Rabbi Sperka's Uniquely Interpretive Approach to Kohelct: Fables Enrich Text

Rabbi Joshua S. Sperka
refers to his new work about
Kohelet as a "dramatic inno-
vation" and he states that
"Kohelet is unique" in that
in spite of its pessimism "the
book is not pervaded with a
sense of gloom and tragedy."
There is, indeed, a unique-
ness about Rabbi Sperka's
"Ecclesiastes — Stories to
Live By," published by
Bloch.
The entire text of Ecclesi-
astes —Kohelet — in Rabbi
Sperka's own translation oc-
cupies only 17 pages of this
book, yet the entire work has
been expanded into 230 pages
because of the tales, fables,
parables, quotations from
the Midrash that have been
appended to illustrate each
sentence in the important
work that is part of "Wisdom
Literature."
Rabbi Sperka's translation
of Kobelet differs drastically
with the most widely used
Jewish Publication Society
text. Here is an example:
The JPS translations of the
two concluding sentences in
Ecclesiastes, 12:13-14, read:
"The end of the matter, all
having been heard: fear God,
and keep His commandments;
for this is the whole man.
For God shall bring every
work into the judgment con-
cerning every hidden thing,
whether It be good or wheth-
er it be evil."

the matter, all having been
heard; fear God and keep
His commandments for this
is the whole duty of man.
For every deed whether good
or bad, even those hidden.
God will bring into judg-
ment."

which a man goes through in
his lifetime. At the age of
one year he is like a king;
everyone embraces and kisses
him. At the age of two and
three he is like a pig playing
with dirt –in the gutters. At
the age of 10 he skips like a
goat. At the age of 20 he is
like a neighing horse adorn-
ing himself and yearning for
a wife. He marries and as-
sumes burdens like a donkey.
When he has children he
becomes aggressive as a dog
to provide their food and
needs. When he becomes old
he is bent like an ape."

The explanatory notes pro-
vided by Rabbi Sperka for
each of the Ecclesiastes
verses are important ele-
ments in his work and are
supplemented with a story,
a fable, a parable, a Mid-
rash excerpt with a specific
lesson for the statement
quoted. Thus the reader is
emiched with about 200
stories, each containing a
lesson in ethical living and
Tab:mune lore.

first
sentence — "The Words of
Kohelet, the son of David,
King in Jerusalem"—providc
Rabbi Sperka with the op-
portunity of explaining the
authorship of Ecclesiastes,
the writings of King Solomon
the reputed author of Ec-
clesiastes, Song of Songs and
Proverbs, and thereupon the

Appropriately, the

author of this collection of
f a ble s and to,innentaries

quotes from Midrash Rabbi,
Song of Songs I:

Typical among the fables
and explanations provided in
Rabbi Sperka's book are
these two, verses three and

RABBI JOSHUA, S. SPERILA

When a man is young he
composes songs; when he
matures he writes proverbial
maxima; when be becomes
old he writes about the van-
ity of things."
There follows the topic
sentence — "Vanity of vani-
ties," says Kohelet, "Vanity
of vanities, all is vanity"—
and Rabbi Sperka explains
that this verse occurs twice
in plural form and three
times in the singular for a
total of seven, implying seven
stages in a man's life. Ap-
pended to this explanation is
this annotation from Midrash
Rabbi Ecclesiastes I:

"Rabbi Cheya said he
(Solomon) wrote Proverbs
first, then Song of Songs and
then Ecclesiastes. Rabbi Jona-
than said he wrote Song of
Songs first, then Proverbs
" 'The Seven Vanities'
and then Ecclesiastes. Rabbi
Rabbi Sperka's rendering Jonathan based this on a mentioned by Kohelet corre-
is as follows: "The sum of man's way in the world. spond to the seven stages

Area Temples to Host Conference
on 'Synagogue of Tomorrow—Today'

The Reform Jewish corn- former U. S. ambassador to
munity this weekend will host the United Nations and past
delegates from five states at international president of
the first biennial conference Bnai Brith; and Sidney Cole,
of the Northeast Lakes Coun- chairman of the board of
cil of the Union of American trustees of the UAHC.
Hebrew Congregations, at
Study sessions will deal
Northland Inn.
with such topics as "What Is
a
Jew?". "Ethics and the
Theme of the conference is
"The Synagogue of Tomor- Coming Decade" and "How
Will Our Ceremonial Forms
row—Today."
Change?"
Among the leading figures
There will be seminars to
who will be here are Rabbi
Alexander Schindler, presi- explore "The Small Congre-
dent-elect of the Union of gation." "Financing Tomor-
American Hebrew Congrega- row's Synagogue — Today,"
tions; Philip M. Klutznick, "Religious Education as a

Subversive Activity," "Youth
and the New Synagogue" and
"Synagogue Pressures in an
Ethnic America."

