THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
24—Friday, Nov. 23, 1973
Gersonides Translated
The first Western-language
translation of a major medie-
val philosophical work by
Gersonides (1238-1344), per-
haps the greatest of post-
Maimonidean Jewish think-
ers, has been published by
Yeshiva University.
Entitled "Providence in the
Philosophy of Gersonides,"
the work is a translation of
Gersonides' treatise on the
subject from his monumen-
tal six-book "M i l h a m o t
Adonai (Wars of the Lord)."
The translation is that -of
Rabbi J. David Bleich, on
the talmudic faculty of the
Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theo-
logical Seminary and assist-
tant professor of philosophy
at Yeshiva University's Stern
College for Women.
The translation is part of
Yeshiva University's "Studies
in Judaica" series under the
editorship of Dr. Leon D.
k(Prescription
Optical Co
\\
26001 COOLIDGE HWY
OAK PARK
543.3343
Stitskin, editor of the de-
partment of special publica-
tions.
In addition to the transla-
tion and annotation of the
treatise on Providence, there
is an introduction by Dr.
Stitskin, and a discussion by
Rabbi Bleich of Gersonides'
life and works, Providence
in the writings of earlier
philosophers and Gerson-
ides' concept of Providence.
Gersonides, also known as
Levi Ben Gershon, or by the
acronym "Ralbag," distin-
guished himself as a math-
ematician, astronomer, Bible
commentator and tahnudist,
as well as philosopher. His
writings display an outstand-
ing knowledge of Aristotelian
philosophy.
This is especially remark-
able since he knew no Arabic
and little Latin, having to
rely entirely on Hebrew
translations. His mathema-
tical works help form the
basis of modern trigonome-
try. He also developed the
use of the camera obscura
and invented "Jacob's Staff,"
an important nautical instru-
ment.
Unequaled Heroism
M LTER
OF HARVARD ROW
Designers of Fine Furs
Complete Fur Service
11 MILE AND LAHSER
Phone: 358-0850
.
Certainly the heroism of
the defenders of every other
creed fades into insignifi-
cance before this martyr
people, the Jews, who for 13
centuries confronted all the
evils that the fiercest fanati-
cism could devise, enduring
obloquy and spoliation and
the violation of the dearest
ties, and the infliction of the
most hideous sufferings,
rather than abandon their
faith.—William H. Lecky, in
"The Spirit of Rationalism."
Weekend
Special
Fri., Sat., Sun.
Fall & Winter
All Winter
.1 ")
Coats Reduced
20% OFF
and more!
PANTS
reg. $25
'12"
while
they
last!
Great for
wear with
sweaters and
jackets, in
nice choice of
colors and
fabrics, and now
yours at excep-
tional savings!
Fri., Sat. and
Sun. only!
BankAmericard
Master Charge
OPEN THURS. FRI. SAT. TIL 9
SUNDAY 12 TO 5
33 .T_T 1R, 0
GLAMOUR AND LEISURE SPORTSWEAR
HARVARD ROW MALL
FASniGNS
11 Mile & Lahser
Southfield
Baeck Institute Gets
Government Grant
War Bursts Economic Bubble
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Is-
raelis were told Monday that
their economic boom was
over. Gen. Haim Barley,
minister of commerce and
industry, said that living
standards which have been
advancing at the rate of 8
per cent a year since 1967,
would slow down to a 2 per
cent rise at most in the years
immediately ahead, or may
even remain frozen at pres-
ent levels.
Speaking in Tel Aviv, Bar-
ley said that some sectors of
the economy were reviving
somewhat from the setbacks
caused by the Yom Kippur
War. But there are still
major manpower problems,
and these shortages are ex-
pected to continue for many
months, he said. He said the
government hoped to be able
to fill the gaps by enlisting
Jewish professionals and
skilled workers from abroad
Danger of Jewish Drifting
By ABBA HILLEL SILVER
What may endanger our
Jewish future here is not con-
scious escapism or deliber-
ate assimilationist tendencies
. . . Rather, a too facile
adaptability, an unconscious
drift and a care-free relaxa-
tion of all disciplines—not
out of conviction but out of
sheer indifference—such as
belonging to synagogues and
not attending them, or send-
ing children to schools which
are so limited as to time that
they cannot really give them
an adequate Jewish educa-
tion, or in very many in-
stances, not giving them any
instruction at all, or empty-
ing our homes of all Jewish
content. What we should fear
most is the rise of a genera-
tion of prosperous Jews who
have no spiritual anchorage,
or a generation of clever
restless Jews of quick fer-
ment and, high voltage, root-
ed in no religious tradition,
reverent of no moral code,
ignorant of all Jewish learn-
ing and held to social respon-
sibility by no spiritual inner
restraint . . . Such floating
mines are a danger to any
Top 173 Israeli
Leaders Reviewed
by Two Authors
"Who Rules Israel," an in-
side look at the power elite
by two of Israel's top news-
paper men, Yuval Elizur and
E l i a h u Salpeter was pub-
lished by Harper and Row
Nov. 7.
In this study the authors
focus on 173 people who arc
at the center of power now
and how they got there. Eli-
zur and Salpeter are ac-
quainted with these figures
and have witnessed many of
the events described.
An "instant snapshot" of
Israel today, this volume con-
centrates on the elite of to-
day, analyzes the framework
of the power structure and
how it operates.
In the biographical sketches
the authors examine the
backgrounds of such leaders
as Golda Meir, who ran away
from her home in Colorado,
met Morris Meyerson a Rus-
sian immigrant, and then
went to Israel — a condition
of marrying him. The head
of the ruling elite, she wields
extraordinary power by vir-
tue of the fear of a "war of
succession" should she retire.
