• „

,

..4

„

•

•

.••

•

• —, • •:••

•-•—,••••••••0.4,.

•••• • ••.‘ e•

'

•

•••,

•

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Friday, January 24, 1986 45

TORAH PORTION

'Legacies' Of Fathers•
Affect Their Children

BY RABBI M. ROBERT SYME

Special to The Jewish Netvs

This Sabbath has a special dent said, "My father worships
name. It is called Shabbat sporting events. If there is a
Shirah, the "Sabbath of Song," basketball game or a hockey
referring to the time when the game on Friday night, nothing
children of Israel escaped from stands in his way." On and on it
Egypt. The Torah tells us that went, revealing the shabbiness,
the Red Sea divided, so that the the emptiness of many a modern
Israelites might cross over on father's religious legacy to his
dry land. Later, the waters re- children.
Let me share with you a
turned and drowned the pursu-
ing Egyptians. When that mira- beautiful story that is found in
cle occurred, the Israelites sang the Talmud about Rabbi Akiva.
a song of gratitude to God. The One day he saw a man, bur-
words in part were: "This is my dened with a heavy load of
God, and I will glorify Him; my wood, wandering about a cemet-
father's God, and I will exalt ery. The rabbi asked, "Are you a
man or a demon?" The man re-
Him.
Whenever this portion is read, plied, "I am a dead man. I have
I invariably think of my father, to gather wood every day, to
of blessed memory. We were prepare a funeral pyre for my-
self." "What was your occupa-
tion while you were alive?" "I
was a tax collector, who favored
the wealthy, oppressed the poor,
Beshalach.
and committed acts of immoral-
Shabbat Shim.
ity." "Is there any way to save
asked the rabbi. "The only
Exodus 13:17-17:16. you?"
way I can be redeemed is if my
Judges 4:4-5:31.
wife whom I left with child,
should bear a son, and he should
recite in public the Borchu or
say the Kaddish. But I do not
walking home from the know who would teach him."
synagogue one Saturday, and I
Rabbi Akiva did not rest until
asked him why the text distin- he found the woman and her
guished between "my God," and son. He taught the boy how to
my "father's God." After all, we- pray and to recite the appropri-
ren't they the same? He ex- ate prayers. Subsequently, the
plained that every person de- father appeared to Rabbi Akiva
velops his or her own concept of in a dream and said: "You have
redeemed me from the punish-
God.
In the Shmoneh Esray — the ment of Gehinnom. May your
18 benedictions -- it speaks of spirit therefore rest in Gan
"our God, and the God of our Eden (the garden of Eden)."
fathers," and then it says: "God
Now, the meaning of - this
of Abraham, God of Isaac, and legend is that the kaddish in it-
•God of Jacob." Each one had a self is not a prayer for the sal-
'different concept of God. In vation of the soul of the de-
other words, religion is not ceased. The public recital of the
hereditary. Every generation Kaddish testifies to the fact that
has its own idea of God. Every in. some way parents helped to
generation has' its own relation- perpetuate God's name on earth.
The actions of the children
ship with God.
As I think back now; I realize influence the judgment that is
that the "God of my father," was passed on the deceased parent.
a very personal 'God, a God to
We ought to ask ourselves
whom he could speak, to whom from time to time, "What is the
he could pray, in whom he could legacy that we are bequeathing
confide. True; there were times to our children?" After We are
when he was troubled by God's gone, will our children be able
actions, such as when my little to say, Ki lehkahc4 tohu — "a
cousin died of polio. But he good heritage has been left to
never stopped believing! He us." "My father's God is worthy
would say Mi fregt' nisht ("You of being exalted!"
That would put a song in
mustn't question"), or he would
echo the words of a popular every father's heart.
song: Got un zein mishpot iz
.gerecht ("God and His judgment
is right.") This was my "father's
God,' until the day of his death.
This was the faith that . he
WJC Seeks
transmitted to me.
Recently, I spoke to a 'group of 'Witnesses
college students on the theme
New York -- The United
"The God of my father." At the
end of my address, I asked the States Department of Justice
students to discuss the God of has requested the assistance of
their fathers. The answers were the World Jewish. Congress in
disturbing, disillusioning, de- locating witnesses to 'Nazi
' pressing. One student said, "My crimes committed at the Dachau
father's god 'is 'money. This is concentration camp in Germany
his chief object of worship. He between 1940 and 1943 and the
will stop at nothing to achieve Wiener Neudorf camp in Au-
stria from 1943 to 1945.
it."
Anyone with information may
Another student said, "My
father's god is power. He be- contact Ms. Bessy Pupko at the
lieves that this is the, key that WJC, One Park Avenue, New
York, N.Y. 10018. '
opens all doors." Another

,

,

You've read the
five' books of
Moses. Isn't it -
time to try the
Fifty-Two Issues
of the Detroit
Jewish News? It
may not be_
holy, but it's
weekly! And
• such a bargain.'
To order your
own subscription
call 354-6060.

-

,

.

,

L