eager to pour out his gratitude, but the rabbi interrupted him saying, "You owe me nothing. Divided though we are by our religions, we are united by the bonds of humanity and by love of our fellowmen which Moses has commanded us as a duty. Farewell, and if you come upon a Jew in misfortune, help him as I have helped you.

On his way homeward Rashi stopped in Prague in Bohemia, where the Jews rejoiced at the arrival of so distinguished a visitor. There he was arrested as a spy and was tried before a court. He was about to be sentenced to death when a great bishop raised his eyes, recognized him and saved him. This was none other than the monk whose life Rashi had saved on his travels. This is very likely a legend, but a very beautiful one.

The dream referred to in the murals deals with an old legend of Rashi beholding his future companion in Paradise, a righteous Jew by the name of Don Abraham Gerson called the Zadik or Just of Barcelona.

Legend also informs us that he studied for many years in Worms. There today visitors are shown adjoining the Synagogue, a small building called the Rashi Chapel, and a seat in a niche in the wall called the Rashi chair. (Built in the eleventh century, the Synagogue and the Chapel were destroyed by the Nazis and reconstructed in 1961.)

He returned to Troyes where he was honored as a great rabbi and scholar. He lectured on the Bible and the Talmud. Students flocked from all parts of France and Germany to Troyes to sit at his feet. He was a man of piety, gentleness and modesty. He never adopted a superior manner or used a sarcastic expression. He was willing to admit his own mistakes even to one of his pupils. This is evidenced in his Responsa, in which he thanks one of his pupils for pointing out his mistake. He accepted no pay for his services, but worked in the vineyards in order to eke out an existence. Teaching with him was a labor of love. Often he taught entire nights as well as during the day.

His commentaries on the Bible and the Talmud are the most popular of all such literature. His mind was clear, his accurate and concise. Sometimes he used the French of the time instead of Hebrew to explain his thoughts. From these accounts, modern students of languages have been able to reconstruct some of his French of his day. The material for his notes is mostly traditional and it was based on Talmudic and Midrashic literature. But at times he interprets the Bible in a more scientific and modern spirit. His commentary on the Talmud is a learned treatise for the serious use of students. It is exact and precise.

His last years were darkened by the first Crusade in 1096. The Crusaders massacred Jews wherever they encountered them. Rashi died in 1105.

Maimonides, famous Jewish physician, philosopher and commentator garbed in the Arabic costume of the period. On the left below, a woman with a sick child seeking his help. On the right below, a figure of death, a symbol of mathematics and the hour glass. On the left above, figures holding Five Books typifying the Pentateuch. On the right above, Aristotelianism - a figure reaching to heaven, its feet on the ground. Two Greek words signifying a book on soul conjoined with organic body.

Maimonides (Moses ben Maimon) was born in Cordova in 1135. He came from a family of scholars. He was taught by his father and by distinguished Arabic professors who instructed him in science, medicine and philosophy.

When he was thirteen years of age Cordova fell into the hands of the moors. It was a question of Islam or exile for the Jews, so he migrated with his family, wandering from place to place and finally settling in Cairo, Egypt. He became a famous physician and was appointed doctor to the Court of the great Saladin mentioned in Sir Walter Scott's, 'Talisman,' and Lessing's 'Nathan the Wise.' The greatest doctors came from all over to visit him and sang his praises. He recognized the influence of mind on the body and taught that prevention is better than cure. It is said that he was asked by Richard the Lion-Hearted to become his court physician, but declined the honor.

He led a very busy life, yet with all this, found time for scholarly research he took a leading part in the affairs of the Jewish community of Cairo. He answered hundreds of questions addressed to him from all parts of the earth. It is said that he wrote every letter by hand, refusing to use a secretary, lest he be suspected of arrogance. His replies were clear and concise and were redolent with sympathy and good sense and ofttimes a touch of humor.

