After wedging, centering, and opening, the next step to create a clay vessel is pulling up the walls. I make sure there is enough water on the walls but none pooling on the bottom of the vessel. I hold a sponge with my right hand and with it I press the clay from the outside, while my left-hand fingertips are slightly above my right hand, pressing the inside of the vessel. I take care to apply even pressure as I force the wall up, and it will take three or more pulls in order to achieve the full height of the vessel. I always keep more clay near the rim for further shaping. If I am making a shape that will require support for shaping, I leave more clay at the bottom and remove it later, when I am ready to take out the finished vessel from the wheel. Then it is time for shaping. When I centered the clay I already had a shape in my head, which I followed by the way I opened the piece. I raised the walls and start shaping the piece according to the image I have in my head. I push the clay inside the piece if I am looking for an outer curve, and I hold the outside of the piece to provide the scaffold for it to flourish into the shape I imagined. Sometimes I push the outside of the piece inward to complete the design or choose a place in the middle to push the outside wall in, creating inner curves, sharp edges, or a neck for a bottle. I compress the rim by holding a piece of shammy and holding it on both sides. Finally, I angle my wooden knife to the place where the excess clay I used to scaffold the piece at the bottom starts, and push it down first and out later, removing the excess clay from the wheel head with the aid of the needle tool. If I am able, I will try to shape the foot of the vessel right then.
When I pull the walls of a clay vessel, I balance different forces and impulses. I have to take my time when I bring up a wall, I have to leave the right amount of clay, I have to use the right amount of water, I have to refrain from rushing, I have to apply the right amount of pressure, and I have to have patience and allow each step to unfold at its right time and pace. The clay at the bottom and the top of the pot is there to protect the piece, and to provide the support for the final shape to unfold. For the vessel to achieve the shape I want, it has to be free of excess, unfolding its form to the fullest. There is a time when excess is necessary, and a time when it will conceal the beauty of the piece.
This balance, the result of not having too much or too little, is known in Mussar (Jewish ethics and morals) as yizun (which means balance, moderation, or equanimity). Every quality, every energy in the universe has both a positive and a negative aspect; an excess or lack of something does not return good results. The goal of living is to find the balance in all our energies and our character traits, which will result in living a fulfilling life for each individual and ultimately benefit the community around each of us.
Pulling up walls also brings to mind the concept of boundaries. Healthy boundaries are essential to a balanced life. As I raise and shape the walls of a ceramic piece I create something functional and beautiful that will bring visual pleasure and enjoyment for whoever uses my creation. When I establish good boundaries I feel comfortable to what I am saying yes or no. I am happier, and the people around me will have clear expectations of me and my behavior. If the walls I raise in a ceramic vessel are too thin, they will collapse. If my boundaries are too porous, too easy to break down, I will be stretched too thin, untruthful to myself and ultimately unhappy. If the walls I raise are too bulky or heavy, the resulting vessel will be hard to lift and therefore useless. If my boundaries are too cumbersome and demanding I will be lonely, and will not contribute to the community around me. The walls must be balanced for a vessel to be useful, and the boundaries must be sensible for me to achieve equanimity in life. With balance, equanimity, and moderation, clay vessels (the ones that we use and the ones that God uses as partners in the world) will contribute and bring health and joy to this world.