LEGS UP ON THE COMPETITION Men's as unworthy of man. Yet the New Testament records Jesus saying, "But the one who disowns me in the pres- ence of men, I will disown in the presence of my Father in heaven" (Matthew 10:33). In other words, Jesus seems to advocate treating others as they have treated him; a standard of justice that is perfectly commensurate with the demand of "an eye for an eye." In the time of the Talmud, "an eye for an eye" was not carried out literally, and Or- thodox Jewish scholars teach that it was never prac- ticed. The Talmud's rabbis feared that the very process of removing the perpetra- tor's eye might kill him as well, and that, of course, would be forbidden (Bava Kamma 84a). "An eye for an eye" was therefore under- stood as requiring monetary compensation equivalent to the value of an eye. The same understanding was applied to almost all the other punishments enu- merated in the same biblical verse, "a tooth for a tooth, a wound for a wound." The only punishment in this set that was not con- verted to a monetary fine was capital punishment for murderers, "a life for a life." Because the Torah believed that premeditated murder deserved the death penalty, there was obviously no fear of punishing the killer ex- cessively. Jewish law did dictate, however, that mur- derers be executed in the quickest manner possible. Hence, later Jewish law for- bade the Roman punishment of crucifixion. Torah law also forbade remitting a murderer's sen- tence with a monetary fine. Life and money, according to the biblical ethic, are in- commensurate; one can nev- er atone for murder by pay- ing money. In this regard, too, Torah law differed from the laws of the ancient Jews' neighbors, which would sometimes fine those who had murdered people belong- ing to a lower social class and which made certain property crimes (for exam- ple, looting at a fire) capital offenses. Women's SUCH A DEAL! Children's OUTLET Famous Names 50% OFF ALWAYS 50% Lincoln Square Plaza The Corners 13 Mile & Southfield Rd. 26135 Greenfield & 10%2 Mi. 557.1022 645-0065 LINCOLN PARK LIVONIA CLAWSON O FF ALWAYS 280-4900 ANN ARBOR/ WESTGATE In Jewish law, property crimes could never be pun- ished with death, and mur- derers could never be let off with payment of money, even if the family of the vic- tim was willing to accept it Both in its insistence that evil must be punished and in its equal insistence on set- ting limits to that punish- ment, "an eye for an eye" is a basic principle of biblical justice. ❑ Opening Soon The rabbi, whose previous books include Jewish philosophy and several mysteries, said his passions came through in this book, though he tried to be fair. He cites as examples his chapter on Reconstruc- tionist Judaism, which he is critical of, and the Bar Kochba revolution, which he Lincoln Park Shopping Center Opening Soon Livonia Plaza Opening Soon Bywood Plaza 560 14 Mile, E. of Crooks SHELBY TOWNSHIP ST. CLAIR SHORES Lakeside Hall Road Crossings Opening Soon The Shores Opening Soon You are invited to indulge yourself in BIRMINGHAM'S NEW ULTIMATE FITNESS FACILITY introducing DOWNTOWN Alitte,U,c OF BIRMINGHAM Paramount Exercise Equipment Day Care * Aerobic Classes European Massage Nail Tech * Sauna-Steam An Antidote For Jewish Ignorance Most Jews can tell you the three components of the Trinity but have a much more difficult time explain- ing mitzvot, according to Joseph Telushkin Rabbi Telushkin writes in the introduction of his new book, Jewish Literacy, that "at a time when Jewish life in the United States is flour- ishing, Jewish ignorance is, too." He said he spent the last several years compiling the 346 short chapters of his book, ranging from the Bible and Jewish history to Zio- nism and Jewish beliefs, to "provide a source of basic information about Judaism and Jewish life." SOUTHFIELD BIRMINGHAM $ 2 s says was a catastrophe for Jewish life. The rabbi said there is more than enough material for a sequel to his en- cyclopedic tome but he is now working on a new, lighter book on the 100 best Jewish jokes and what they tell us about Jews. ❑ Gary Rosenblatt NEWS Monthly Dues 645-6165 Mon. - Fri. 6 am-i 1 pm • Sat. 7 am-10 pm • Sun. 9 am-9 pm - LIKE NEW" SPRING DESIGNER FASHIONS & ACCESSORIES WOMEN (4-26) CHILDREN (0-14) CONSIGNMENT CLOTHIERS NO APP7: NECESS. P.S. FREE Paris (JTA) — Jean Kahn, the French Jewish leader who was just elected presi- dent of the European Jewish Congress, believes world Jewry must focus all of its resources on helping Israel absorb immigrants from the Soviet Union and Ethiopia. The main task of Jewish communities around the world is helping the immi- grants, Mr. Kahn said. coiv IP'tedl 625 S. Hunter • Birmingham HOUSE CALL SERVICE EJC Head Focus On Ohm i 347-4570 43041 W. 7 Mile • Northville E A HOME COOKING SERVICE 354-1080 352-6785 Permanent Eyebrow and Eyeliner, Lipliner, Skin Pigmentation, Scar Tissue, Skin Discolorations, Done in Sterile, Clinical Offices by TERRIE RYBA Licensed Dermalogist, Cosmetician Advanced Training, ParaMedical American Assoc. of Cosmetic Surgeons By appointment 3 Locations Bloomfield Hills, Romeo 338-6400 mom Lapeer 667-9000 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 53