He was the greatest of the Spanish Jews. He wrote a commentary on the Mishna in Arabic and provided several prefaces for the various treatises thereof, together with an introduction to the same. His notes are replete with scientific details. When he could, he exposed abuse and corrected superstitions and errors. He was opposed to the wearing of charms and amulets.

He was the author of the Thirteen Articles of Faith which summarize the beliefs of traditional Judaism and are contained in every Orthodox Jewish prayer book.

In his Mishne Torah, or repetition of the Law, he collated into one work all the laws to be found in the Bible and the Talmud as well as those of the later teachers and arranged them according to their content. It is a practical, systematic legal code. Through all the ritual details and legal notations runs a spirit of real religion.

His most famous philosophical work is the 'Guide of the Perplexed' or 'Moreh Nebuchim.' He attempted to harmonize Judaism with the Aristotelian and Moslem thought of his time. However, he was no blind follower of Aristotle.

For Maimonides there was no conflict between religion and science or philosophy. To his way of thinking prophecy was the result of pure living and intellectual development. As a result of this book many intellectual Jews were held within the fold who might otherwise have sacrificed Judaism to current thought. The book had great influence on Mohammedan and Christian thought. Mohammedan scholars wrote commentaries on it. Thomas Aquinas, the greatest of the medieval theologians of the Christian Church, used it for a model of his own work. As such he became one of the authorities of the church.

Naturally there were many who opposed Maimonides' ideas and Jews were divided into Maimonists and anti-Maimonists. By degrees the controversies settled down and his book became authoritative for practically all Jews. A famous saying arose as a tribute to him, 'From Moses to Moses there has been none like Moses.'

Maimonides died in 1204, mourned by the Jews and Mohammedans. After the time of Maimonides, Arabic ceased to be the language of Jewish thought and his words were translated into Hebrew. The most famous of the translators were the Tibbon family."

Ballin's allusion to biographical details and inclusion of multiple symbols surrounding his portraits of Rashi and Maimonides give visual expression to the contributions of these two Jewish thinkers. The unusually lengthy annotation of the Rashi and Maimonides panel clearly indicates both Magnin's personal regard for these two figures and their stature in the history of the Jewish people.  Rashi, the great Biblical and Talmudic commentator, made the foundational sources of Jewish law understandable to the non-scholar.  Maimonides, the religious rationalist, codified the laws of the Torah to make them easier to apply to everyday life.  Even as his works offended some traditional Jews, his works influenced Christian and Muslim thinkers in his day and beyond.  Rashi and Maimonides were and remain the most widely studied Jewish scholars - familiar and authoritative to such a degree that their presence in Ballin's mural may be said to be second only to that of Moses in importance.

As art historian MacKenzie Stevens noted in her study of the Ballin murals at Wilshire Boulevard Temple, the lighting on Rashi's face in this portion of the murals provides a clear example of the influence of film. An unseen light source illuminates his face, casting a large shadow that amplifies his greatness. In the background, Ballin illustrates, "an old legend of Rashi beholding his future companion in Paradise, a righteous Jew by the name of Don Abraham Gerson called the Zadik or Just of Barcelona." Ballin accomplishes this "scene within a scene" effect by creating multiple planes of action, giving the panel depth. He also uses costuming, particularly distinctive headwear, to distinguish between the two characters and locate them in their historical period and geographic context. As Stevens points out, Ballin spotlights the figures' faces to draw the viewer's attention to them, places the viewer's focus on the characters in the foreground and adds suggestive thematic elements in the background, all techniques he mastered during his years as a filmmaker.¹

Caption from Rabbi Edgar F. Magnin's book, The Warner Murals in the Wilshire Boulevard Temple, Los Angeles, California, published by the Wilshire Boulevard Temple, 1974.

1. Mackenzie Stevens' findings were related in a lecture called “Visualizing Jewish History for a Modern Audience" presented to the Los Angeles Metro Studies Group in May, 2013. She is a graduate student at the University of Southern California.