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Queen's Attendant Draws
Us To God's Presence
RABBI YITZCHAK M. KAGAN
Special to The Jewish News
T
he building of the
Mishkan, the desert
sanctuary, was com-
pleted. The seven days of in-
stallation had come to a close
and still the Shechinah, God's
Divine Presence, had not
manifested itself in the
sanctuary.
The people felt ashamed
and said to Moses, "We went
to all this trouble for the
Shechinah to dwell among us
— to know that we have been
forgiven for the sin of the
Golden Calf."
Moses answered: "My
brother Aaron is more worthy
and excellent than I. Through
his sacrifices and his service
the Shechinah will rest
among you."
An analogy frequently used
in the works of the kabbalah
Shabbat Shemini:
Leviticus 9:1-11:47,
I Samuel 20:18-42
and elsewhere portrays God
as the supreme king and
Israel as His queen. Moses is
described as the king's atten-
dant. The emphasis in his
religious leadership was to
bring God closer to the people.
The Tbrah, which emanates
from God, was given through
Moses to Israel.
By contrast, Aaron was the
queen's attendant. His forte
was raising the spiritual stan-
dards of Israel, elevating the
people and bringing them
closer to God.
Aaron's duties included the
daily kindling of the menorah
candelabrum in the sanc-
tuary, making sure that the
flame — symbolizing the soul
— took hold in the wick and
flickered upward. Aaron made
Jewish souls flicker upwards
toward their Creator.
As the sages expressed it,
he "loved all creatures and
drew them near to lbrah."
Again the emphasis is in
drawing them upwards, closer
to Thrah.
It is Aaron's approach
which embodies God's
ultimate purpose for creation,
as Moses himself declared,
"My brother is more worthy
and excellent than I." For
although God reaches out to
lowly man, the ultimate pur-
pose of this "descent" is to
arouse man to refine and
elevate himself and to come
Rabbi Kagan Is associate director
of the Lubavitch Foundation.
closer to the Almighty. Con-
sequently, it was Aaron's ser-
vice that was able to elicit the
highest degree of revelation of
God's Presence.
If we desire that the
Shechinah dwell within us,
that our endeavors be blessed
with Divine success, we must
be a follower of Aaron. We
have an obligation to work
with our brothers and sisters,
and attempt to raise their
level of commitment to
Judaism, elevating them and
drawing them upwards, closer
to God.
11,
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FILM AND THE HOLOCAUST
Elie Wiesel writes "Auschwitz negates all literature as it negates all theories and doctrines;
to lock it into a philosophy is to restrict it. To substitute words, any words, for it is to distort it."
What about images in film? Can the camera capture the essence of the Holocaust where the
pen fails?
In this course, we will take a look at the differences between documentary and artistic ap-
proaches to the Holocaust. How do the films "Night and Fog," "Shoah," "The Partisans of Vilna,"
"Mr. Klein," "Shop on Main Street" and "The Assault" treat the topic of responsibility and por-
tray the perpetrators, the bystanders and the victims? Excerpts will be shown and discussed.
Dr. Sidney Bolkosky
Men's Club
Sabbath
The annual Beth Achim
Men's Club Sabbath will be
observed Saturday. Par-
ticipating in the service will
be Les Hubert, Dr. Dennis
Phillips, Bart Levich, Steven
Klausner, Nathan Norman,
Charles Berris, Israel
Liebowitz, Morris Penner,
Gerald Keller, Leonard Gutt-
man and Arthur Sugarman.
Steven Fink is chairman.
— ATTENTION —
Professor, University of Michigan, Dearborn
Co-author of
"A Holocaust Curriculum Life Unworthy of Life"
An 18 Lesson Instructional Unit
Midrasha - College of Jewish Studies - A Division of United Hebrew Schools
DATES: Thursdays, April 21, 28, May 5, 12 TIME: 7:30.9:30 P.M.
PLACE: United Hebrew Schools, Sigmund and Sophie Rohlik Building
21550 West Twelve Mile Road, Southfield, MI 48076
COST: $35
For further information, please call 352.7117
Equality Topic
Of Lecture
Rabbi Sherwin T. Wine of
the Birmingham Temple will
present the second of three
talks on the theme "The
Struggle for Equality" at 8:30
p.m. today. He will discuss
"The Real Issues in the
Presidential race." Equality
will be the theme of the ser-
vice and discussion will
follow.
"""i'l NEWS 1""'"
Maimonides
In Pakistan
Jerusalem — An article on
the medieval Jewish scholar
Maimonides (Romban) that
was written by Prof. Shalom
Rosenberg of the Hebrew
University of Jerusalem, has
been published in the Urdu
language in Pakistan.
The article was written for
Le Courier, a publication of
UNESCO (United Nations
Educational, Scientific and
Cultural organization), and
was translated and published
in full in the Urdu language
in UNESCO's Pakistani edi-
tion of Le Courier.
The publication cited the
author's full name and his
identification with the
Hebrew University of
Jerusalem, a rarity in
Moslem lands.
Beth
Hciyeled
c\-1,e6e
Your
pre-schooler
will know the
difference.
Enroll now for the September Shaarey
Zedek Beth Hayeld Program.
The goal of Shaarey Zedek's Beth Hayeld
program is to create a growing experience
that children will love and thrive upon.
Next fall will mark the 40th year of com-
bining our commitment to Jewish Tradition
with experienced and loving teachers and a
child-centered curriculum.
Sessions for two year-olds through
kindergarten. Lunch program, extended
hours, parent-toddler and enrichment classes.
Two locations: at the synagogue on Bell
Road in Southfield and in West Bloomfield
near Lone Pine and Middlebelt. Summer
day camp program also, at the synagogue.
Call Janet Pont, 357-5544, for more
information.
Shaarey Zedek Beth Hayeld
THE DETROIT JEWI HIVE