Send it for Less at ... AUDETTE CADILLAC, INC. BUY or LEASE from FRED STONE 6453 Farmington Rd. Member Cadillac Crest Club Highest Achievement RABBI M. ROBERT SYME 855-5822 851-7200 Special to The Jewish News SECURITY STEEL DOOR FOX ALUMINUM DOORS Cntry Door Prehung Only From $ 1 4995 (JAMB-BRICK MOLDING (EZ-11 • WEATHER STRIPPING-THRESHOLD ) $9995 GARAGE DOORS Mill Finish Only Deluxe Steel Sectional P-220 ONE STOP DOOR STORE TEMPERED GLASS & SCREEN HELIARC WELDED CORNERS HEAVY DUTY FRAME ALL HARDWARE OTHER COLORS AVAILABLE (INSTALLATTON ONLY $49.95) SHOWROOM 19025 W. 10 Mile Rd. ,,ritt 350-2222 ,eifr,„ ve TI• (Estimates) Sales • Service • Installation From $ 1 99" (MODEL 4126 8X71 KWIKSET LOCKS Deadbolt & Entry From $ 22 95 (COMPLETE LOCKSMITH SERVICES) I GLASS & SCREEN REPAIR I SAVE $2.00 per piece With Coupon (Pick-up & Delivery Avoiloble) B'nai Moshe is A commitment to the community. When You Join B'nai Moshe, You Join A Mishpacha. For information, call the Synagogue (548-9000) or Marc Sussman (541-3132) Congregation B'NAI MOSHE, 14390 W. Ten Mile Road, Oak Park MI, 48237 BE A WINNER, PLAY ThE CLASSIFIEDS Call The Jewish News Today 354-6060 nEviittoi ( SEND TREES AS NEW YEAR GREETINGS - JEWISH NATIONAL FUND WILL IMPRINT YOUR SPECIAL NEW YEAR GREETING ON A TREE CER- TIFICATE AND ADDRESS AND FORWARD THEM FOR YOU TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND RELATIVES. WHAT A WONDERFUL WAY TO HELP THE JEWISH NATIONAL FUND CONTINUE ITS VITAL WORK FOR THE PEOPLE AND THE LAND OF ISRAEL. For further further information, kindly contact: -JEWISH NATIONAL FUND 18877 W. Ten Mile Rd. Southfield, Mich. 48075 (313) 557-6644 Edward Rosenthal Franklin J. Ellias President 24 Remembering Egypt, Remembering Poverty (at Maple Rd.) AUDETTE CADILLAC 7100 Orchard Lake Rd. • • • • • TORAH PORTION Friday, September 12, 1986 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Executive Director A few weeks ago, there was an exodus from many Ameri- can homes. Thousands of young people were preparing to leave for college. Before their departure, parents were engaged in frenzied shopping, packing, and especially advis- ing! "Remember to study!" "Don't forget to call or write!" "Don't overdraw your checking account!" "Don't associate with the wrong friends!" The list of "remember, don't forget" is endless. You will notice however, that what a parent deems most important, is repeated several times. This gives us an insight into this week's sidrah. The children of Israel are about to enter the Promised Land. Moses, like a parent, is say- ing goodbye to them. He knows that he will not ac- company them physically, but he wants to be with them spiritually, morally, ethically. And so, he gives them advice. He reminds them to be merci- ful to other human beings, to animals, to birds. He counsels them how to treat an em- ployee. But throughout the entire discourse, he repeats not once, but several times: "Remember Egypt. Re- member that you were slaves in the land of Egypt." Now, to a modern person, that kind of advice is surpris- ing. After all, Egypt conjured up memories of slavery, of the lash of the taskmaster. Who wants to remember the miseries of the past? To Moses, however, it was im- portant that they never forget Egypt. And so, it de- volves upon us to ask: What lesson can this "parental ad- vice" teach us today? At this point, if you were in one of my Bible classes, I would use the "word associa- tion" test. I would say the word "Egypt" and I would ask you to tell me what thoughts immediately come to your mind. Last year, I employed this technique with some of my high school stu- dents, and a large number answered: "ho lath mo anyo — lo this is the bread of affliction, the bread of pov- erty that our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt." , I was rather taken aback at the response. Perhaps their answer was due to the fact that they had just ob- served Passover and the Haggadah was still fresh in their minds. Nevertheless, I was surprised that young boys and girls living in America, many of whom M. Robert Syme is a rabbi at Temple Israel. come from affluent homes, would think of poverty. I have given it much thought, and have concluded that the remembrance of pov- erty is the avenue of generos- ity. Perhaps this example will explain. There is a woman in my congregation, a woman in her sixties, who came to this country from Russia as a teenager. She knew the meaning of poverty. She had experienced depriva- tion. And then good fortune (or hard work) enabled her, together with members of her family, to prosper. A few years ago she came to my office and told me that God Shabbat Ki Tetze: Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19; Isaiah 54:1-10 had been good to her, and that she wanted to share her blessings with others. There was only one proviso: no one was to know her identity. I cannot begin to tell how many causes she has helped, and how many people she has assisted. I call her "my angel," because she has per- formed so many angelic de- eds. And why? The answer is all important: because she has never forgotten her pov- erty. And because she ap- preciates God's blessings, she wants to be a blessing to others! In a few weeks, we Jews will be gathering in our houses of worship to usher in a new year. We will hear ap- peals on behalf of worthy causes. Who will respond most generously? Those who remember their poverty; those who are grateful that their parents or grandparents came to this land as penni- less immigrants, and man- aged to achieve success and freedom. Recently, I came across a child's definition of memory. A child said: "My memory is the thing I forget with." Well, that's forgivable for a child, but not for an adult. Memory should be an instrument that we employ to ennoble our- selves and the world at large. That is why Moses said to the children of Israel: "Re- member, do not forget Egypt." If we remember our poverty we will be released from our self-centeredness. Braille Group Seeks Volunteers Tri-County Braille Volun- teers are forming classes in Braille transcription in Far- mington Hills, Oak Park, Southfield and Livonia. For information, call Ruth Kush- ner, 356-8015.