TORAH PORTION Lesson In The Omer On Jewish Knowledge RABBI MARTIN BERMAN Special to The Jewish News T PHOTO © GLEN CALVIN MOON INNOVATIVE DESIGN CUSTOM CABINETS FOR HOME OR OFFICE MANUFACTURED ON OUR PREMISES From concept to reality, our custom designs, expert craftsmanship and quality installation suit your specific needs. Our custom cabinets and furniture will enhance your surroundings. (313) 624-7300 3149 Haggerty Rd. • Walled Lake • 48390 JEWELRY APPRAISALS At Very Reasonable Prices. Call For An Appointment established 1919 FINE JEWELERS Lawrence M. Allan, Pres. • GEM/DIAMOND SPECIALIST AWARDED CERTIFICATE BY GIA IN GRADING AND EVALUATION 30400 Telegraph Road Suite 134 Birmingham, MI 48010 (313) 642-5575 A WAY WITH WORDS 14)hen words alone Don't say enough and Uhoughts you must convey For that special time what special gift or '7hat special day. Uhe need to rhyme Means so much more ao get your thoughts across so call me up with all ahe fa cts If you find you're at a Loss. by Lois Original Poems for all occasions Invitations Candle lighting Gift enclosures Toasts 52 FRIDAY, MAY 3, 1991 Lois 681-6159 DAILY 10-5:30 THURS. 10-7 SAT. 10-3 Ruth & Marlene Invite You To . . KNIT SEPARATES 29107 Northwestern Hwy., Southfield 358.4085 Mon: Fri. 10.4, Sot. 10.3 "Where You Come First" Kosins Uptown Southfield Rd. at 11 1 /2 Mile • 559 - 3900 Big & Tall Southfield at 10 1 /2 Mile • 569-6930 CLASSIFIED GET RESULTS! Call The Jewish News 354-5959 he command to count the Omer is found in this week's Torah por- tion. "From the day on which you bring the sheaf of wheat offering — the day after the Sabbath — you shall count off seven weeks. They must be complete. You must count un- til the day after the seventh week — fifty days." The word "Sabbath" nor- mally means the seventh day of the week. Indeed, we know from both rabbinic and exter- nal sources that some Jews, the Boethusians, understood the word "Sabbath" in this verse to mean the first Sab- bath after Passover began. They insisted that the coun- ting of the Omer must always begin on Sunday. Thus Shavuot could fall on any day from the Sixth of Sivan to the Twelfth of Sivan. However, their method of counting insured that Shavuot would always fall on Sunday. This is not the only possible interpretation of this passage. The Pharisees who lived at the same time as the Boethu- sians, said that in this context "the Sabbath" means the first day of the holiday. By coun- ting seven full weeks from the beginning of Passover we celebrate the holiday of Shavuot on the 50th day, which may be any day of the week, but it is always the Sixth of Sivan. This inter- pretation is supported by the Septuagint, the Greek trans- lation of the Torah. The Jewish historian Jose- phus, who lived at the time of the destruction of the Second Temple also supports this view as does the earlier Jewish philosopher Philo. Those who are familiar with the practice of counting the Omer know that today we begin counting the Omer on the second night of Passover. As heirs to the rabbinic tradi- tion which was a continua- tion of the Pharisaic, we modern Jews accept their determination of when to start counting the Omer and when Shavuot falls. By rejec- ting the rabbinic tradition the Boethusians cut themselves off from the mainstream of the Jewish people. In a later period of history, the early Middle Ages, another group of Jews, the Martin J. Berman is rabbi at Congregation Beth Achim. Karaites, rejected the rab- binic tradition. They wanted to substitute their interpreta- tion of the Torah and its com- mandments for the inter- pretations of the rabbis. Again they cut themselves off from the bulk of the Jewish people. Today, there are no Boethusians and the Karaites remain but a small sect. The rabbinic tradition has been the determining factor in how Jews have understood the Torah. Whether one believes that tradition was part of the revelation at Sinai as the "Oral TDrah" alongside the "Written Torah" or only sees it as the result of the cen- turies of interpretive ac- tivities of the Jewish sages, it Shabbat Emor: Leviticus 21:1-24:23. Ezekiel 44:15-31. is clear that historical Judaism is that tradition. Judaism cannot be under- stood without this tradition. The details of Kashrut, the laws of the Sabbath, the structure of our prayers, the ethical norms of Judaism are found not in pages of the Written Torah but in the record of the Oral Drah found in the Mishnah and the Talmud and codified in the works of scholars such as Moses Maimonides, Joseph Karo and Moses Isserles. Unfortunately, many in to- day's Jewish community can- not identify the Mishnah and the Talmud. While many recognize Maimonides, the names Karo and Isserles are unknown. An ignorant Jewish com- munity is a community destined for destruction. Perhaps not physical destruc- tion, but certainly spiritual. Education on both a youth and adult level is important not only for mere intellectual curiosity but for basic Jewish survival. It makes no difference if one is an Orthodox, Conservative, Reconstructionist or Reform ignoramus. Ignorance is the enemy of every stream in Jewish life. It is said about civil law that "ignorance of the law is no excuse." It is also true that as regards Judaism there is no excuse for ignorance. It is vital that today's Jewish community reconnect with the traditional sources of Jewish life. 0