The authors present the his-
tory of the prominent con-
tenders for the seat of power:
Defense Minister Moshe
Dayan, who speaks Arabic
fluently, and Deputy Minister
Allon — and analyze their
role in government and party
politics.
Among the other top lead-
ers discussed is Pinhas Sapir,
the finance minister; Prof.
E. D. Bergman, past chair-
man of the Atomic Energy
Commission; Yuval Ze'eman,
the first non-American to win
the Einstein Prize, and labor
leader, Yitzhak Ben Aharon.
people, but especially to a
minority group.
If American Jewry of to-
morrow will restore what has
become peripheral in our
life, to the center again—the
synagogue, the school, the
academy and the religious
disciplines of Judaism—then
American Jewry is destined
to enjoy a resplendent cen-
tury of spiritual growth in
this gracious land.
`A Miracle'
to take the places of Israelis
in the armed services.
Barley stressed that it was
essential to keep up produc-
tivity despite the manpower
shortage. He disclosed that
only 4,500 of the country's
16,000 civilian trucks are
presently in civilian service
but promised that the haul-
age situation would improve
within a few months.
Barley also predicted that
the building trade, dormant
since the war, would pick up
but would not regain its pre-
war boom proportions.
The Jewish Telegraphic
Agency learned that despite
the stagnation in the building
trade, the price of apart-
ments has not dropped. Con-
tractors made such heavy
profits in the prewar boom
that they can afford to wait
out a lean period without re_
ducing prices. Buyers also
are waiting in the expecta-
tion that the builders will be
forced eventually to lower
prices and to absorb the rise
in the cost of raw materials.
WASHINGTON (JTA) — A
federal grant of $30,185 has
been made to the Leo Baeck
Institute in New York to
complete the institute's col-
lection of historically im_
portant Jewish periodicals of
the 18th and early 20th Cen-
turies. Announcement of the
grant by the National En-
dowment for the Humanities
was made by its chairman,
Dr. Ronald Berman, and by
Dr. Max Grunewald, insti-
tute president. Dr. Berman
also announced the endow-
ment would expand the grant
by an amount of up to —
additional $30,000 if the
dowment received contribu-
tions from other sources for
half of that amount by next
April.
The just among the Gen-
tiles are priests of God.
—Eliyahu Zuta
WANTED
Small Scrap Metal Shop
Suburban Area
Write
The Jewish News
17515 W. 9 Mile — Suite 865
Box 1108
Southfield, Mich. 48075
Herbert Krosney, writing Classifieds Get Quick Results
from Jerusalem, reported in
the Nation:
"Israel at war is a paradox
of confidence and depres-
sion. Few people in Israel or
the world realized how dan-
gerous Israel's position was
in the first two days of war.
For the Best
On the Golan Heights, Syrian
tanks had reportedly pene-
trated in some places to with-
in four kilometers of the Jor-
dan River (this is not to say
that a Syrian line had been
formed at this point, but
that some Syrian tanks had
made deep advances into Is-
raeli-held territory.) On the
342-7000
15000 7 Mile Rd.
Egyptian front, the Israelis
were taken by full surprise
and the considerable 'spell
air power failed to prevent
the Egyptians from crossing
en masse.
"During the first two
days, Israel suffered casual-
ties approaching those of the
entire Six-Day War and a
considerable number of men,
more than in the Six Day
War, were taken prisoner by
the Egyptians and Syrians.
(The Israelis are far more
worried about the treatment
So instead of borrowing the expen-
the prisoners will receive at
Syrian hands.)
sive money" for the opening of our
"The Israelis' sense of con-
second store, we decided to "pull
fidence in their military
the money out of our own inventory.
strength has, in the last few
years, tended to obscure the
COME AND SEE FOR YOURSELF
relative balance of forces.
On Oct. 6 Egypt had 650,-
THE QUALITY MERCHANDISE
000 men under arms, 650
WE "GIVE AWAY" NOW TO
planes, 2,500 tanks. The
Syrians had 150,000 men in
their army, 330 planes, and
some 2,000 tanks. Opposing
• SUITS • SPORT COATS
them was an Israeli standing
• TOP COATS
army estimated at 30,000,
according to foreign sources;
• FORMAL WEAR
possibly some 450 airplanes,
again according to foreign
UP TO
sources; and some 1,000
tanks, also according to for-
eign sources. The reserves,
mustered overnight on the
(KNITS & ALL WOOL FLARES)
first day of war, probably
brought the Israeli force up
to 250,000 men or a bit
BANKAMERICARD
more.
Doo'neEkn Cir:i
GEORGE BRANT
Oldsmo-Deal
Superior
Oldsmobile
BUSINESS EXPANSION
SALE
"MONEY IS TOO
EXPENSIVE NOW!"
SAYS RADOM CLOTHIERS
RAISE CASH!
60% OFF
ALL SLACKS
1/2 OFF
"In this situation, it is a
miracle of sorts that the Is-
raelis, having given away the
initiative or political reasons
could regain the military
initiative at all. This they
did by the third day on the
Golan Heights and, after a
waiting and probing game
designed to play on Egyptian
nerves, by about the seventh
or eighth day of the war in
Lhe Sinai."
ALTERATIONS FREE'
teeltem. hew
You must see it to believe itt
22141 Coolidge, Oak Park (Just S. of 9 Mile)
New
Mon. and
Tues., Wed.,
Store
Thurs.
Fri. & Sat.
Hours 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sun
11 3
398-9188