--I TORAH PORTION We Must Worship God In All Of Our Deeds RABBI MORTON F. YOLKUT Special to The Jewish News T he festival of Shavuot commemorates the quintessential event of Jewish history — the Sinai covenant between God and Israel. When God gave the Ten Commandments to our ancestors, he presented them on two distinct tablets. The tablets are familiar to us all: they represent the religious, ethical and social values of Shavuot Yizkor Judaism. The fascimile of these tablets is found in almost every synagogue — but the representation may be misleading. For, from the appearance of these tablets, we might tend to conclude that they are equal in con- tent, that the commandments on the first tablets are equivalent in length and style to those on the second. A cursory examination shows that this is not the case. The first five command- ments are, in fact, quite long, with great detail, explicit ex- amples and involved phraseology. In distinct con- trast to this detailed exposi- tion is the curt language of the second set of five com- mandments engraved on the other tablet: Do not murder. Do not steal. Do not covet. Short, unequivocal and succinct. This stylistic difference is meant to convey an important lesson in itself. The com- mandments engraved on the first tablet delineate the mitz- vot bain adam lamakom, the commandments regulating man's relationship to God. The second contain the mitz- vot bain adam lachavero, the commandments that govern man's relationship to his fellow man. The latter are clear, understandable and require no further elaboration. In- deed, the basic principle regulating the affairs bet- ween men should be simple and straightforward — do not do unto others what you would not have them do unto you. With this as a basis, there is little need for precise rules or further elaboration. Sim- Morton Yolkut is rabbi of Congregation B'nai Dauid. ple"mentchlechkeit" alone should serve as our standard when it comes to interper- sonal relationships. Not so simple, however, is the relationship between God and man. God is removed from us and we cannot in- tuitively know what is demanded in the divine- human encounter. And since we have no standard by which to judge, it is imperative that He carefully and explicately set forth for mankind what it is that governs the God-man relationship. It also is significant that in this initial revelation to the Jewish people God instructs them in both categories of mitzvot — those that pertain to piety and divine worship, and those that must govern our dealings with fellow men. Judaism makes no distinction between these two categories. They both come under the rules of our faith, of our Torah and of our religious codes of law. Neither can exist independently. Our sages point out that the word tablets in the Torah — luchot — is spelled chaser (without the pluralizing vov) and thus can be pronounced luchat, which is singular. The implication is that both tablets and both categories must be united into one. Judaism does not differen- tiate. Man must worship God in all his deeds, not only in religious ritual but in the ethical realm. The approach will be different in each case — just as the style of the com- mandments varies — but the goal is the same: "To find favor in the eyes of God and man." Religion in the Jewish Weltanshauung is when luchot becomes luchat, when the two tablets are fused together into one, when both categories — our relationship to God and our dealings with our fellowman — go hand in hand. In theory and in prac- tice, in thought and in need, religion and ethics must find synthesis and integration upon the tablets of God's law and, more important yet, within the heart and soul of man. El Doctorow Topic Rabbi Sherwin Wine of the Birmingham Temple will pre- sent the second of two reviews on the theme "Adventures in Fiction" 8:30 p.m. Monday. He will discuss the new novel, Billy Bathgate, by E.L. Doctorow. Jewish infant, Pierre Sauvage, in the arms of rescuer, 1944. Temple Beth El Cordially Invites The Community To It .e Our Guest For A Special Preview Evening "Weapons Of ► he Spirit" Emmy Award Winning 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. "when words are just not enough" The Athial Touch Bridal Registry, Gift Wrapping & Layaway Franklin Plaza 29209 Northwestern Hwy. 352-9190 M-Sat,10-5 Breast self-examination -- LEARN. Call us. ti, AAAERICAN CANCER SOCIETY' SPRING SALE 3 0 % Off All SAMSONITE FURNITURE (Assorted colors, immediate delivery) Sitting Pretty Evergreen Plaza 19747 W. 12 Mile, Southfield HRS: Mon: Sat. 10-6, Thurs. 10-7, Sun. 12-4 • 552-8850 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 43