IL

Friday, March 15, 1985

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

TORAH PORTION

t bruce m. weiss

Jewelers
26325 Twelve Mile Rd. ]

Patience, Loyalty Are
Final Lessons Of Exodus

Southeast corner Northwestern
Behind Gabe's Fruits
In The Mayfair Shops

Mon.-Sat. 10-5:30
Thurs. 10-8:30

BY RABBI IRWIN GRONER
Special to The Jewish News

This Sabbath we finish reading
the Book of Exodus. One would
expect the last chapter to end on a
high note of exaltation, sum-
marizing the dramatic episodes in
the history of Israel. Yet quite the
opposite is true. Rather than
drama or spectacle, we get a fi-
nancial report of contributions
and a repetitious account of mate-
rials, all of which went into the
building of the tabernacle.
The emphasis on detail is most
conspicuous throughout these last
chapters. Three times the people
are complimented for having car-
ries out all the plans of the con-
struction exactly the way they
were instructed. "And the chil-
dren of Israel made it (the Taber-
nacle) in accordance with all that
God had commanded Moses." And
with regard to Moses, we are told
that he did everything that God
had commanded him.
It is this very emphasis of
exactness and faithfulness to the
last minute detail which consti-
tutes the critical lesson of the

Vayakel-Pekudeh
Shabbat
Parah:Exodus
35:1-40:38.Ezekiel
36:16-38.

final chapters of Exodus. Moses
and his people conscientiously fol-
lowed the divine blueprint. This
ability to be guided by God's in-
structions in every aspect of the
construction of His house taught a
great moral lesson.
Human greatness is not
achieved with a one-time spec-
tacular accomplishment, but
rather by the quiet yet steady per-
formance of duties and good de-
eds. Heroic acts of devotion and
self-sacrifice are beautiful and in-
spiring. Yet, there are more au-
thentic measures for greatness.
Authentic moral achievement
is evident in the permanence and
trustworthiness of man's char-
acter. It is won by a life-long dedi-
cator, day-by-day and hour-by-
hour, to that which is right, good,
and noble. The Talmud cites a
question of several students who
ask their teacher: "To what do you
attribute your long life?"
"I never went back on a prom-
ise. I never was angry in my
household. I never honored myself
through the disgrace of my
neighbor. No one ever preceded
me to enter the House of Study,"
the teacher replies.
Judaism has never been a reli-
gion based on catechism. Through
the centuries, a number of schol-
ars have made attempts to or-
ganize and define the principles of
belief to which a Jew must adhere.
But fundamentally, Judaism has
emphasized conduct more than
faith.
In our religion, the basic chal-
lenge is the mitzvah, the divine
command in which we express our
service to God and our love of
man. The mitzvah is the responsi-

353-1424

bility that lies within the reach of
every one of us. Greatness lies in
the faithful performance of what-
ever chides life places upon us and
in the generous performance of
the small acts of kindness that
God has made possible for us.
There is greatness in patient
endurance; in unyielding loyalty
to a goal; in resistance to the
temptation to betray the best we
know; in speaking up for the truth
when it is assailed; in steadfast
adherence to vows given and
promises made.

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Intermarriage
Topic For Adults

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Rabbi Norman T. Roman of
Temple Beth El and psychologist
Gary Bernstein will address the
issue of intermarriage at the sec-
ond program in the Troy Jewish
Congregation's Adult Education
Series at 7 p.m. Sunday at the
Lutheran Church of the Master,
3333 Coolidge, Troy. Tickets will
be available at the door.
Rabbi Roman is the associate
rabbi at Temple Beth El. He is
active with the International
Rabbinic Cabinet of the United
Jewish Appeal, the community
service division of the Detroit
Jewish Welfare Federation, the
Detroit Area Jewish Community
Council and the Detroit Soviet
Jewry Committee.
Rabbi Roman was ordained at
the Hebrew Union College -
Jewish Institute of Religion in
Cincinnati, where he also re-
ceived a master's degree. He's
served with congregations in
Cleveland and in Santa Monica,
Calif.
Bernstein is a psychologist who
specializes in family relation-
ships. He's been in private prac-
tice for 13 years and currently is
associated with Woodcreek Coun-
seling in Farmington Hills. He's
also a consultant for public and
private schools in Detroit and
West Bloomfield.
The next lecture on the series is
slated for 7 p.m. April 28 at the
_Lutheran Church of the Master.
Maurice Janowski will speak on
"Personal Experiences with Ex-
treme Persecution and Its Ef-
fects."

Passover Seder
Planned In Troy

The Troy Jewish Congregation
will hold its third annual congre-
gational Passover Seder on April
6 at the Troy Hilton hotel. The
service will begin at 6:30 p.m. and
a traditional Jewish-style dinner
will be served at 7:30 p.m. There is
a fee.
Arrangements can be made for
toddlers and younger children
who may be sharing an adult's
dinner. For reservations, call
Carolyn Davidson, 652-2859, by
March 25.
The Seder is open to everyone,
non-members included. A Hagad-
dah writen by the religious com-
mittee will be used.

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