NOTEBOOK
I
My Dinner
With Adin
GARY ROSENBLATT
Editor
November and December are filled
with excitement at Crosswinds Mall.
A preview of coming events.
ANTIQUE SHOW HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA
November 29th - December 2nd
Come browse amidst treasures from yesteryear
Beautiful gifts for the holidays
HOLIDAY FIESTA FANTASY
December 7th from 7 p.m. until the Margaritas run out!
Gala Mexican Fiesta to benefit The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Authentic Mexican Cuisine provided by Manuel's
Entertainment, Auction, Cash Bar and Fabulous prizes
Grand prize is a winter getaway vacation
For advance ticket donations $10 per person contact 354-6565
$15 Donation at the door • Dress to Lambada • Stores will be open until 11:00 p.m.
HOLIDAY ON WHEELS
December 14th - December 23rd
Crosswinds' First Annual International Luxury Auto Show
Come see 1991's finest luxury automobiles on display, courtesy of local dealers
No admission fee
Watch for other exciting events
Every one of Crosswinds' Shops and Restaurants
invites you to share the Holiday Fantasy.
ARBOR DRUGS
AZADE'
BARRY'S LET'S RENT IT
BLOCKBUSTER VIDEO
BREADWINNER
CARNABY STREET
CHILDREN'S CROSSINGS
COLORS NAIL SALON
CONTINENTAL CABLEVISION
CONTINENTAL EXCLUSIVES
COCKTAILS
DANIELLE PELEG ART GALLERY
DOMINO'S PIZZA
ELEGANCE TAILORING
HARRISON LUGGAGE
HUSHH
JEAN'S OF BLOOMFIELD
KAJ WEAR
KROGER
PALMER OPTICAL/LONE PINE
MAI KAI CLEANERS
MALTER FURS
MASTER'S CANDY
MEDALLION RESTAURANT
MERLIN'S RESTAURANT
NAIL CONCEPTS
NUANCE
PAK 8 SHIP
PINE LAKE SHOE REPAIR
REGARDS
OSSMA,
• ' kr‘
RICHARD'S BURGER
GALLERY
ROOM AT THE BOTTOM
SALLY'S DESIGNS
SALVATORE'S SALON
SECRETARY OF STATE
UNIGLOBE FUNTASTIC TRAVEL
YOGURT DELIGHTS
OPENING SOON
MANUEL'S MEXICAN CUISINE
TRENDS FOR YOUNG MEN
YOUR IMAGE INTERNATIONAL
NOW OPEN
SPORTS ADVENTURE
Tempting fashions, gifts and food to satisfy all your appetites.
Orchard Lake Road at Lone Pine • West Bloomfield
32
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1990
Does the media
today fill the
role of the bibli-
cal prophet, a
self-elected mor-
al authority pow-
erful enough to
bring
down
mighty governments?
That was one of the more
intriguing suggestions posed
last week during a dinner
discussion with Rabbi Adin
Steinsaltz, comparing an-
cient Jewish rule to modern
states.
Rabbi Steinsaltz is famous
for his monumental task,
about half completed, of
translating the Talmud into
modern Hebrew. And this
month Random House is
continuing its landmark pro-
ject of publishing Rabbi
Steinsaltz's English transla-
tion of the Talmud with two
new volumes drawn from
Tractate Bava Metzia.
But what fails to come
across in reading the rabbi's
work is his charming, at
times impish, personality.
During the dinner
meeting with about 50 high-
powered government leaders
and intellectuals, sponsored
by the Woodrow Wilson
Center and held in the
Smithsonian "Castle" in
Washington, Rabbi Stein-
saltz displayed wit as well as
wisdom as he enthralled and
stimulated his diverse au-
dience. His chosen topic was
"Government, Power and
Prophecy: Lessons of the
Talmud for Our Time." But
he preferred to pose the
question, "is there such a
thing as kosher politics?"
The 5 3 -year-old
Jerusalem-based rabbi, smil-
ing behind his fading red
beard, began by disclaiming
the introduction by Walter
Reich, a psychiatrist and
senior scholar at the Wilson
Center, who cited references
to Rabbi Steinsaltz as a ge-
nius in the mold of the
renowned commentator,
Rashi.
"If you'll just listen to me
for about 25 minutes, you
will soon see for yourself,"
said Rabbi Steinsaltz, imply-
ing that he is no genius.
"And I am certainly not a
prophet, since there are so
many things I don't know,
but I will try to raise many
questions."
That he did with a
discourse outlining the an-
cient Jewish "ideal political
system." Judaism's three
arms of government, he said,
can be traced to a quotation
from the Book of Isaiah:
"God is our Lawgiver, God is
our King, God is our
Justice."
God, then, is the source of
legitimacy, and though He,
in a sense, relinquished two
of those functions to man —
kingship and judgeship —
He alone can create the
laws, which He did through-
the Torah. "Man is the
discoverer of the law," noted
Rabbi Steinsaltz, "but never
the inventor."
With the king as ad-
ministrator and with no
legislative body, the judges
were given enormous power.
The Sanhedrin, which ruled
His chosen topic
was "Government,
Power and
Prophecy." But he
preferred to pose
the question, "Is
there such a thing
as kosher
politics?"
during the latter part of the
Second Temple period, was
an assembly of 71 elders and
was the supreme political,
religious and judicial au-
thority. Rabbi Steinsaltz
said that the chief require-
ment for membership was
for an individual to have
great knowledge and per-
sonal integrity.
In an ancient parallel to
our system of checks and
balances, a king of Israel
could declare a defensive
war on his own, but needed
the approval of the judges to
declare a war of aggression.
What happened when the
king and the judges dis-
agreed? "There was no con-
stitutional solution," the
rabbi said.
The most unique aspect of
the ancient Jewish political
system, Rabbi Steinsaltz
asserted, was the role of the
prophet. He could wield
great power, including veto-
ing decisions by the king and
the judges, suspending laws
and initiating rulings.
Moreover, he was not chosen
or elected, but was rather
self-selected, claiming his
authority from God.
"You cannot appoint a
prophet," Rabbi Steinsaltz
said, "only acknowledge
him."