THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Friday, January 25, 1985 LOSE WEIGHT NOW ASK ME HOW TORAH PORTION . natural product with herbs 100% guaranteed The Importance Of Time Call HILDA RASKIN - 569-5288 BY RABBI JAMES I. GORDON outstanding business opportunities available training . . . sales . . . management Special to The Jewish News People tend to measure time by the setting and rising of the sun, by minutes and hours. They should think of time in terms of accomplishments. Henri Bergson, the great French philosopher, de- scribed "quantitative time" as measures of the clock and the calendar, and "qualitative time" is measured with accom- plishments. One who is dissatisfied and bored is usually concerned with quantitative time — "That ser- mon was 21 minutes long!" One who is interested and curious is Bo: Exodus 10:1-13:16. Jeremiah 46:13-28. usually concerned with qualita- tive time — "That sermon taught me a great deal!" It is the knowledge of the im- portance of time that prompted the Jews to accept the mitzvah of "Rosh Chodesh" as the very first mitzvah upon their redemption. Indeed, it was so important for the preservation of the House of Israel that God instructed Moses to tell it to the Jews before they left the land of Egypt. Rabbi Yishmael put into the words of God the phrase, Tzeh ve'emor lahem miyad! — "Go out, and tell them immediately." But it is not merely "telling" time which God hurried to tell the Jews. It was tbe fact that though the ticking of the clock, the min- utes and the hours, were ordained by God, it was man's duty to make something of the time, to endow it with substance, to spend it qual- itatively. And so the Bible tells us, hachodesh hazeh lachem — "this month is for you." And the rabbis deduced from this that the hallowing of time, the sanctification of the monthly cycle, was in the hands of men, not decided by the court on High but by the court on earth. Kiddush Hachodesh is not performed by the Almighty but by us, human beings. But the rabbis wisely note that not all human beings are capable of hallowing time. They say that since this law as given to Moses and Aaron, and not to the masses, only men of the caliber of Moses and Aaron will be capable of sanctifying the months. The average person has to reach great heights before he fully under- stands the counting of time by achievements and the endowing of time with holiness, through prayer and the pursuit of high ideals. For this the Jews required courts on which sat mumchim, experts in the handling of time. As very tangible proof of the fact that Moses called for qualita- tive time, and not merely count- ing of days, was the fact that the Jews adopted the names of their months, Missan, Iyar, Sivan and so forth, in exile. They imported it from Babylon, but it was not na- tive or original with the Jews who came out of Egypt. Those Jews did not merely pass months, naming them, nodding their heads, and going on. They numbered their months from the Ge'ulah, the re- demption from Egypt. And every month they recalled the hallowed New Sanctuary Is Inaugurated WE BEGIN WITH A BASKET . . THEN WE FILL IT WITH IMAGINATION! The GREAT AMERICAN BASKET CO. specializes in unique, personalized gift baskets. In our baskets you'll find the highest quality edibles PLUS per- sonalized ceramic mugs, toys, maga- zines . . . and much, more! /k 1044' 14 k • Folksinger Due At Temple Israel Amy Sebran, folk singer, poet and composer, will present a Ser- mon inSong at Sabbath services at Temple Israel at 8 p.m. today. Her presentation, entitled "Thank You for the Rainfall," will be a highlight of the annual Youth Group Sabbath, which will offer an original Sabbath service dedicated to social justice and con- temporary concerns: Ms. Sebran, the daughter of a can- tor, is presently a student at Phil- lips University in Oklahoma. She has appeared in a film pro- duced by the National Conference of Christians and Jews, and she has appeared in concert through- out the country. She is presently studying music therapy for retarded children, and was recently contralto soloist in a university performande of Vival- di's Gloria. The - service is being arranged under the direction of Michelle Sage, Youth Group religious vice president. A shul-in will follow the serv- ice. David Newman • The inaugural service in the new sanctuary at-Cong. Beth Ab- raham Hillel Moses will take place at 8:45 a.m. Saturday. Robert S. Naftaly, director, de- partment of management and budget of the state of Michigan and Jewish communal leader, will speak for Federation Shabbat. David Newman, whose bar mitzvah took place in the Chris- tian Science Church, on the Shab- bat following the fire which de- stroyed the sanctuary, will be given the honor of chanting the Haftorah. Also participating in the service will be Wayne Segal, reading the Torah, and Alan Light, reciting the Ashrei. Rabbi A. Irving Schnipper and Cantor Ben-Zion Lanxraer and the synagogue choir will officiate at the service. A kiddush reception will follow the service. All are welcome. Tickets are still available for the cabaret — musical evening at Cong. B'nai Moshe slated for 8 p.m. Saturday. The program, "With a Song in Our Hearts," will feature vocal and instrumental renditions of songs by Jewish composers written for the Ameri- can stage. The performers include Cantor Louis Klein and the Shira Sin- gers, comprised of members of the Sisterhood Choral Ensemble and the B'nai Moshe Men's Choir. Do- reen Raskin will accompany at the piano and Miriam Ciesla is the flutist. The narrator is Ronna Rosenbaum. The community is invited for an evening of wine, cheese, refresh- ments and music. Tickets will be available at the door. .;4714s ts, delivery nationwide call: 661-2996 The BLIND s POT 50%-70% OFF ALL NAME BRANDS • Vertical Blinds • Levolor Blinds • Pleated Shades • Wood Blinds Free Professional Measure at No Obligation Free in Home Design Consulting THE BLIND SPOT The Congress Building 30555 Southfield Rd. Suite 255 Southfield, Michigan 48076 Showroom by Appointment 6444001 k%ona SALE! • WINTER HANDBAGS • FASHION JEWELRY • 14 KT GOLD JEWELRY up to Oneg Shabbat Young Israel of Greenfield will sponsor an Oneg Shabbat for college-age adults at 8:15 p.m. today in the home of Rabbi and Mrs. Reuven Drucker, 15642 Hil- ton, Southfield. Food, discussion and song will highlight the eve- ning. CALL OUR BASKET PLANNERS today and let us design your one-of-a-kind gift basket. 44) B'nai Moshe Has Cabaret Tickets Family Shabbat Observance At Beth Achim Cong. Beth Achim will host its First Family "Spirit of Shabbat Dinner." on Feb. 1. The program will begin with a special service in the main sanctuary beginning at 6:30 p.m. The service will focus on creat- ing a Shabbat atmosphere. It will include readings, prayers and songs relating to the Shabbat. Members of the congregation and children from Beth Achim's youth groups will participate in the service. Following the service there will be a family-style Shabbat dinner. A short program building on the evening's theme, "The Spirit of Shabbat" will highlight the dinner. The program is coordinated by Beth Achim's Membership Com- mittee. For reservations, call Cong. Beth Achim, 352-8670. Reserva- tions and payments must be re- ceived by Monday. memory of the greatness of God who redeemed them from slavery. They spent qualitative time, and in that way insured that their nation would be eternal; the vast numbers of years would not make the old, but keep them very crea- tive in the history of mankind. This is a strong clue to long life of the Jews. They did not number their hours or count their days. They considered themselves a People of God; eternal and crea- tive. Their kingdom will never be ended. 7 cy /0 intIonal OFF HUNTERS SQUARE, 31065 Orchard Lake Rd. at 14 Mile Farmington Hills Mon.-Fri. 10-9, Sat. 10-6, Sunday 12-5 851-4460 all sales final, prey. sales excluded 61