perience is Adat Shalom's
final Mishpacha event of the
season. The family programs
are co-sponsored by the
synagogue's nursery school
and Jewish Experiences For
Families.
• The June 4 event is open to
the community. There is a
charge, which includes bus
transportation to and from
Ortonville. Reservations must
be received by Tuesday.
Jewish infant, Pierre Sauvage, in the arms of rescuer, 1944.
For information, call Dottie
Levitsky, 851-5105.
I TORAH PORTION I
Diligently Study Torah
And Worries Diminish
RABBI SHAIALL
ZACHARIASH
T
he greater the commit-
ment of man to his be-
lief in God and His
commandments, the fewer his
questions and worries. Small
children fear little because
they put their trust in their
parents. As they grow older
and seem to become indepen-
dent, fears increase.
Were we to analyze our ex-
istence, we would see that we
are entirely dependent on
God. The non-believer would
interpret everything dif-
ferently; he would be concern-
ed about many things, in-
creasing his fear.
Many areas of involvement
create terrible consequences.
Shabbat
Bechukotai:
Leviticus
26:3-27:34
Jeremiah
16:19-17:14
Parents teach their children
not to play with matches.
Matches can start fires that
can rage beyond control. Were
a child left alone in a building
full of combustible materials
and with no warning not to
play with matches, we should
not be surprised at the
destruction tha could take
place. Whom would we blame
— the child or the adult who
let these things develop? The
federal government requires
warning labels to be affixed to
packages of cigarettes, drugs
and electrical equipment
because of the consequences
resulting from misuse.
When God gave His people
the Torah to observe, its
fulfillment would bring much
blessing. Should the people ,
Shaiall Zachariash is rabbi
of Congregation Shomrey
Emunah.
violate it the consequences
would be disastrous. We
realize how serious it is by the
description of the tragedies
that would befall us as outlin-
ed in this week's Torah por-
tion, starting from Leviticus
26:14 through 26:46. When
disaster or tragedy strikes, we
know that it must have been
the result of not living up to
His will.
. Scripture talks about a
sevenfold (verse 26:18) of
punishment. Our sages ex-
plain that seven degrees of
violations took place (Rashi
verse 15). Each violation sets
-the stage for further viola-
tions. The number one viola-
tion that triggers the others
is not studying Torah. The
subsequent violations are 2)
not fulfilling His commands
3) despising those who do
fulfill His commands 4)
hating the sages 5) stopping
others from fulfilling His
commands 6) denying that He
gave the commands and 7) de-
nying the presence of God.
When those who believe in
the word of God look around
and see chaos among Jews,
they see that very little ibrah
study is maintained. It is also
for this reason that the need
to study Ibrah is emphasized.
How many adults, members
of congregations, people in-
volved in communal en-
deavors and even retirees
engage in serious Torah
study?
Ibrah study is for every Jew,
young and old. The basic
layer of protection for the Jew
is Torah study. When that is
missing, should it be surpris-
ing that all sorts of trouble at-
tach themselves to us?
The second degree that
brings about the tragedies is
not fulfilling His commands.
Many Jews believe in the
Torah as God given, but ex-
cuse themselves with petty
excuses from fulfilling the
commands. There is a tenden-
cy to blame the wicked ones
Temple
Cordially Invites The Community
To Be Our Guest For A Special
Preview Evening
Weapons Of The Spirit"
Emmy AwardWinnin
' g Film By
Pierre Sauvage
Sunday, June 11, 8:00 p.m.
Sauvage's highly acclaimed new feature length film tells the story of
Le Chambon, a small mountain community in Nazi-occupied France, where
5,000 Christians took in and saved 5,000 Jews during the Holocaust.
Born and sheltered in Le Chambon, Sauvage himself was among those Jews
whose families were tortured and murdered in the Nazi death camps.
Pierre Sauvage will be present to talk about the making of the movie
and the lessons he has learned from it.
"Inspiring and ennobling, beautiful and painful to watch,
this extraordinary film is a tribute to a kind of moral courage
rarely seen but to which mankind must, if it is to survive, aspire."
—Norman Lear
Winner! L.A. Film Critics 1988 Documentary
Winner! Documentary Gold Hugo, Chicago Film Festival
Temple Beth El, Telegraph at 14 Mile, Birmingham
This event is being funded by a grant from the Stein Family Fund.
PLAY STRUCTURES
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at 7549 Pontiac Trail
1 /2 Mile East of Haggerty Road.
For Additional Information
Please Write or Call:
Guffrey Products
7549 Pontiac Trail
West Bloomfield, Ml 48033
(313) 624-7962
In Brighton (313) 229-9646
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
47