•r•

..*

.

v

. .

DON'T
GET LOST
IN THE
CROWD

a

,.. .

story to teach profound ideas
to boys and girls, he said.
"Concealed within that story
is the kernel, the essence, the
seminal point of what he
wanted to get across."

After the child has heard
the story, he has access to its

• . _.

message; he simply doesn't
know it, Dr. Brawer said. So,
too, "the world is here to be
used to reveal the essence of
the Creator, which is the
whole reason we're here.
Everything is a tool with
which to bring out divini-
ty." ❑

I TORAH PORTION

A Great Legal System
For A Humane Society

deals with the establishment
of a sole central sanctuary in
Special to The Jewish News
Jerusalem.
One must remember that
euteronomy, meaning
when
the Israelites took over
repetition of the law,
Canaan
they found heathen
is the remarkable
practices flourishing in a
story of how the discovery of
religion of animism — the
one book changed the life and
worship
of trees, streams,
destiny of the Jewish people.
mountains
and animals —
In the year 621 BCE, King
especially bulls and lions,
Josiah discovered the core of
symbols of masculine pro-
the book of Deuteronomy.
wess. Also worshipped were
Cast in the form of a farewell
the asherot, feminine sym-
address, it told how Moses
bols of sexuality and fertility.
renewed the divine covenant
Idolatry was to be struck
with Israel and repeated
down.
many of the laws previously
Here, scripture seems harsh
mentioned in Exodus. It was
in rooting out heresy and
to be a virtual constitution for
heretics. Local pagan cults
the people when they took
were to be cast aside and
over the Promised Land.
rooted out. Only the central
Deuteronomy has a broad
sanctuary was to remain and
spirit of benevolence and
help unite the nation. Nor
should Israelites even inqurie
out of_curiosity about foreign
Shabbat Re'e:
religious practices, lest people
Deuteronomy
become contaminated by such
11:26-16:17,
seductions. "Do not inquire
about their gods, saying, 'How
Isaiah 54:11-55:5.
did those nations worship
their
gods?' " Josiah's revolu-
humanitarianism, showing
tion re-established the Ibm-
generosity to slaves, to cap-
ple in Jerusalem as the sole
tives in war, to strangers,
sanctuary to which sacrifices
always referring to the time
might be brought.
when Israel suffered as slaves
in Egypt.
- The process of centraliza-
This week's sedra, part of
tion of worship almost was
what is known to scholars as
defeated when the two an-
the Deuteronomic -Code,
cient kingdoms were later
covers a wide range of sub-
divided into two, with Judah
jects as Moses lectured his
in the south and the kingdom
people about rejecting idol-
of Israel in the north.
atry and remaining faithful
Scholars believe this was the
to God when entering the
time when at least the core of
Promised Land. In the third
Deuteronomy was discovered
part of his farewell address,
and became the basis of King
Moses dealt with the con-
Josiah's program. of reform.
solidation of worship into a
Local shrines like Shechem,
central sanctuary (Jerusalem - Shiloh and Beth-el were to be
is never mentioned but an-
dismantled in favor of the one
ticipated and clearly under-
central sanctuary.
stood) and the elimination of
The laws • of Deuteronomy
local shrines and high places
are not always arranged by
of heathen worship. It is the
subject, though they can be
only book in the Bible that
roughly divided into four
main groups: laws dealing
Richard Hertz is rabbi
with national religious life,
emeritus of Temple Beth El.
centering around the single

OPEN HOUSE

Sunday, August 27, 1989
1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
TEMPLE KOL AMI

5085 Walnut Lake Road
W. Bloomfield, MI 48033
661-0040

RABBI RICHARD HERTZ

D

COME SEE WHAT-
WE ARE ALL ABOUT

Norman T; Roman
Rabbi

Ernst J. Conrad

Established in 1966

Founding Rabbi Emeritus

Affiliated with the Union of American Hebrew Congregations

ongregation

g

th Isljchim

HIGH HOLIDAY SERVICES

in the Main Sanctuary will be conducted by
RABBI MILTON ARM, ASSOCIATE RABBI. MARTIN BERMAN
CANTOR MAX SHIMANSKY

Membership Available

AUXILIARY HIGH HOLIDAY SERVICES

Sol J. Schwartz Auditorium
RABBI BENJAMIN H. GORRELICK will officiate
and DAVID ARM WILL CHANT MUSAF SERVICES

Tickets $80.00

Tickets available at:
21100 West 12 Mile Rd., Southfield, MI
For Further information call 352-8670

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THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 47