THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Friday, November 29, 1985 00000000000000000 hen It Comes To Pain, ause Supersedes Effect Y RABBI MORTON F. YOLKUT ecial to The Jewish News The sages of the Midrash take a mg hard look at the life and 'lies of the patriarch Jacob and onclude that "there is no rest for ie righteous in this world." It is a ad statement and it is also a tor- t statement. Indeed, the entire Se of Jacob, from before his birth rktil after his death, is one con- inuous documentation of this ath. Jacob's life was one constant truggle, one continual crisis. even before he was born, he had to rrestle his twin brother in his aother's womb. As a child, he had fight his brother for the birth- ight and the blessing. He ran ay from Esau's anger and ran nto Laban, who in his own cun- dng way was even a greater chal- ?-nge. He worked for Laban for 20 ears, and had to fight and con- Vayishlach: Genesis 72: 4-36:43. Obadiah 1:1-21. pire to get his proper wages. He carried wives who quarreled over irn. He raised sons who did not lways obey him. In this week's sidrah, Jacob repares for the confrontation 'th Esau, which he expected to e a bloody one. Just prior to this eunion he wrestled with a mys- ious stranger throughout the ght and was wounded. Then he ad the pain of seeing his only laughter molested. Later in the book of Genesis, ,hings go from bad to worse. Jacob returns to his father's home, hop- ng to find that illusive peace and -st and he is immediately con- ronted with the tragedy of Joseph d his brothers. His favorite son as taken from him and believed ead. And then when he was in- ormed that Joseph was alive, he ad to again leave his home be- use of a famine and spend the 3t years of his life in Egypt. And even at the very end, this aged an who sought peace all of his days and never found it, had to implore his children to take his remains back, to the Promised Land. We all can appreciate this truth ';:-: om our own lives as well. The is so made that each person , 1_ world in it has his full measure of sorrow and pain. No one has permanent peace of mind. What then is the difference between the good per- son and the bad? The difference is in what they suffer for, in what it /ib that takes away their peace of mind. The measure of a human being is what bothers him, what dis- turbs him. He who would live a life without pain has come to the wrong world. But we can choose, \ perhaps not completely but cer- ' tainly in part, the kind of pain we \want to endure. ' A couple, for example, can opt between the pain of having and raising children or the pain of not shaving and not raising them. What parent has peace of mind? Each age brings with it new prob- lems and new crises. The Yiddish proverb puts it very well: "Kleyne kinder, kleyne tzores; groyse kin- der, groyse tzores (Young chil- dren, small problems; older chil- dren, bigger problems)." There is aggravation, tension and pain most of the time, but it is creative, and fulfilling pain and it is well worth it! We choose every day of our lives between reaching out to others with all the risks and pains that involves, or keeping to ourselves, with all the certain pain that entails. A petty person feels pain each time his toes are stepped on or his honor is abused. A great person feels pain when another human being suffers, who cares and is concerned for those beyond himself. The measure of a person is not whether he has pain and tzores — this all people do — but what is it that gives him the pain. Blessed is the one who suffers for worth- while things, who experiences the pain of achievement, the struggle of building, the frustrations of creating and the joy of accom- plishment. Peace of mind is an unrealistic and illusory goal, but to serve and struggle and fight in an important cause is a goal worthy of us all. Kahane Support Surprises Two New York (JTA) — Two Israelis — one Arab, the other Jewish — who have completed a two-week speaking tour in the U.S., said here that they were surprised by the support within the American Jewish community for the views of Rabbi Meir Kahane, the leader of the ultra-nationalist Kach Party, who advocates the ousting of all Arabs from Israel. Rafik Halabi, an Israeli jour- nalist who is a member of the Druze sect, and Rabbi Moshe Habertal, a leader of Netivot Shalom, an Israeli religious peace group, came to the U.S. as Leader- ship Fellows under awards from the New Israel Fund, a group which works for civil rights and Jewish-Arab cooperation in Is- rael. They spoke Nov. 20 at a press conference at the American Jewish Committee. "I have confused impressions from the meetings with American Jews," Halabi said. "We met many Jews who support Kahane, but at the same time we met many Jews who are for pluralism and democracy in Israel." "I found that the American Jewish community is divided along the same line as the Israeli society," Habertal said. He said that he is bothered by the use of "religious propoganda" by Kahane and his supporters to gain inroads among American Jews. "Fighting Kahanism is fighting for the soul of Judaism," he asserted. ALEXAN A CovitinAlvig Core Colter COLONY ° INTERIORS TORAH PORTION 1 11 Sugar Tree Plaza Providing skilled nursing care in a quiet, residential setting for over thirty years, our professional staff is dedicated to serving the special short-term, convalescent and long- term needs of our patient-guests and their families. at Maple & Orchard Lk. Rd. 626-1999 0 cxxvose000QQQ00oo 718 W. Fourth Street, Royal Oak 545-0571 4Wv- -4•3)34 ,itg•- FOR THE WELL DRESSED WOMAN WHO DOESN'T WANT TO SEE HERSELF COMING AND GOING . 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