12 r Friday, September 16, 983 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Jonah and Repentance Detroit Chapter THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR TECHNION ISRAEL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY program topic .. . Current U.S.-Israel Relations Political - Economic Strategic speaker .. Hon. Oded Eran, Ph.D. • Counselor for Congressional Affairs, Embassy of Israel, Wash- ington • Former Deputy Director Egyptian Division and Deputy Director Middle Eastern Division, Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs • Former First Secretary, Embassy of Israel, London • Graduated Hebrew University, Oriental and Political Studies and London School of Economics, Ph.D. film . . . ISRAELI DOCUMENTARY program moderator . . . Dr. Joseph N. Epel President, American Technion Society-Detroit Chapter and Former Director, Plastic Research & Development, The Budd Company - 7:45 p.m. Monday Sept. 26, 1983 UNITED HEBREW SCHOOLS 21550 West 12 Mile Rd., Southfield BORENSTEIN'S TALEISM A large selection of sizes, colors & fabrics including hand woven (Continued from Page 1) no avail. The sailors call him forward, asking for his identification. All Jonah can say is, "I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord God of heaven who hath made the sea and dry land." This basic statement of faith is important be- cause it indicates to God that Jonah is ready to con- tinue his mission. For the sailors it means that Jonah is responsible for the storm, and as much as they do not want to, they have to cast him into the sea. After a brief sojourn in the belly of the "large fish," Jonah is spewed out safely on shore and continues to Ninveh to complete his mis- sion. Upon entering the city, he announces publicly that in only 40 days Ninveh will be destroyed. Unlike the generation of the flood, the people of Ninveh take Jonah seriously, donning sackcloth and ashes and indicate their contrition. The king himself sees his subjects' reaction, takes off his royal garments and links himself with them through sackcloth and ashes. A proclamation is is- sued to all-in Ninveh urg- ing the inhabitants to change their evil ways, concluding with these memorable lines: "Who knoweth whether God will not turn and repent, and turn away from His fierce anger, that we perish not?" The merciful attribute of God comes forward when it is clear how the people are trying to change their ways. Ninveh and its inhabi- tants are saved. Jonah is in a dilemma. He had predicted destruction but there was none. He feels betrayed because he be- lieved that he was carrying out God's word. The element By RABBI ALLAN BLUSTEIN Please Place Your Lulov & Esrog Order Right Away A phone Call Will Reserve Your Order THE BORENSTEIN FAMILIES Wish You A Happy & Healthy NEW YEAR Beautiful Selection of Sukkot Decorations BORENSTEIN'S Your Jewish Supply House 25242 GREENFIELD, OAK PARK North of 10 Mile in Greenfield Center Ample Free Parking • 967-3920 , One of the many classical paintings of Jonah and the whale: "And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land" (Jonah 2:10). Use of Term `Ashkenaz' Chaplain, Sinai Hospital Complete Selection of Kosher Wine for the Holidays • Carmel • Kedem • Manischewitz of mercy is missing in man, as if the evil man Jonah's character. To bring were evil in essence and this quality out of Jonah, beyond hope, con- God causes a gourd vine to demned forever to be grow which shelters him wicked and with no road from the sun. Then to of repentance open to Jonah's dismay, God sends a him." worm to destroy the plant. This interpretation of the The conclusion is evident — story of Jonah really speaks just as Jonah was concerned both about the significance for a plant that he in no way of his plight and about the brought into being, surely essence of the day of Yom God should be concerned Kippur. Jonah failed to see about human beings, the man's ability to do teshuva, people of Ninveh, created in the ability to "turn around," His own image, and want so he froze the individual in them to live. the iceblock of evil forever. What was really Jonah's Yom Kippur comes to tell us problem in this tale? Chaim that through repentance it Greenberg, the famous is possible to melt the evil American Zionist thinker, which has surrounded us answered this question with and to emerge anew with a unusual insight and origi- fresh and positive vision of nality: life. "Instead. of being a pro- Indeed, that is the true phet whose prophecy would , meaning of Yom Kippur — bring warning and move the humanity assisting in the sinful to repent and to purge implementation of God's themselves of their sin, he words . . . "I do not desire (Jonah) preferred being an the death of the wicked, but oracle, a `golem' through the return of the wicked whom spoke the blind, from his ways." The mes- brutal, fatal future. sage is that in the year to "By this he lowered the come each of us should try to prophetic calling; he de- face up to our shortcomings, stroyed the conditional overcome them and take the nature of God's decrees. path which will permit us to He confused God's transform ourselves, our hatred of evil in man with society, our people and ul- God's hatred of the evil timately all of humanity. * * Most Jews know the difference between Ashkenazim and Sephar- dim. The former stem from the countries of central and eastern Europe (Germany, France, Poland, etc.) and the cultural complex therein while the latter spring from an identical Spanish-Oriental influence. The origin of the term Ashkenaz is obscure even though it appears biblically (Genesis 10:3, I Chron. 1-6, Jeremiah 51:27). Medieval Jewish mention of Ashkenaz usually de- notes Germany. The Tal- mud (Yoma 10a) renders Gomer, the father of Ashkenaz as Germania but since the reference is to a section of Syria, it's highly unlikely it means the Ger- many we know. The similar sound be- tween Ashkenaz and Scanza or Scanzia raises the possibility of a con- nection with Scandinavia which is regarded as the cradle of several Ger- manic tribes. A striking theory links the term phonically with Saxons. This would be logical since the latter consti- tuted a substantial Ger- manic component of the Frankish kingdom under Charlemagne (750-960 C.E.). Rashi, the commentator par excellence of the Bible and Talmud, refers to Ashkenaz as Germany in his writings. He also em- ploys various expressions (for elucidation of the texts) which he calls Leshon Ashkenas (language of Germany). Additionally he cites his experiences in Mainz and Worms when he states, "In Ashkenas, I saw . . ." Perhaps the most fas- cinating fact about the study of the term Ashkenaz is that letters from Byzan- tine and Syrian Jewish communities refer to the Crusaders (1096) as Ashkenazim. Interestingly enough, so too were the Jews who wrote the letters. Israel-Lebanon Collusion Charge Denied at UN UNITED NATIONS — Charges of widespread col- lusion between Israel and Lebanon made by the Iraqi delegate to the United Na- tions last month have been refuted by a Lebanese UN representative, the World Jewish Congress (WJC) re- ported. According to the UN office of the WJC, the Iraqi delegate charged that the Lebanese army and Israeli troops were working "hand-in-hand to capture Palestinians" and de- manded that Lebanon should not permit Israel "to derive any gains from its invasion." The Lebanese spokes- man, Nabil Maamari, pro- tested energetically against those comments and asser- tions. Maamari stressed that "the comments and as- sertions. Maamari stressed that "the comment that Lebanon should not allow Israel to benefit from its in- vasion was unacceptable."