TORAH PORTION
I
JEWELRY APPRAISALS
At Very Reasonable Prices Call For An
tefie,6, n
established 1919 k.
Balaam, Waldheim And
Necessity Of Criticism
RABBI IRWIN GRONER
Special to The Jewish News
I
t may come as a surprise
that criticism or chastise-
ment is not only regarded
as a virtue by Judaism, but is
included among the 613 Com-
mandments of the Torah. The
Book of Leviticus (19:14)
declares: "Thou shalt surely
rebuke thy neighbor, and not
bear sin because of him?' We
have a responsibility to im-
prove and elevate the
character of others by the pro-
per expression of admonition
and reproach.
Criticism is not only a com-
mandment addressed to the
individual, it is also one of the
major functions of religion.
What is the Ibrah, if not the
highest moral standard of
life? Therefore, the Torah
serves as goad and critic.
Shabbat Balak:
Numbers
22:2-25:9,
Micha 5:6-6:8
Because it measures the
distance between the ideal
and the real, it reveals to each
of us our imperfections.
A powerful illustration of
this truth is conveyed by to-
day's Torah Portion which
contrasts two figures: Balaam.
and Moses. Balaam was a
heathen prophet who was
commissioned by Balak, King
of Moab, to put a curse upon
the Jewish people. Much to,
Balak's chagrin, Balaam
blessed the people. He ex-
claimed: "How beautiful are
your tents, 0 Jacob, your
dwellings, 0 Israel!"
On the other hand, Moses
was persistent, tenacious and
sometimes merciless in his
criticism of the people, accus-
ing them of sinfulness,
obstinacy, and faithlessness.
But the judgement of
history declares that Moses
was the beloved prophet of
truth, while the heathen pro-
phet was known as Bilam Ha-
rasha, Balaam the Wicked.
The Jewish people through
the centuries have revered
the prophet who was the
critic, and condemned the
soothsayer who was the pro-
pagandist. Moses made out of
a horde of slaves a holy peo-
ple, while Balaam almost
pushed that people over the
threshold of destruction by
Irwin Groner is rabbi at Cong.
Shaarey Zedek.
his cunning strategies of
deceit and flattery.
What Moses was to his
generation, the Torah of
Moses must be to every
generation. When religion
fails to serve -as social critic,
it deserves to be criticized.
We, as Jews, bear witness to
this moral imperative. Most of
the churches of Germany had
nothing to say about the
Nazis in their original rise to
power, when the voice of the
church was still vigorous.
During the years of the
Holocaust, when the
diabolical "final solution"
was implemented for the Jews
of Europe, Pope Pius XII did
not speak out with outrage
and indignation.
Kurt Waldheim has been
revealed as a liar about his
past. Because he denied his
blood-stained past, he has
come to symbolize all those
Nazis with so much to hide,
who exchanged their
swastikas for business suits
and managed to become
respectable after the war.
Since these facts have come
to light, Waldheim has been
refused official welcome in all
the countries of Europe and
has been barred from the
United States. Pope John
Paul II has come to
Waldheim's rescue and has
broken the standard of isola-
tion and rejection of
Waldheim by holding a papal
audience with him.
For the last 20 years, there
has been a continuing
dialogue with the Catholic
Church in which sincere -ef-
forts have been offered on
both sides. It is important to
note that _progress has been
made — until now — in many
areas; and that a greater
awareness of Jewish concerns,
a greater responsiveness to
Jewish grievances has been
forthcoming by the leaders of
the Catholic Church.
But the Waldheim audience
has evoked strong rebuke
from the world-wide Jewish
community. With the deepest
respect for Pope John Paul II
and his office, we would
betray the memory of the six
million if we did not voice this
criticism, and express other
concerns as well. The time
has come for leaders of the
Jewish and Catholic com-
munities to address substan-
tive issues: among them, the
failure of the Vatican to
establish full and formal
diplomatic relations with the
State of Israel, and also to
face the realities of the exter-
mination of the Jewish people
in Christian lands.
FINE JEWELERS
GEM/DIAMOND SPECIALIST
Appointment
30400 Telegraph Road
Suite 134
Birmingham, MI 48010
(313) 642-5575
Daily 10:00-5:30
Thurs. 10:00-8:30
AWARDED CERTIFICATE BY GIA
IN GRADING AND EVALUATION
Sat: 10:00-5:00
MAJOR
EXPANSION
COMING SOON!
We're Still #1
in Custom Fashions
PA•-EA SV/IT, LTD.
Pine Lake N,11
4375 Orchard1 Lake RoaJ at Lone pine
Wect
MI
48033
( 3 1 3 ) 85 5 - 0 760
Call For Complimentary Consultation
custom fashion designs • complete alteration dept.
FASCO HEATING & COOLING
Guaranteed Lowest Price in Town
FINANCING AVAILABLE!
CREDIT NO PROBLEM!
CALL
573-1987
HOT SUMMER SALE
TO GET YOU THROUGH WINTER
10%
OFF
PURCHASE OF A NEW
FURNACE OR AIR CONDITIONER
•
•
•
•
Sales
Service
Installation
Repair
• Furnaces
• Air Conditioners
• Humidifiers
•, Air Cleaners
• Boilers