Members of local congre-
gations will open their homes
to delegates for Sabbath din-
ner today.
Each member synagogue
of the Metropolitan Detroit
Federation of Reform Syna-
gogues will hold services
honoring the visiting dele-
gates. Rabbi David S. Ha-

chen, director of the North-
east Lakes Council, will oc-
cupy the pulpit of Temple

PHILIP ICLUTZNICK

RABBI SCHINDLER

; form Is a Verb," recently
concluded by Dr. Leonard
Fein.
Chairman of the confer-
ence is Morton H. Barris,
past president of Temple Is-
rael and a vice president of
the region. • '
Local congregations ser-
ving as host to the confer-
ence include Beth El, Beth

Solomon said: "If my father
had been stricter with Adoni-
rah (fourth son of King
David who unsuccessfully con-
spired to ascend the throne
of his father—I Kings 1:5),
it would have done him more
good than the laughter which
surrounded him. If my father
David had shown him a dis-
pleased countenance It might
have led him to mend his
ways."
It was the same with
Amnon (oldest son of King
David who met a tragic death
on account of his lust for his
half sister Tamar—II Samuel
XIII). If his father David had
been stricter with him it
ssoold have done him more
good than the laughter which
surrounded him.
—.Midrash Rabbah,
Ecclesiastes 7:3

Jacob of Pontiac, Beth El of
Windsor, Emanu-El, Kol
4. The heart of the wise
Ami, Israel and Beth Emeth is in the house of mourning,
of Ann Arbor.
but the heart of fools is in

Hebrew U. Tribute
Goes to Theologian

JERUSALEM — Termed
one of the Righteous Among
the Gentiles, Dutch Christian
theologian and former secre-
tary general of the World
Council of Churches Dr. Wil-
liam A. Visser t'llooft receiv-
ed the title honorary fellow
of the Hebrew University in
a recent ceremony.
Christian church leaders
from all over Israel attended.
Bernard Cherrick, acting
president, stated that the
university conferred this
honor upon a man who had
spared no effort or risk in
trying to avert or mitigrate
the disaster that befell
Europe's Jews. He described
how, from his vantage point
in neutral Switzerland, the
theologian had created a
focus and flow of information
on the events in occupied
Europe so that churchmen

Israel. (See synagogue list). and statesmen everywhere
Highlighting the Sunday who had the courage to stand
morning session will be work- up and speak against the out-
shop exercises conducted by rage bad the facts before

Ruth A. Buchbinder, director
of the UAHC's department of
congregational relationships
and coordinator of the long-
! range planning committee.
The exercises are in connec-
t tion with the report, "Re-

four from Chapter 7:
3. Seriousness is better
than laughter, for through
sadness of face the heart
improves.
Seriousness is better than
laughter.

them.
Dr. Visser t'Hooft said
he saw the Hebrew Univer-
sity as a cymbol of the spiri-
tual heritage of the Jews as
against what he called "all
forms of paganism in today's
world."

Golda a Top Leader

NEW YORK—A poll of 60
American editors by World
magazine ranks Premier Gol-
da Meir as the third most ef-

fective political figure behind
President Nixon and Mao
Tse-tung and Chou En-tat.

the house of amusement.
A medieval scholar com-
ments that the thoughts of a

use man have a serious repent today lest he die the
orientation, because he thinks day after. Then all his days
will be lived in repentance.
of the day of death.
—Midrash Rabbit,
A sage lectured to his stu-
Ecclesiastes 9:8
dents, "You ought to repent
Much work has gone into
one day before your death."
this
work.
Rabbi
Sperka
Rabbi Eliezer was asked by
his disciples: "Rabbi, does gathered and sifted fables
anyone know when he will and wisdom tales for more
die so that he can repent?" than two years. His pub-
The Rabbi answered them, lished work compensates for
"Should not one all the more his labors. —P.S.

Friday, Oct. 27. 1972-25

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