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Pine Lake mall 4375 Orckarci Lake Road at Lone West Bloomfield, MI 48033 p ine custom fashion designs • expert alterations on premises (313) 855-0760 THE CULTURAL COMMISSION OF CONGREGATION B'NAI DAVID Cordially Invites You to Hear ANNETTE DULZIN Israeli Political Columnist • and 1987 Detroit Zionist Federation Scholar in Residence on at CONGREGATION B'NAI DAVID 24350 Southfield Road Southfield, Michigan 48075 557-8210 . Question & Answer Period -- No Charge — The Community is Invited Friday, March 6, 1987 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Sincerity: An Example Of Art Imitating. Life RABBI MORTON F. YOLKUT Special to The Jewish News T here was once a Greek sculptor named Phidias who was com- missioned to make a statue that was to go up against the wall in one of the rooms of a temple in Athens. Phidias used only the best and most expen- sive marble for the task, and he gave care and devotion to every inch of the statue. A friend asked him, "I can understand why you are so concerned with the front side, for that will be seen. But'why do you work so hard on the back of the statue? It will be up against the wall and no one will see it anyway." The artist answered, "The gods see everywhere." It was an incisive answer for it expresses the truth that a real artist does not create in order to impress others but in order to express himself. If his aim were only to impress others then it would have been sufficient to work on the visible part of the statue, but if the goal was to express his inner- most self, then the work of art had to be right both inside and outside. I think Phidias would have understood, appreciated and responded to one crucial in- sight in this week's Torah por- tion. The Torah does not come to teach us the art of sculpture or the art of painting. It is primarily interested in teach- ing us the art of living. But there is one verse in this week's portion that is strikingly simi- lar to the story of Phidias. In the sidrah of "Terumah," the building of the Holy Ark of the Tabernacle is described in great detail. Moses is told that the Ark shall be made of acacia wood and covered with pure gold both outside and inside (Exodus 25:10-11). Outside.— where people can see it, and in- side — where no one but God will know; both must be made of the same gold and both must be constructed with the same care and devotion. On this verse the Talmud makes a simple and relevant comment. The Rabbis teach: "From this we learn that who- ever wishes to be considered a disciple of the wise has to be Tocho K'varo, the same kind of person inside and out" (Yoma 72b). He cannot be super pious when people are looking, and a scoundrel when no one else will know. Instead, he must be the same kind of person when others are looking and when no one else but God can see. . "The U.S., Israel and Iran" 11:00 a.m. Sunday, March 8, 1987 46 TORAH PORTION Morton P. Yolkut is rabbi at Cong. B'nai David. There is a word in the English language that has its origin in the same concept: the word "sincere." Some authorities suggest that it comes from two Latin words sine and cera that mean "with- out wax." In the ancient world, when artists were commis- sioned to produce a work of sculpture they often encountered technical prob- lems. It would sometimes hap- pen that the marble had a flaw, or a statue would be damaged in the making. To remedy this a white wax was used for the purpose of concealing any de- . Shabbat Teruma: Exodus 25:1-27:19, 1 Kings 5:26-6:13 fects, and so cleverly was this done that it was almost im- possible even for a skilled eye to detect it. But in the course of time, the wax became dis- colored and the flaws were ap- parent. So to guard against this, the sculptor had to give a guarantee that his work had been done "sincerely," that is, "without wax." When we come before God at the end of our lives and when we show Him the work of art which we have produced, which is the story of our lives, may each of us be able to say that whatever we did was like the statue: sincere. If we can say that, then like Phidias the sculptor, and like Bezalel, who made the Ark of the Taberna- cle, we will have produced a work of art that will be cherished as truly sacred. Blind Girl Is Judo Champ Jerusalem (JTA) — The only blind competitor, 12-year-old Michal Levy has become Jerusalem's girls judo cham- pion. She qualified for the na- tional championships later this year. Tough and wiry, Michal has been studying judo since she was six at the Jerusalem Hapoel Sports Club. She trains seriously at three or four ses- sions a week, but still has time for other hobbies. She says she would rather win acclaim for her music than for judo. She plays and composes for the piano. Michal attends a regular school in Mevasseret Zion; a new town just outside Jerusalem. Her textbooks are in Braille. She also is learning to use an Optacon machine that converts printed letters into raised dots.