TORAH PORTION I
We Can Never
Say Thank
You Enough.
Over the years,
thousands of you have
sent JARC tributes to
your family and friends.
We've thanked you, but
perhaps not enough.
Why We Must Believe
We're Able To Change
Your support has
helped operate 11
beautiful homes for
men and women with
developmental dis-
abilities. It has helped
others learn to live
independently. It has
provided critical family
support services.
RABBI IRWIN GRONER
Special to The Jewish News
T
Thank you for your
tributes. They are, like
you, never forgotten.
Call today to make a
tribute. 352-5272.
A Jewish Association for Residential Care
for persons with developmental disabilities
28366 Franklin Road Southfield, MI 48034 (313) 352-5272
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n
his Sabbath has a
special designation in
the Jewish calendar. It
is known as Shabbat Shuvah,
the Sabbath of Return. Dur-
ing this time, we are urged to
undergo moral self-
examination so that we might
address our faults and tran-
sgressions, that we may seek
to eliminate them in the year
ahead.
In the Talmud, three rabbis
discuss the question as to
when a person should repent.
Rabbi Yossi says we are not to
wait for Rosh Hashanah and
Yom Kippur because "man is
judged every day" and he
ought to improve every day.
Rabbi Natan is more strict,
for he states "a person is judg-
ed every hour." Therefore,
repentance is required at
each moment.
Rabbi Meir, whose opinion
is authoritative, rules that we
are judged on Rosh Hashanah
and Yom Kippur, and this is,
therefore, the season of
penitence.
What were the sages argu-
ing about? Rabbi Yossi and
Rabbi Natan want us to
recognize that man constant-
ly lives under judgement.
While Rabbi Meir may not
disagree, he is more of a
realist. A person can't cope
with the notion that he lives
under judgement every mo-
ment and that every day is
Yom Kippur. This conception
overwhelms us. Consequent-
ly, Rabbi Meir says, and the
decision is with him, we
recognize designated times
for assuming the challenge of
tshuvah, the act of turning in
repentance.
But can we, in fact, over-
come our faults? Are they not
so deeply engrained in our
nature that try as we might,
we are fooling ourselves when
we believe we can eradicate
them? What about the
popular folk sayings — "You
can't teach an old dog new
tricks" or "You can't change
human nature"? Have we
become more sensitive, more
understanding and forgiving
and loving since last Yom
Kippur? Are we really being
honest when we believe — or
pretend to believe — that we
can change?
Irwin Groner is senior rabbi
of Congregation Shaarey
Zedek.
Jewish tradition declares
emphatically that to be
human is to have the capaci-
ty for change and growth and
development. Have you ever
had a disagreement with so-
meone you are trying to per-
suade, influence or guide, and
you hear the response "That's
just the way I am."
That's my nature, take it or
leave it. The phrase is to be
condemned on several counts.
First, it isn't true. Second, it's
a libel against the human
personality. Third, it's an in-
sult against the Almighty
who made us capable of
change and improvement.
The deeper truth is that we
are not today what we were
yesterday, and we don't have
to be tomorrow what we are
today. Tshuvah means you
have to take responsibility for
Haazinu
Shabbat Shuvah:
Deuteronomy
32:1-52,
Hosea 14:2-10,
Micah 7:18-20,
Joel 2:15-27.
your life and make those deci-
sions that will enable you to
be all God intended you to be.
To change ourselves, we
have to fervently believe that
we can change, that we can
respond to the call to
self-liberation.
We must believe we can in-
deed become more devoted to
those whose lives are linked
with our own, more under-
standing of the needs and
hopes and fears of others.
We can become more
faithful in assuminig our
obligations to our people, our
synagogue or temple, our
Jewish way of life.
We can become more honest
in our relationships, more
sensitive to our moral and
spiritual well being.
We can become quicker to
forgive, slower to condemn.
To change, we have to
believe that we are free moral
agents, capable of exercising
the power of choice in
response to the challenge of
the Torah.
"I have set before you life
and death, the blessing and
the curse; therefore, choose
life that you may live, you and
your descendants."