TORAH PORTION COME AND HEAR World Famous Jewish Historian and Holocaust Scholar YEHUDA BAUER Director of the Center for the Study of Anti-Semitism at the Hebrew University who will speak on The Future of Israel: Survival with Integrity How,can the Palestinian conflict be resolved? What is the significance of the Russian immigration? Friday, February 9, 8:30 P.M. The Birmingham Temple 28611 West Twelve Mile Road Farmington Hills, MI 48018 477-1410 A Parable For All Times: The Short Way Is Not Always Best RABBI IRWIN GRONER Special to The Jewish News T he fulfillment of the dream of liberation for the Hebrew people is described in this week's sidrah. Pharaoh finally allows the enslaved Hebrews to depart, and they set forth on their journey to the land of promise, the land of Canaan. We are told that when the Israelites went out of Egypt, "God did not lead them by way of the land of Philistines, although it was nearer; for God said, 'the people may have a change of heart when they see war, and return to Egypt.' So God led the people round about by way of the wilderness at the Sea of Reeds?' There is much speculation in rabbinic literature as to why God chose to lead the Israelites the long way round Irwin Groner is senior rabbi of Congregation Shaarey Zedek. to the Promised Land, rather than taking the shortst and most direct route. After all, the actual journey could have been achieved in as many days as it took years. One rabbi reasoned that if it was the shortest way to the Land of Canaan, it also would be the shortest way back to Egypt. Every time the people faced difficulty or en- countered a crisis, they would be tempted to go back to Egypt. Had the way back to Egypt been easier, the hard- ships of freedom would have been more quickly exchanged for the security of slavery. The goal of the Promised Land is not reached easily without ef- fort and preparation. "This case," the sages say, "can be compared to a king who had a son to whom he wished to bequeath an in- heritance," but he argued: "If I give it to him now that he is small, he will not know how to take care of it. I will therefore wait until my son learns how to read and write and can understand the value of my property. Then I will be- queath it to him. And so, this is what God said: 'If I bring Israel into the land now, before they have busied themselves with My com- mandments, they will not know the meaning of their obligations. No, I had better Shabbat Shira: Exodus 13:17-17:16, Judges 4:4-5:31. give them the Torah first, and then bring them into the land.' " A parable for all times. The shortest way is not always the best way. To attain life's fullness takes both wisdom and maturity. And both of these require time. The sages had a keen in- sight into human nature. That which is quickly and easily attained has little value. A gambler will lose money at the throw of the dice, shrug and say "easy come, easy go." A bright stu- dent who crams before an ex- SYNAGOGUE SERVICES ORTHODOX: Fidelity Bank Building 24901 Northwestern Hwy. Southfield 357.1056 DON'T LET YOUR s e FLOORS Embarrass You Anymore Anthony Henry • Marble • Ceramic • Vinyl • Slate • Grouts • And More Mon.-Fri. 8-5 863-1465 Free Demo 42 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1990 Bais Chabad of Birm- ingham/Bloomfield Hills: Moshe Polter, rabbi. 