The Israeli Community invites you to celebrate Israel at 45
"Reach for the Sky"
will bring songs, comedy and dance to you!
COME PARTY WITH US!
A Spiritual Life
Stresses Holiness
9 p.m., Saturday, May 1, 1993
Southfield Civic Center, Room 115
26000 Evergreen
RABBI RICHARD C. HERTZ SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
I
"Reach for the Sky" is comprised entirely of citizens of Detroit's sister city in Israel,
Yavne. Some are members of the Israeli Air Force, some are new immigrants -
but together they are a prestigious performing group bringing an international
background together with an Israeli flavor.
Make checks payable to
Sabra Hadassah,
and mail to Adina Laks,
33000 Covington Club Dr., #29,
Farmington Hills, MI 48334
Sponsors:
'Sabra Hadassah
•Israel Desk
•World Zionist
Organization
I WE CELEBRATE AS ONE I
•Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit
Orroo
•Southfield Civic Center
•Israeli Community of
Detroit
Limited Space!
Admission $10
Israel Independence Day
Refreshments & Cash Bar
45th ANNIVERSARY
Group Apartments
for the Elderly
A Jewish Family Service Program
Since 1979
• Luxurious apartments, with private bedrooms, for shared living.
• Supportive care provided by Geriatric Care Workers and Social
Workers.
If someone you know desires a family-like setting,
please call Jan Bayer at 559-1500.
JEWISH
p_v_q
FAMILY
SERVICE
Limited subsidies available.
Endowed by the Coville-Triest Family Foundations.
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Brandeis University Women's Committee
52
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399-3845
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he book of Leviticus
provides the Torah
readings in these
spring months follow-
ing Passover and contains two
basic ideas of Judaism. One is
sacrifice, discussed in the
earlier chapters of Leviticus.
The second idea is holiness.
This week's portion tells what
is involved in being holy.
This section is rightly re-
garded by the rabbis as the
kernel of the law, for the
essentials of the Torah are
summarized here. This chap-
ter is, in a way, a counterpart
of the Decalogue. The Ten
Commandments are, in es-
sence, repeated here. Many
subjects are identified as
essential to holiness: rever-
ence for parents; considera-
tion for the needy; prompt
wages, reasonable hours;
honorable dealings; love of
one's neighbor; avoidance of
tale-bearing and slander;
sympathetic understanding of
the alien; equal justice to the
rich and the poor; fair
measures and weights — a
whole host of subjects in-
timately connected with
everyday life.
One refrain recurs: "Ye
shall be holy for I the Lord
thy God am holy." These
words constitute the keynote
of every commandment for
righteous living. This is a
basic idea in Judaism.
Theologians refer to the
kinds of morality demanded
as imitatio dei, the emulation
of God. God is the ideal of
perfection. The ways of God
are the highest pattern of liv-
ing yet necessarily by defini-
tion unobtainable for human
beings. Because man can
never attain the sublime
virtues of God, some ask
cynically: what's the use in
striving to achieve the perfec-
tion of God if a human being
can never achieve that perfec-
tion? It's almost a contradic-
tion in terms.
Yet, Judaism has an
answer. We often hear the ex-
pression, "We must hitch our
wagon to the stars." We know
it's impossible for man to
reach the stars, yet we try to
pitch our ideals in heaven.
The person whose eyes are set
on the highest cannot ever be
satisfied with the pattern of
living derived from the lower
order of being.
Dr. Richard Hertz is rabbi
emeritus of Temple Beth El.
Judaism provides a moti-
vating idealism for life. It pro-
vides standards. We see this
articulated in this chapter on -\
holiness. The whole life of
spirituality is lifted to that
ideal of perfection. Because
God is holy, man must try to
become holy. Man must strive
to become God-like.
The Jewish idea of holiness :\
is thus bound up with daily
life.
The sanctification of daily
life becomes the essence of
holiness. The daily task is not
just for the sake of some
material reward, but because <
the proper performance of
that task brings the person
closer to God. Thus, every
daily task becomes a means of
sanctifying God by becoming
Shabbat Achare
Mot-Kedoshim:
Leviticus
16:1-20:27
Amos 9:7-15.
holy. That is what is meant by
the great phrase in tradi-
tional Judaism, Kidush
Hasham, "sanctification of
God's name." By performing
the daily task with a full con-
sciousness of the religious
motivation prompting the
gobd deed, we give evidence of
revering God. Our sages said,
"It is not the word, but the
deed that counts?'
As the Midrash says, "If you
sanctify yourselves, God con-
siders it as if you sanctified
Him." ❑
Adat Shalom
Family Service
The Men's Club of Adat
Shalom Synagogue will spon-
sor a Family Kabbalat Shab-
bat Service 8 p.m. April 30 at
the synagogue.
Following the service, there
will be a presentation from
Rabbi Spectre, who will have
just returned from the
Miracle Mission to Israel.
The evening will conclude
with refreshments and
socializing at the Oneg
Shabbat.