68 Friday, December 21, 1984 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS WOOLF ROOFING COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL 24-HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICE ASK FOR ROY, SCOTT OR SAMMY WOOLF Southfield 646-2452 I West Bloomfield I 18161 W. 13 Mile Rd. 682-7336 SY WARSHAWSKY, C.L.U. Agent Senior Citizen Discount AUTO INSURANCE 6668 Orchard Lake Rd. West Bloomfield AT A REDUCED RATE IF OVER 65 626-2652 Best Of Europe exclusive . . . affordable • FALL & WINTER MERCHANDISE 30%-50% OFF \ 1 HOLIDAY CRUISEWEAR 25% OFF Park West Plaza, 29481 Northwestern Southfield 352-0030 Daily 10-8, Sat. 10-6, SUNDAY 12-5 IHNIT JIEWILILIEILS HANUKKAH HOURS Mon.-Fri. — 10am-8pm Saturday.. 10arm6pm Sunday ... 10am-4pm samilnar-AN 11X17.111, "SUNSET STRIP" 29536 Northwestern Highway Southfield, Michigan 48034 Phone: 357-4000 TORAH PORTION An old view of fatalism BY RABBI IRWIN GRONER Special to The Jewish News The Biblical story of Joseph portrays the role of destiny in human affairs. As we follow the story from week to week, we grasp that each detail is related to the unfolding of a Divine plan, encompassing a scope far greater than Joseph and his family: As a result of the hatred of Joseph by his brothers, he is sold into slavery, transported to Egypt, and becomes available to interpret Pharaoh's dreams. He is then elevated to the position of viceroy, becomes the provider for his family, and finally brings his father and brothers and their families to Egypt. Their descen- dants having settled in Goshen become numerous, are enslaved, and finally are liberated by Moses, the servant of the Al- mighty. This redemption made possible the achievement of the highest goal; the ratification of an ever- lasting covenant between God and the Hebrew people, whose content is embodied in the Torah. Every episode of the story is a particular link in this chain of God's design. How is this to be un- derstood? Does this imply that people do not direct the course of events, that the tides of history carry us along without our will? I meet people who declare to me: "Rabbi, I'm a born fatalist. I be- lieve that what will be, will be; my destiny has been determined." When challenged, these indi- viduals can cite incidents to sup- port their view that fate inter- vened dramatically into their lives. A plane was missed, an automobile ride wasn't taken, a party was attended — and the consequences altered the rest of their days. Consider how our lives would have been different if, at a certain moment in the history of our fam- ily, we, or our parents, or our forebears had not made the deci- sion to come to America. Do we then have control, or does the world about us (fate) control our lives? Are we driving, or are we driven? How we answer this question will shape our existence. When a person believes that he has lost control over his life, he has abdi- cated his moral power. From a Jewish perspective, timidity is a worse sin than chutzpah; a feeling of futility is more reprehensible than egocentricity. The reason? The individual who has declared he can do nothing has created a self-fulfilling, worse, a self- justifying diagnosis. The Yiddish term for fate is bashert. He who hides behind this slogan has written his own prescription for failure, for we are to say bashert only,after the event and not before it. The student who begins with the attitude that he has no power over his academic achievement will fail. A husband and wife who make no effort to define and create the quality and character of their relationship will ahve an unhappy and unful- filled marriage. The businessmen who forfeits all initiative because the market is not under his con- trol has already begun to estab- lish his bankruptcy. Jewish thought views man as both powerful and helpless. Much of his ife is beyond his control, but some of it is. A margin of freedom is available to each of us, and be- cause of it we are granted dignity and moral authority. This is the Sabbath of Chanukah when we celebrate the victory of the Maccabees over their Syrian enemies in the year 165 B.C.E. That group of Jewish Vayigash: Genesis 44:18-47:27. Ezekiel 37:15-28. loyalists could have said that the forces of Hellenism were "fated" to conquer the civilized world and eradicate the Jewish religion. In- stead, they affirmed their power to choose and their moral force in- spired the hearts of their genera- tion to light the flame of Jewish faith. Our creative survival was not then (nor is it now) a result of ex- ternal force or fortuitous circum- stance. It was (and is) a conscious spiritual exertion based on com- mitment to God, Torah, Israel, and mankind. The Maccabees demonstrated by their lives that we must not only adapt ourselves to the environment, but there are times when we must adapt the environment to us. The fatalists may be sustained temporarily by their view of a heavenly lottery which draws lucky and unlucky numbers at regular intervals. But a deeper strength comes from the doctrine of freedom and responsi- bility which both enourages us and challenges us. Circumstances may limit the range of our possibilities but there is always an area of freedom to make a moral choice and to shape a decision which is uniquely our own. Chanukah celebrates the choice and decision of our ances- tors and challenges us to do no less for our descendants. a SYNAGOGUE Mr. and Mrs. Manuel Levitsky were honored Dec. 9 at the annual banquet of Y oung Israel of Oak-Woods. Rabbi James Gordon is shown making a presentation to the honorees. In the background are Oak-Woods President Gary Torgow and Philip Applebaum.. YOUTH B'NAI MOSHE offers babysit- ting and services every Shabbat beginning at 10 a.m. for children of members and non-members, in- fants through 13 years. Infants to 2 years old are cared for by Andrea Spillet. Story Hour, ages 3-6, is led by adviser Betty Elster. Children pray, have snacks, hear stories and learn prayers and songs. Junior Con- gregation, ages 7-13, is led by Mark Eichner. Children play to- gether and discuss the weekly Torah portion. All children join the main congregation at the end of the service and lead the congre- gation in "Adon Olam." B'nai Moshe youth groups are open to members and non- members on the following levels: Ruach, grades one-five, with ad- viser Robin Pappas; Kadima, grades six-eight, with adviser Nancy Ankerman; and United Synagogue Youth Chazon, grades nine-12, with adviser Yale Cohen. Officers for Kadima Chapter of USY at B'nai Moshe are: Beth Bodzin, president; Jeremy Cohen, vice president, and Melinda Gruenberg, secretary-treasurer. For information on youth pro- grams, call Pearlena Bodzin, youth commission chairman, 357-1157. SHAAREY ZEDEK youth de- partment will suspend Shabbat youth services during winter break. Services will resume at 10:30 a.m. Jan. 5. Youth Shabbat will be observed Jan. 26 in the main sanctuary. Luncheon will follow. There is a charge for the luncheon. For in- formation, call Risa Strauss, 357-5544.