22 Friday, March 29, 1985 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS CONGREGATION BETH ACHIM ANNOUNCES THAT IT WILL CONTINUE TO ADHERE TO THE TRADITIONAL ORIENTATION WITHIN CONSERVATIVE JUDAISM IN ITS SYNAGOGUE LITURGY AND RELIGIOUS PRACTICES. TO THE MEN AND WOMEN IN THE JEWISH COMMUNITY WHO DESIRE TO WORSHIP IN A TRADITIONAL CONSERVATIVE CONGREGATION BETH ACHIM EXTENDS A WARM WELCOME. 1. • ..11. 1 . The best furniture values in town are at the CORT FURNITURE RENTAL- CLEARANCE CENTER! Prices slashed on assorted groupings and one-of-a-kind items. . . Just take a look! * Sofa & Chair Sets from * Bedroom Groupings from it * 5-Pc. Dinettes from ~ Barstool Special $19 CO Furniture Renta $139 $199 $169 each CLEARANCE CENTER 28720 Northwestern Hwy. Mon-Thurs. 10-7 Southfield, MI 48034 Friday 10-6 313/358-4303 Saturday 10-5 PURELY COMMENTARY Continued from Page 2 cuering expression in the Bible sideratum of Shabbat is the is 'grain and wine and oil. sense of harmony between (Deut. 11:14) or the seven ag- human nature and nature. ricultural products What better way than to free enumerated in Deut. 8:8. the imprisoned calf, the ox, the (Encyclopedia Judaica.)" cattle, free them through prac- ticing vegetarianism on Shah - H Moreover, the word "meat' bat. itself is problematic since Moreover, while veg- until recent times, it was a generic term for food, still re- etarianism does involve tained in expressions as "the changes in habits of shopping meat of a nut," and the "meat cooking planning meals, and of a canteloupe." The sacrifi- dining out, the times are prop- cial system in the Bible and itious for this change. There throughout the Mediterranean are more good vegetarian world of the time, again as cookbooks, restaurants, Kenneth Clarke has noted, societies, magazines, newslet- seemed everywhere to exist in ters, support groups, and more relation to the eating of the reasons to be a vegetarian. "Life-sustaining and life- meat, which was actually a rar- ity. enhancing rather than ascetic, The Greeks and Romans this new vegetarianism fulfills were, by and large, vegeta- more completely the Biblical rians. "Flesh gluttony" is con- commandments to nurture tinually condemned in Torah, human life and to treat with when consumption of meat compassion all that lives." (Be- was perhaps not more than rman: Vegetarianism and The once or twice a month! Louis Jewish Tradition) Berman, in Vegetarianism and The Jewish Tradition points out The Greeks and that in Leviticus, holiness is defined in part by the renunci- Romans were, by and ation of incontinent sexual large, vegetarians. practice and "ungoverned in- dulgence in animal flesh." The "Flesh gluttony" is Haggadah for the Liberated Lamb continually redevelops this point of view. condemned in Torah. Still, for those who are not -vegetarians, to become one is a Consumption of meat change, and every change must be thought about and was perhaps not more prepared for. One must ac- than once or twice a quire new skills in addition to new insights, and this takes month. time. Vegetarianism should not be regarded as a form of In this spirit, the Seder set-__ deprivation, as a conversion to ting for this Haggadah dis= a peanut butter and lettuce penses with the shankbone. sandwich diet. Vegetarianism Instead, we place olives, is decidedly not a sacrifice, but grapes, and grains of unfer- decidedly the acquisition of a mented barley, because the new consciousness, in the laws of charity respecting the words of the prophets, of a poor and the beasts of the field "new heart." In many ways it occur in the same passage involves one in the rediscovery under the provisions for leav- of cooking as a civilizing art, ing the second shaking of the and in food as a form of com- vines and of the olive trees for munion with the seasons. Hag the poor, and not prohibiting ha Matzah is an exemplary the ox to eat of the field while time to initiate the practice of he treads out the corn for his vegetarianism, and to plan a master. Good substitutions in a Jewish vegetarian year ritual are never mechanical ;= around such holidays as but should force us to rethink Shavuot, Succot and Tu terms and meaning. Thus, the B'shvat, which invite concen- practice of shechita, as Be- tration upon plant and grain rman points out, replaced products. One can set aside the temple sacrifice and the week of Hag Ha Matzah for shochet replaced the priest in vegetarianism, or the seven the sacrifice of the animal. weeks of Shavuot. Thus, too, when the temple fain A beginning can be made by and the ritual of sacrifice was setting aside any portion of suspended, Rabbi ben Zakkai time, even the Sabbath and counseled that in its place we cooking a meatless cholent would now have "prayer and Friday morning. For Shabbat, deeds of loving kindness." It is compare the commandment the position of this Haggadah , that animals are to be left free that deeds of loving kindness to wander in the fields on in defense of all creatures are Shabbat with the dreadful implicit in the meaning of re- conditions of a calf so demption. weakened by months of con- Thus, the Haggadah is not only tinuous incarceration in a con- on the agenda, it predominates fining stall that when it is first during this season when there is raised on its legs to be led to the rejoicing in the libertarian prin- , slaughter-house, it often dies ciples and freedom is both__) of that initial exertion. As cherished and becomes a com- Louis A. Berman pointed out, mitment for the generations. compared to today's calf, "the Haggadah collectors now in- muzzled ox of the Bible .. . deed have a heyday for their ad- lived in Paradise." A de- mired fad.