TORAH PORTION
For Marvelous Mom
Give The Grandest Gift
A Democracy Cannot
Rest On Laws Alone
RABBI IRWIN GRONER
Special to The Jewish News
T
- Pamper her with lusterous pearls; surprise her with an eternity bracelet for her eternal love; lavish
your mom with a gift from Greis Jewelers and make her feel Special on her Special Day.
INC.
32940 Middlebelt Road • Farmington Hills, MI • 855-1730
Temple Emanu-E1
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invites you to share their
on the Boardwalk
37th Anniversary Shabbat
MAY
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MAY 8-13
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Scholar-in-Residence Weekend
Daniel S.
Schechter
Co-chairperson. Commission on
Religious Living of the Union of
American Hebrew Congrega-
tion and Central Conference of
American Rabbis
Excehence 967
in Fashion tor the Young at Heor,
6919 Orchard Lake Rd • West Bloomfield, MI
855-5528
Friday, May 12, 1989 8:15 p.m.
"Being a Reform Jew in the 1990's"
Saturday, May 13,1989 10:30 p.m.
"Shabbat and Spiritual Survival"
Sunday, May 14, 1989 11:45 a.m.*
"Personal Perspectives on Leadership
and Learning"
*Faculty and Education Committee Luncheon reservations required at a
cost of $5.50 each. Call 967-4020 to RSVP.
46
he 19th chapter of the
book of Leviticus is
unsurpassed in the
Torah for moral depth and in-
sight. While the 'Thn Com-
mandments are the fun-
damental statement of the
moral law, this chapter states
laws that are not simply a
repetition of those contained
elsewhere, but offer a new
refinement and sensitivity.
They go beyond the purely
legal to the moral and
spiritual implications of the
demand for justice.
Consider these two illustra-
tions: "Thou shalt not
murder" is the Sixth Com-
mandment. What if a person
sees his neighbor drowning,
attacked by wild beasts, or
the victim of assault? Does he
have a moral obligation to in-
tervene and rescue his fellow?
Verse 16 declares "Thou shalt
not stand idly by the blood of
thy neighbor." We have a
moral responsibility to save
one in distress.
Verse 14 states: "Do not put
a stumbling block before the
blind." The sages' interpreta-
tion: do not abuse the ig-
norance of a person by
misleading him. Don't expose
someone who is vulnerable to
those temptations that may
cause him to sin. Don't lend
money to a borrower without
witnesses because he might
be tempted later to deny the
loan. Don't _ leave your
valuables lying about in the
presence of your servants; the
temptation may be too much
for them.
These laws will not be found
on the statute books of
Western society because the
act is difficult to define, the
intent cannot be proven, and
punishment is not readily
specified. It would be almost
impossible to summon
witnesses and objective
evidence. These are not the
kinds of crimes punishable by
civil law, because the Ibrah
addresses moral ideals.
Chapter 19 reaches the
peak of ethical striving in
declaring: "Thou shalt not
hate thy neighbor in thy
heart" and "thou shalt love
thy neighbor as thyself."
The sages of the Talmud say
all these are "Devarim
Hamesurim Lalev," matters
of the heart, promptings of
the conscience that cannot be
Irwin Groner is senior rabbi
of Congregation Shaarey
Zedek.
FRIDAY, MAY 5, 1989
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dealt with in the public
arena. If one violates these
standards, no judge will sub-
poena him, no court will sum-
mon him, no earthly
punishments will be levied
upon him.
One awesome phrase punc-
tuates these ethical demands:
"Fear the Lord." He alone
knows the secrets of the soul,
and only before Him are
revealed the mysterious ways
of our hopes, motives and in-
tentions. Know, therefore,
that in your love or hate of
your fellow man, there is only
one above who exercises .
judgement.
This 19th chapter should
lay to rest once and for all the
classical libel that Judaism is
Kedoshim:
Leviticus
19:1-20:27,
Numbers 28:9-15,
Isaiah 66:1-24
a religion of "law" concerned
only with outer form and not
inner character. Torah is
mistranslated as "law." Law
cannot govern every aspect of
life, but Ibrah is intended to
refine the human spirit, in-
form the conscience and
e _ levate moral awareness.
This lesson needs to be
shared with all Americans.
We must recognize that
although the law as an in-
strument of justice is very im-
portant, ultimately the whole
structure of our society rests
upon attitudes, loyalties and
moral convictions, especially
of our leaders.
Consider the case of
speaker of the House Jim
Wright, number two in suc-
cession to the line of the
presidency. A committee of
his peers, determined there is
"reason to believe" the
speaker has violated congres-
sional rules of conduct in 69
instances. These allegations
have not yet been proven, but
a lurid portrait has emerged
of a political leader wielding
great power who abused his
high trust. Favors were
bestowed on Speaker Wright
by constituents with special
interests and, in turn, he
pressured government agen-
cies to provide favorable rul-
ings for his friends and
benefactors.
Even if Wright can mount a
credible defense against the
formal charges brought
against him, his pattern of
conduct diminishes the
esteem of the office he holds;