▪
Weekly Quiz
BY RABBI DR. SAMUEL J. FOX
Why is it traditionally cus-
tomary to close the eyes of the
deceased?
The kabbalists contend that a
person beholds the Divine pres-
ence when he dies. After beholding
the most inspiring sight of all—
one should not seek to see any-
thing else since he has seen the
ultimate. Thus the eyes of the
decased are closed. If the son is
present, it is the duty of the
oldest son to perform this deed
as a means of honoring his par-
ent. In the Bible we are told that
Jacob was informed that "Joseph
Shall put his hand upon thy
eyes" (Genesis: 46:4). Some claim
that closing the eyes of the de-
ceased is symbolic of the fact that
he can be no more led into temp-
tation. Since the eyes are one of
the avenues of. temptation they
are therefore closed.
Why is it required by tradition
to wash one's hands immedi-
ately upon arising in the morn-
ing?
A number of reasons are given
for this practice. Some claim that
this is because a man who wakes
up in the morning is as if he were
just created. This idea is con-
veyed by washing his hands in
water since the creation of the
world began with water. The rab-
bis derive this from the saying in
Lamentations (3:23) where we are
told "they (referring to the souls,
,are new every morning." The
Zohar (Genesis claims that when
a man goes to sleep his spirit de-
parts and his body becomes im-
pure like that of the dead. When
he arises, it is as if he were
aroused from death; thus he must
wash his hands like one who has
come in contact with death. Some
give a very practical reason for
this observance. They claim that
,a person during his sleep can
easily and inadvertently touch
various parts of the body which
are relatively unclean in the
spiritual sense. Naturally, although
he is unaware of this consciously,
one has the obligation of purifying
himself of such contact by washing
his hand when he arises in the
morning. Besides, all the afore-
mentioned reaons there is yet a
very idealistic reason for washing
one's hands in the morning. This
starts the new day off with a
spirit of optimism teaching man
that no matter what happened
the day before he can still re-
gain his original innocence and
start the new day off as a saint
instead of a sinner if he will
but attempt to cleanse himself of
the impurity with which he came
in contact in the past.
Soviet Navy Force
in Mediterranean
Cut but Still Big
Sen. Javits Asks FBI Probe Fires
Friday, December 27, 1968-11
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
42 Jewish Refugees Join
Earlier Emigres Aided by
HIAS; Some Come Here
The Federal Bureau of Investigation was asked by Senator Jacob
K. Javits to probe the recent rash of synagogue fires, when he
visited the burned-out synagogue of the Yeshiva of Eastern Park-
way, 418 E. 45 St., Brooklyn, N.Y. Javits (left) here is being
shown the charred remains of seven Tora scrolls destroyed in the
fire, by Rabbi Moshe Sherer, executive president of Agudath Israel
of America. The New York Senator accepted the honorary co-chair-
manship with Mayor John Lindsay of the Yeshiva Reconstruction
Fund. The burned Tora scrolls were interred in the Beth David
Cemetery in New York, after a funeral procession in which over
5,000 persons participated.
Athletes Enter Many Activities
By JESS SILVER
(Copyright 1968, JTA Inc.)
Jockey Walter Blum had a big
day recently at the Garden State
racetrack in New Jersey. The for-
mer national riding champion
from Brooklyn rode six straight
winners. He equaled the New Jer-
sey State record and matched his
own best previous effort. Blum
had six winners at Monmouth
Park in 1961.
Sonny Werblin, former owner of
the New York Jets, is confining
his activities to horse racing. He
has 19 colts in Florida and Mary-
land. Would he like to get back
into football? "I don't know—it's
a tremendous emotional prob-
lem," said Werblin. "Financially,
it's not much of a proposition.
You invest $10,000,000 in order to
clear maybe $300,000. Emotionally
you have to let your heart run
away with your head."
New York Jets linebacker Mike
Stromberg has been lost to the
club for the season. After sitting
out five games, he reinjured his
leg in a workout. It was decided
he would need surgery to repair
torn ligaments in his left knee.
Bruce (Tree) Weinstein, a tight
end from White Plains, N.Y., is
one of the reasons Yale is having
a great year on the gridiron. Wein-
stein, 6-5, 235 pounds, says he
would like to play pro ball if he
gets the chance.
Sandy Koufax discounts the ru-
mor that he will make a come-
back with the Los Angeles Dod-
gers. "I have no intention of re-
turning to baseball," said Koufax.
"Trying to pitch again would only
make my arm worse. I don't want
to wind up a cripple. Continued
pitching would only worsen my
condition. I want at least to be
LONDON (JTA) — Defense
sources reported here that the
Soviet Union has withdrawn all of
its missile and helicopter-carrying
ships from the Mediterranean al-
though it has left behind a still
formidable naval force that in-
eludes supply ships and a half
dozen submarines, two of them
believed to be nuclear powered.
