(TORAH PORTION I
National Council of Jewish Women
Greater Detroit Section
takes pleasure in inviting you to a
Moses, And We, Battle
Discontent And Evil
Centennial Gala
Celebration
RUTH M. MARCUS
Special to The Jewish News
I
Tuesday, June eleventh
nineteen hundred and ninety-one
Jewish Community Center
West Bloomfield
6:30 p.m. Cocktail reception and Historical Exhibit
of Greater Detroit Section
7:30 p.m. Dinner
Guest Speaker
Linda Ellerbee
Noted Columnist and Author
Shelly Cooper
Gala Chairwoman
Barbara Grant • Helen Shevin
Centennial Chairwomen
Benefactor $125 per person Patron $75 per person
MOVING SALE
LI QUIDATING FU
E R N N TI RI ER El
& VAtCESSORIE S
of OFF
EVERYTHING
50/0
and
MORE
(313) 258 6000
-
Valet Parking
HOT
SUMMER
SAVINGS!
Greg
SHOES
COLONY INTERIORS
Sugar Tree Plaza 6203 Orchard Lake
626-1999
West Bloomfield
ORCHARD MALL EVERGREEN PLAZA
851-5566 559-3580
WEST BLOOMFIELD
SOUTHFIELD
We are winning.
AMERICAN
Excluding all previous sales and all sales final
50
FRIDAY, MAY 31, 1991
SOC
CAN
n this week's parshah,
Behaalotecha, there is a
lot of action, unlike some
portions which deal dryly
with lists of begats, endless-
ly with sacrifices or at length
with laws which seem to have
little or no relevance to us
today.
But tomorrow we will read
about the artistry of the
menorah, the consecration of
the Levites, the second Pass-
over, pillars of cloud and fire,
trumpets of silver, cucumbers
and manna and quail.
Let us explore two concepts
running through the chapters
of Behaalotecha which have
relevance and meaning for us
each and every day: discon-
tentment and evil gossip.
The murmurings at
Taberah begin the chain of
events which led to the exclu-
sion from the Promised Land
of those who were themselves
brought out of the land of
Egypt. The Israelites became
discontented with the manna
God supplied them for food
and began to lust for the fish,
cucumbers, melons and other
foods which they remembered
from Egypt.
The real motive for their
discontent is not explicitly ex-
pressed; rather, trivial com
plaints and frequent
grievances crop up repeated-
ly. When the Israelites went
forth from slavery to freedom,
Ibrah and mitzvot became as
if yoked about the necks of
people who were accustomed
to bondage under human
taskmasters. They were not
yet ready to willingly accept
self-discipline in community
and individual life.
Indeed, in the current
economic climate, people are
apt to complain. Those with
jobs feel they are working too
hard and not making enough
money. Those without posi-
tions feel that life has dealt
them a mean blow and may
sometimes despair that they
will ever find work.
Such attitudes can lead
man into serious trouble as
he loses sight of his real pur-
pose which is to use time on
earth for the betterment of
mankind.
In Behaalotecha, God
causes great flocks of quail to
Ruth Marcus is president of
Michigan Branch, Women's
League for Conservative
Judaism, and executive
director of the Hebrew Free
Loan Association.
fly about the camp in such a
way that the Israelites were
able to capture huge quan-
tities, much greater than
their need could possibly re-
quire. Their greediness
eclipses their ungratefulness
and God sets a plague among
them which touches every
family.
The punishment is much
harsher on this second occa-
sion — they had been warned
the first time in Exodus when
God provided manna in
answer to their plaints. But
note that while God's anger is
great, and he punishes the
people with a terrible punish-
ment, the Israelites are not
wiped out. Even at such a
time, God reaffirms his cove-
nant not to destroy entirely.
Even Moses is not immune
to complaints of his own.
"Why have I not found favor
Bahaalotecha:
Numbers 8:1-12:16,
Zechariah 2:14-4:7.
in Your sight, that You lay the
burden of all this people upon
me?" And truth to be told the
burden is indeed a heavy one.
The people, as we have seen
in just one example, are con-
tentious and complaining.
They are not accepting or
cooperative; their greed has
no bounds.
Leaders through the ages
have found the burdens of
leadership to be unbearable.
How much does it imply
about the Israelites at this
time that Moses, even Moses
the greatest leader in our
history, cannot shoulder the
burden of them, their migra-
tion, and the transformation
into a nation.
And so God has a plan: He
instructs Moses to create a
council of 70 elders to share
governance of the people.
They will share authority
which has its source in the
Lord God, as demonstrated by
the descent of the cloud,
which, with the pillar of fire,
is the symbol of God's con-
stancy with the people.
But this proves to be a test
of Moses' leadership ability
too: how to select exactly 70.
The midrash explains that he
finally decided to select six
from each of the 12 tribes;
upon drawing ballot slips
designating them "elder," two
found theirs to be blank.
Another commentator
remarks that two, Eldad and
Medad, in their own humili-
ty, did not come to the Tent of