THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Friday, November 15, 1985
TORAH PORTION
Seeking A Wider Context
To View One's Judaism
ALL
Types of Music
For Every
Occasion
Abraham Ben-Ze'ev
BY RABBI IRWIN GRONER
Special to The Jewish News
This week's Sidrah describes
Isaac, the Patriarch, in his last
days, about to bestow the bless-
ing of the birthright to his son.
"And it came to pass, that when
Isaac was old, and his eyes were
dim, so that he could not see, he
called Esau, his older brother,
and said to him 'my son,' and he
said unto him, 'here 1 am.' "
Isaac is about to make a ter-
rible mistake. He intends to
give the blessing, the spiritual
heritage that had been handed
down from his father, Abraham
to Esau, an unworthy son. Esau
was a hunter, a man of violence,
who could not fulfill the moral
demands of that way of life
which Abraham had begun. It
was Jacob, the other twin, who
could properly achieve this task.
But Isaac was partial to Esau
because Isaac did not recognize
the truth.
Rabbi Eliezer says: " 'Isaac
did not see' means that he did
not see with the 'Divine spirit'
what would be the character of
Esau in his later years, how he
would become a marauder, a
man of cruelty, a murderer."
Isaac lacked not only sight
but insight. He was deficient not
only in vision, but also in
understanding. He was blind to
that truth which he should have
known, that Jacob was the pro-
per recipient of the most preci-
ous gift that he, the father,
could bestow.
Isaac's failing is not unusual
or extraordinary. Our under-
standing of people, relation-
ships, and values is often dis-
torted, confused or imperfect.
We fail to recognize that which
we should see, grasp, and
understand.
This defect is universal. In
some degree, all of us are
limited in this capacity of
vision. But we ought to recog-
nize these limitations and at-
tempt to overcome them. -Unless
we do, we shall do injury to our-
selves and those whom we love,
we shall deny ourselves the
achievement of that potential
which we could otherwise at-
tain.
One of the most profound doc-
trines of the Wise Men of Greece
was "Know Thyself." But each
of us treads a narrow line be-
tween reality and delusion. A
great discrepancy often exists
between what we are and what
we think we are. We view our-
selves as fine, caring, loving,
considerate people. But there
are occasional moments when
we discover that we have re-
markable capacities to be un-
pleasant, rude, unloving and
egotistical.
Conversely, we often see
others as they are not, and fail
to see them as they are. We look
upon others as individuals
created to serve our needs and
to provide for our comfort.
Dorothy Parker was know for
her caustic wit. She was once at
a cocktail party at which some-
one praised another prominent
woman by saying, "She is very
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kind to her inferiors." Ms.
Parker then asked bluntly,
"Where does she find them?"
Stripped of its malice, the
question points to a truth that
applies to all of us. Indeed, isn't
there something perverse in us
when we begin to divide people
into the categories of superior
and inferior? Are we not obliged
to consider other persons simply
as human beings and accord
them the consideration and re-
spect due them by virtue of this
towering endowment?
Many of us are often of
limited vision when we look
Toledot: Genesis
25:19-28:9. Malachi
1:1-2:7.
upon Judaism. For some,
Judaism is a meaningless collec-
tion of antiquated rituals. For
some, it is a gigantic relief
society — engaged in an unend-
ing series of campaigns. For
others, it is a folk superstition
in which no well educated per-
son can believe. For still others,
it is a pleasant although in-
nocuous pastime, suitable only
for the very young or the very
old. -
We must learn to view our
religion differently, to perceive
Judaism as having presented
the highest ideals the world has
known — peace and justice and
brotherhood. Judaism offers us a
way of life based on faith and
reason, a way of holiness and
truth that can bless each day
and hallow every act.
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Vandals Hit
Boro Park
New York (JTA) — Van-
dalism against Jewish-owned
stores in the heavily Orthodox
Boro Park section of Brooklyn
last weekend has aroused seri-
ous concern among community
leaders who believe it was a
premediated act of anti-
Semitism planned to coincide
with the 47th anniversary of
Kristalnacht, the destruction of
Jewish property in Nazi Ger-
many during the night of No-
vember 8-9, 1938.
Rabbi Israel Steinberg, direc-
tor of community relations of
the New York State Division of
Human Rights and a Boro Park
resident, said the windows of 14
Jewish-owned or Jewish-
identified shops were smashed
with heavy rocks along a ten-
block stretch of 13th Avenue,
the neighborhood shopping dis-
trict. Non-Jewish shops and
businesses were untouched, he
said. There was no graffiti or
slogans.
Steinberg said damage to the
windows alone would amount to
about $3,000. Merchandise was
damaged but there were no
thefts.
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Our dinner was by candlelight.
The dessert was by citylight.
Cup after cup,
The coffee was Brim.®
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