HOLIDAYS

To All Our
Friends & Their Families,
Our wish for a
year filled with
happiness,
health and prosperity.

28301 Franklin Road
Southfield, Michigan
353-2810

SPERBER'S
NORTH
JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER

West Bloomfield, Mich.

661.5151

HENRY & MARIETTA SPERBER

wam

ANN FORD

WITH ALL THEIR EMPLOYEES

WISH YOU A HAPPY & HEALTHY
NEW YEAR

CATERING FROM CHILDREN'S PARTIES 10 THE
MOST ELEGANT AFFAIRS, IN OUR LOCATION

OR YOURS

WE ARE AT YOUR SERVICE TO HELP
YOU PLAN A COMPLETE MENU AND
ACCOMMODATE ALL YOUR FESTIVE NEEDS

UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE COUNCIL OF ORTHODOX RABBIS

148

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1991

I

Lesson In Tensions

Continued from preceding page

raham's conception of his
role vis-a-vis others. To him,
the more exclusive he is, the
more his goal of the univer-
sal recognition of God seems
distant. God concedes: if that
is your understanding of the
covenant, then sacrifice your
son. Give him up. Take your
son and offer him as a burnt
offering. If Abraham does
not want to do it God's way,
then he has no need for
God's gifts either.
Abraham has three days to
contemplate this challenge.
As he and Isaac reach the
foot of the mountain, Abra-
ham begins to see God's
point. He leaves the servants
at the base of Mount Moriah
(22:5), and spends the trip up
the mountain in un-
precedented seclusion with
his special son. And there he
discovers, not at the top but
on the way up, that this son
of his, this little Isaac, is
committed to serve God even
at the expense of his life. The
boy bears the wood, and
father and son walk together
-physically and spiritually
(22:6,8). Up to the very last
moment, Isaac shows no
signs of fear or retreat. But
the true test is not Isaac's,
but Abraham's. He has
learned that the son he had
prayed for, but who comes at
such high cost, is the only
route to go if his message is
to continue. The slow process
of making a nation corn-
mitted to God and dwelling
in the Land of Canaan is ge-

nerations off. Abraham real-
izes that the requisite selec-
tion will have to continue,
postponing the ultimate,
universal goal for an in-
determinate period of time.
And this man, who craves
visitors and seeks the com-
pany of all others, with none
excepted, must accept,
however grudgingly, the
reality that his descendants
will have enemies (22:17).
Rosh Hashanah is a holi-
day which last two days,
even in Israel. On the days
we celebrate the world's
creation and mark the
judgment of all creatures,
the rabbis felt that the dual
commitment which serves as
the very raison d'etre of Jew-
ish existence, the inherent
tension which drives the
Jewish spirit, deserved to be
the central focus of the
readings.
On the first day we recount
the laudable need of our
patriarch to include others,
to reach out to every man
and woman, whether slave
or free. But the second day
reminds us, as it did Abra-
ham, that the only way to
achieve that sublime goal is
to accept our exclusivity,
realize that we will have
enemies, and nevertheless
persevere in living God's law
to its fullest. Any corn-
promise of that conviction
necessarily means the
sacrifice of our character.
Shanah Tovah.

❑

Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Rabbinic Group Offers
Reading Ceremonies

The Rabbinic Cabinet of the
United Jewish Appeal has
distributed two original
reading ceremonies for Rosh
Hashanah, the Jewish New
Year of 5752.
The Home Ceremonial
Reading was written for the
Rosh Hashanah evening
meal, when pieces of apple
that have been dipped in
honey are distributed to par-
ticipants. The ceremony can
be read either in unison or
responsively,
The second ceremony — a
responsive reading designed
to be recited in the synagogue
before the blowing of the
ram's horn, shofar, explains
that the shofar challenges us
to awaken and identify with
all people who are in need.
Rosh Hashanah home
reading:
For centuries, Jews have
celebrated Rosh Hashanah by
eating apples and honey. We
express our hopes and prayers
that this new year ahead may

be especially sweet for
ourselves, our loved ones and
all the Jewish people around
the world.
Seated at the festive table, we
remember our precious
heritage. We understand that
the new year is a sacred time
for reflection and hope, as we
pray for guidance to meet the
challenges of the coming year.
The beginning of the year
5752 is marked by extraor-
dinary events.
We are witnessing the
redemption of Ethiopian Jews
in the land of Israel. May their
memories of famine and
danger fade, as they experience
the joy of reunification with
their families.
We are witnessing the
emigration of more than
250,000 Soviet Jews who have
been isolated from the
mainstream of the Jewish
world for decades. May they
find empathy and caring as
they establish new homes
among the people of Israel.

K