THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS • c' *' <(2 Readers Forum (c. (Continued from Page 24) nity. It is ironic that Rabbi Goldman has not been ac- cepted by this united group. Anyone who is familiar ; DISCOUNT OFFICE EQUIPMENT . 1991 COOLIDGE • BERKLEY 548-6900 Al's Foreign Car Service Specialist in • Toyota • Audi Fox • Volkswagen • Datsun • Honda Cars CALL: 548-3926, 548-4160 1018 W. 9 Mile Rd. FERNDALE MICH. Between Livernois & Pinecrest "Good service, good coverage, good price .. . that's State Farm car insurance," St Ca// Me [ SY WARSHAWSKY, CLU, Agent 6668 Orchard Lake Rd. W. Bloomfield, Michigan 48033 Phone: Off. 626-2652 STATE FARM INSURANCE. 626-2652 Like A Good Neighbor, State Farm Is There 410, BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN ABBE A. LEVI OPTICIAN GOOD GLASSES Your Grandparents Liked My Glasses 25900 Greenfield, 101 Kristen Bldg. CORNER GREENFIELD AND LINCOLN Fhone 967-0790 HOURS FRIDAY 9:30 to 1:00 MON. thru THURS. 9:00 to 4:00 SUNDAY 10:00 to 1:00 P.M. Closed Saturday ENTERTAINMENT TAILORED TO YOUR NEEDS VLSI , PROFESSIONAL SOUND, LIGHTS, Di'S, M.C.'S FOG i 44x - -, sic AND MUCH MORE • Bar Mitzvas • Weddings • Sweet 16's • Reunions • Bat Mitzvas • Birthdays • Organizational and High School Dances • Parties For All Occasions "The only company that I have worked with that gives what you pay for, music and more! . . . Larry London, WMJC Magic Radio 95 FM "Among the best presentations I've seen; outstanding sound quality, light show & personality." . . . Bob Jacobs, Buddy's Pizza CALL ABOUT OUR REASONABLE RATES Don Eizen, Jerry Eizen, Adam Gottlieb Phone 24 Hours Any Hour — Any Day 85 1-6 1 38 with the calamity of Jewish assimilation is aware that Lubavitch is at the forefront of the fight to reverse this tragic situation and bring Jews back to Judaism, often with great personal self- sacrifice by its adherents. The hundreds of thousands of Lubavitcher Hasidim and supporters throughout the world and the sizable community of Lubavitchers and friends and admirers of Lubavitch in Detroit deserve a public retraction and apology from Rabbi Goldman. Rabbi Meilich Silberberg * * * Goldman Letter Is Criticized Editor, The Jewish News: I was very distressed to read Rabbi Jack Goldman's sharp critique of classical Habad hasidic tradition and contemporary Lubavitch activism. Although I am neither a Torah scholar nor a Lubavitcher adherent, I feel compelled to correct some factual inaccuracies in Rabbi Goldman's letter. The "Ray's Shulhan Arukh" of Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi is not a sec- tarian work, as suggested by Rabbi Goldman, but a normative halakhic code of Ashkenazic Jewry. Like the Kitzur Shulhan Arukh and Mishna B'rurah following it, the Ray's Shulhan Arukh served to access practical Halakha to the masses who lacked the time and erudi- tion to extract it from the vast "Beit Yosef" of Rabbi Joseph Karo and sub- sequent commentaries. Rabbi Shneur Zalman's decisions have become thoroughly integrated into normative halakhic tradi- tion over the last 170 years, Similarly, his ethico- mystical classic, the "Tanya," occupies a promi- nent place on the bookshelf of the scholarly and laity who share a quest for spiritual attainment. Rabbi Goldman ac- cuses Lubavitch of de- veloping "its own prayer book, its own customs, its own traditions, its own brand of Judaism." Such a charge may be directed to any Torah-type com- munity possessing a unique and hallowed tradition, as Jerusalem, Frankfort-D'Main, and Yemen. The customs of Lubavitch ("Minhag Habad") derive from the teachings and tra- ditions of the Lurianic kabalists as popularized by the early hasidic masters. They include a few cir- cumscribed practices that are at variance with deci- sions rendered in the Shulhan Arukh. Contrary to Rabbi Goldman's assertion, the adoption of a new prayer liturgy ("nusakh") was not unique to Habad- Lubavitch. "Nusakh STard,"' embraced by most hasidic sects, and "Nusakh H:Ari,•' embrac,e1:1, by Habad-Lubavitch, repre- sent a concurrent shift of all hasidic schools from Ashkenazic to Lurianic tra- dition. These deviations stimulated lively dis- cussions, and polemics within the halakhic re- sponsa literature of the period. The Lubavitch movement should be seen for what it is — a vibrant group with a unique but authentically Jewish Tradition. Daniel A. Sklare Friday, February 11, 1984 25 HOME BURGLAR ALARMS ALLSTATE ALARM SYSTEMS I NC Computerized Security Systems Thousands of Satisfied Customers Central Station - Direct to Police CALL THE ROTT BROS. Marty, Cy or Shel DAY or NIGHT 255-1540 JIM PRENZLAUER Is Back In The OFFICE & JANITORIAL SUPPLY BUSINESS at JOMAR INC. "The One Stop Shop" 32980 Industrial Rd., Livonia, Mich. 525-0710 PROMPT DELIVERY Prices Even Better Than Before E s1abitsM41 1919 AWARp1u)CER1rtfCAiE BY CIA iN GRACONG 6 EvAt tiAl ION Daily til 5:30 Thurs. til 8:30 Sat. til 5:00 Phone: 642-5575 30400 Telegraph Rd. Birmingham. MI 48010 Suite 104/134 11