646-3010. Bais Chabad of Farmington Hills: 32000 Middlebelt Rd., Farm- ington Hills. Chaim Bergstein, rab bi. 855-2910. Bais Chabad of West Bloomfield: 5595 W. Maple Rd., West Bloom- field. Melech Silberberg, rabbi. 855-6170. Beth Jacob-Mogain Abraham: 15751 W. Lincoln Dr., Southfield. Dov Loketch, rabbi. 557-6750. Beth Tefilo Emanuel Tikvah: 24225 Greenfield Rd., Southfield. Leizer Levin, rabbi. 559-5022. B'nai Israel-Beth Yehudah: 15400 W. 10 Mile Rd., Oak Park. Yoel Sperka, rabbi. 967-3969. B'nai Zion: 15250 W. Nine Mile Rd., Oak Park. Solomon Gruskin, rabbi. 968-2414. Dovid Ben Nuchim: 14800 W. Lin- coln, Oak Park. Chaskel Grubner, rabbi. 968-9784. Huntington Woods Minyan: meets at the Burton School. Dave Morrison, 542-1491. Kollel Institute: 15230 W. Lincoln, Oak Park. Moshe Schwab, rabbi. 968-0109. Machon L'Torah: 15221 W. Ten Mile Rd., Oak Park. Avraham Jacobowitz, rabbi. 967-0888. Mishkan Israel, Nusach H'ari, Lubavitcher Center: 14000 W. 9 Mile Rd., Oak Park. 543-6611. Shaarey Shomayim: 15110 W. 10 Mile Rd., Oak Park. Leo Goldman, rabbi. 547-8555. Shomrey Emunah: 25451 Southfield Rd., Southfield. Shaiall Zachariash, rabbi. 559-1533 or 557-9666. Shomrey Emunah-Ohel Moed: 6191 Farmington Rd., West Bloom- field. Eli Jundef, rabbi. 967-1806. Young Israel of Greenfield: 15140 W 10 Mile Rd., Oak Park. Reuven Drucker, rabbi. 967-3655. Young Israel of Oak-Woods: 24061 Coolidge, Oak Park, Eliezer Cohen, rabbi. 398-1177. Young Israel of Southfield: 27705 Lahser, Southfield. Elimelech Goldberg, rabbi. 358-0154. Young Israel of West Bloomfield: 6450 Farmington Rd., West Bloom- field. Ira Lutzky, 259-8500. TRADITIONAL: B'nai David: 24350 Southfield Rd., Southfield. Morton Yolkut, rabbi. 557-8210. CONSERVATIVE: Adat Shalom: 29901 Middlebelt Rd., Farmington Hills. Efry Spectre, rabbi. 851-5100. Beth Abraham Hillel Moses: 5075 W Maple, West Bloomfield. A. Irving Schnipper, rabbi. 851-6880. Beth Achim: 21100 W. 12 Mile Rd., Southfield. Milton Arm, rabbi. 352-8670. Beth Shalom: 14601 W. Lincoln Rd., Oak Park. David Nelson, rab- bi. 547-7970. Beth Tephilath Moses: 146 South Ave., Mt. Clemens. 465-0641. B'nai Israel of West Bloomfield: 4200 Walnut Lake Rd., West Bloom- field. Sherman Kirshner, rabbi. 681-5353. B'nai Moshe: 14390 W. 10 Mile Rd., Oak Park. Allan Meyerowitz, rabbi. 548-9000.. Downtown Synagogue: 1457 Griswold, Detroit. Noah Gamze, rabbi. 961-9328. Livonia Jewish Congregation: 31840 W 7 Mile Rd., Livonia. 477-8974. Shaarey Zedek: 27375 Bell Rd., Southfield. Irwin Groner, rabbi. 357-5544. REFORM: Beth El: 7400 Telegraph Rd., Bir- mingham. Daniel Polish, rabbi. 851-1100. Beth Isaac: 2730 Edsel Dr., Tren- ton. 675-0355. Beth Jacob: 79 Elizabeth Lake Rd., Pontiac. Richard Weiss, rabbi. 332-3212. Emanu-El: 14450 W. 10 Mile Rd., Oak Park. Lane Steinger, rabbi. 967-4020. Temple Israel: 5725 Walnut Lake Rd., West Bloomfield. M. Robert Syme, Harold Loss, Paul Yedwab, rabbis. 661-5700. Kol Ami: 5085 Walnut . Lake Rd., West Bloomfield. Norman Roman, rabbi. 661-0040. Shir Shalom: 5642 Maple Rd., West Bloomfield. Dannel Schwartz, rabbi. 737-8700. Shir Tikvah: 3633 W. Big Beaver, Troy. Arnie Sleutelberg, rabbi. 643-6520. HUMANISTIC: Birmingham Temple: 28611 W. 12 Mile Rd., Farmington Hills. Sher- win Wine, rabbi. 477-1410. RECONSTRUCTIONIST: T'Chiyah: St. Antoine at Monroe, Detroit. 393-1089. UNAFFILIATED: Sephardic Community of Greater Detroit: meets at Yeshivah Beth Yehudah, 15751 W. Lincoln, Southfield. David Hazan, vice president. 545-8945.