TORAH PORTION Affording the best is not the questionwfinding the best is. A first Apartment living in a Skilled Nursing Facility For the discriminating person requiring an elegant environment Bortz Health Care Family owned and operated for over 33 years Medicare approved CALL 363-4121 For our limousine to pick you up for a personal tour of our facility. 6470 Alden Drive, Orchard Lake NOW . .. at your service SONNY BRASS - • • • • • • • AN that the name implies."' Draperies Bedspreads Blankets (cleaned or laundered) Window Shades Lampshades Pillows Venetian Blinds Knoll ur 1940s-1970s (w) 398-0646 (h) 661-4236 S (cleaned, retaped & re-corded) FREE! estimates pick-up delivery Any other items you may have - if it can be cleaned, we'll clean it and clean it properly Phone for 'bit that the nahie implies" 891-1818 44 FRIDAY, JULY 5, 1991 L_ OPERATING THE NEW AND IMPROVED SERVICE Ask for LES TOP CASH PAID CLASSIFIED GET RESULTS! Call The Jewish News 354-5959 Success, Failure Continued from preceding page ceed his grasp, or what's a Heaven for?" The unfinished work of one man may be in- finitely greater and more beneficial to humanity than the completed agenda of another. Reflection on the life and death of Moses also helps us to understand the meaning of the terms of "success" and "failure" from the Jewish perspective. To have ac- complished all that was undertaken is not the criterion for success; if it were, the most honored men in our history would be con- sidered failures. Not only did Moses fail, but David failed to carry out his dream to build the Temple in Jerusalem; Eli- jah failed to bring reforma- tion of Israel; Maimonides planned several works which he did not live to write; Herzl died long before the realiza- tion of the Zionist dream. Their names live on in the ad- miration of our people, but they all failed in that they did not realize their goal. That, however, is not the Jewish way of evaluating a career. The criterion which our tradition proposes is rather: "It is not your duty to complete the task, but neither are you free to desist from it." (Avot 2:16). If before undertaking a worthy task we stop to ask ourselves whether we can fully ac- complish it, we shall never even begin to attempt it. The proper course to adopt is to start and do our very best, to make as much progress as we can and leave the end to take care of itself. From this perspective we can appreciate the real suc- Shabbat Pinchas Num. 25:10-30:1 Jeri. 1:1-2:3 cess of Moses' career. Yes, it was an unfinished life, but not a failure. He lived to see the Promised Land from a distance and his efforts had brought the goal appreciably nearer. That is all one should hope for and labor for in life. Very few are allowed to enter the land of their dreams; most of us must be content with a far-off glimpse. But if we end our lives with our eyes turn- ed to the Promised Land as did Moses, the sight which we observe will be a full and satisfying reward for our labor and dedication. ❑ SYNAGOGUES Temple Beth El Cites Gerenraich Laurence Deitch, president of Temple Beth El, awarded the President's Cup to Lois Gerenraich at the annual meeting of the congregation. Mrs. Gerenraich, an 11-year member of the temple board of trustees, has served as chair of numerous commit- tees including worship and ritual, philanthropic, educa- tion fund and catering. An ac- tive member of the Sisterhood, she is past sisterhood treasurer, ad- ministrative vice president and president. She is on the national board of the Na- tional Federation of Temple Sisterhoods. Her community involvement extends to the Jewish Community Council, the Jewish Home For Aged, Harper Hospital and Channel 56. The President's Cup recognizes length of service, initiative and innovation in leadership. Beth Shalom Has School Openings Congregation Beth Shalom Religious School is now accep- ting registration for the 1991-92 school year. Beth Shalom is an independent Conservative religious school offering a variety of activities for youth in kindergarten through 7th grade. Classes are held on Monday and Wednesday at Avery School in Oak Park or at the Doherty School in West Bloomfield on Tuesday and Thursday. All classes meet at Avery on Sunday. In addition, bar/bat mitzvah programs and training are available. There are separate Junior Congregation services each Sabbath morning for various grade levels. Kadima and United Synagogue Youth pro- vide activities for youngsters. The children's choir, led by Cantor Samuel Greenbaum, participates both in synagogue and community functions. For information, call the school office, 547-7972. Beth Achim Plans Picnic Congregation Beth Achim will host a Shabbat picnic 7 p.m. July 12. The program will follow a traditional Kab- balat Shabbat service at 6 p.m. For reservations, call the synagogue, 352-8670.