Pro-Arab Mass Canceled
According to these sources, the
by
Buenos Aires Bishop
fleet now in the Mediterranean
BUENOS AIRES (JTA)—A mass
permits Russia to maintain a pos-
ture of strength in that area but scheduled for the Metropolitan
is less obviously intended as in Cathedral here in honor of Arabs
the past, to intimidate Israel. The "who had fallen in the struggle for
presence of supply ships permits the liberation of Palestine" was
the Soviets to reinforce their Medi- canceled by Juan Carlos Aram-
terranean fleet if they should so burn, bishop coadjutor of Buenos
decide, the sources said, adding Aires.
The scheduled special mass had
that the Russians are deliberately
keeping their naval strategy in the been announced previously by Rev.
Julio Meivielles, a notorious Ar-
dark.
About 30-35 Soviet naval craft gentine anti-Semite. The DAIA,
remain in Mediterranean waters central organization of Argentine
oat of more than 50 that were Jewry, protested immediately to
Sent there in a build-up of Soviet the Catholic diocese. Bishop Aram-
Sea power after the June 1967 buru's announcement fol l o w e d,
Arab-Israel war. Among those stating "No special mass except
withdrawn were destroyers, guided the normal masses have been
missile cruisers and the helicopter scheduled for this Sunday in the
4
and troop carrying cr,uispr 111051cv.a. MetroVolitaal cathedral?! _
-
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.1. A-,
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able to play a normal game of
golf when I feel like it. I made my
decision to call it quits without
a job. Now I have one. It would
be ridiculous for me to think of
reconsidering. I'll be 33 years
old and I've been out of baseball
for two full seasons. It's tough
enough being out one year and
trying to come back, but two
years at my age? That's ridicu-
lous!"
Washington's Mike Epstein is
playing winter league ball in Ven-
ezuela, while the Chicago Cubs'
Ken Holtzman is training to be
a stockbroker in St. Louis and
Art Shamsky of the N.Y. Mets is
doing public relations work in New
York.
Detroit pitcher Denny McLain
after losing his first World Series
game on Yom Kippur: "I wish I
was Jewish after a ball game like
this. I wouldn't have had to pitch
today."
NEW YORK (JTA)—A charter-
ed plane from Vienna carrying 42
Jewish refugees from Eastern
Europe, aided by the United Hias
Service, arrived at Kennedy Air-
port here. Gaynor I. Jacobson,
HIAS executive vice president, said
that a total of 123 HIAS-aided re-
fugees, mainly from Poland and
Czechoslovakia, arrived in the
United States on five chartered
flights between Dec. 16 and 20.
The newcomers will be resettled
in 10 states and the District of
Columbia with help from HIAS and
local agencies. Among the com-
munities of resettlement are De-
troit and Toledo.
The newcomers included Karol
Latowicz, son-in-law of Ida Kam-
inska, the former head of the Pol-
22100 GREENFIELD RD.
ish State Theater, who arrived
OAK PARK, MICH. 48237
here from Poland with her family
PHONE 399-0820
last month. Jacobson said that
HIAS this year will resettle about Office Hours: Mon. thru Thurs. 9 to
6,250 Jewish migrants and refu- 5; Friday 9 to 4; Open Sunday
gees in free countries.
10 to 1.
PRE-HOLIDAY CLEANING SPECIAL
59
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The funds were provided by the
state department of public wel-
fare.
■
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PHILADELPHIA (JTA) — A •
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SEMI-ANNUAL SALE!
Jewish Arts Academy
to Be Housed at Dropsie
PHILADELPHIA — The Jewish
Academy of Arts and Sciences,
which has been based in New
York City since it was first estab-
lished over 40 years ago, will
move to Philadelphia with the new
year and will be quartered at the
Dropsie College for Hebrew and
Cognate Learning. It is presently
located at 131 W. 86th, New York.
The academy was founded in
1927 by the late Prof. Morris Ra-
phael Cohen, noted philosopher at
City College of New York, and a
body of scholars seeking an instru-
ment for honoring those who dis-
tinguish themselves in the arts and
professions. They also hoped to
encourage and publish achieve-
ments in scholarship and the arts
by its members, selected because
of outstanding contributions in
their respective fields.
Dr. Binyamin Mazar, archaeolo-
gist and former president of He-
brew University in Jerusalem, has
been elected an honorary fellow
of the academy in recognition of
his work in excavations at the
southern end of the Western Wall
in Jerusalem.
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