Synagogue Membership for $100!

TOrah P0111

Become a Member of

Congregation B'nai Moshe

for 1994 and you will receive membership for the remainder
of 1993 for only $100, including High Holiday tickets for
both 1993 and 1994!

B'nal Moshe is Religious...
Rabbi Elliot Pachter,
Cantor Louis Klein and
Sexton Shalom Ralph
combine the everience,
youth and warmth to serve
Detroit's fastest growing
Conservative congregation.

B'nai Moshe is Social...
We offer a full range of
activities for all age groups
including Sisterhood,
Men's Club, USY, Couples
Clubs, Family Retreats

B'nai Moshe is Educational...
Our acclaimed LIFE pro
gram is at the forefront of
exciting Jewish educational
programming and is
expanding to K-8th grade in
the Fall of 1993.

We are celebrating 1 year since we opened the doors of our beautiful
West Bloomfield Synagogue. We have welcomed over 150 new families to
our mishpacha in that time and we look forward to welcoming you as well.

fp% For more information on this anniversary opportunity
call us before September 10, 1993.
788-0600

B'nai Moshe
Congregation B'nai Moshe • 6800 Drake Road • West Bloomfield, MI 48322

'" a

WE'VE MOVED !!

Please join the families of Young Israel of West Bloomfield in celebrating
the dedication of our new home, located at 6473 Farmington Road.

August 1, 1993

TH E D E TRO

Please join us for all or part of the program.
* For reservations call: Anne Kovsky 661-4537 or Richard Luger 661-4182

36

Advertising in The Jewish News Gets Results
Place Your Ad Today. Call 354-6060

Words Are Blocks
For Building Lives

DR. RICHARD C. HERTZ SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

0

ur sedrah begins the

Book of Deuteronomy

with, "These are the
words which Moses
spoke unto all Israel." It is
rather odd to recall that
Moses needed help when he
approached Pharaoh. Think
of Moses pleading with the
Almighty not to designate
him as a spokesman for the
Jews, claiming that he was
slow of speech. Suddenly this
very same Moses, this hesi-
tant speaker, thick of speech
with a lisp, now speaks: "Now
these are the words which
Moses spoke unto all Israel."
Moses addresses all of
Israel and explains the Torah
to his people. His words form
sentences; his sentences form
paragraphs; his paragraphs
turn into pages; pages into
chapters, and chapters into a
Book of
complete

Deuteronomy.

What's in a word? Some
things are too deep, too
wonderful for. words. Yet often
we use words in cruel and
careless ways that leave hear-
tache in their wake. For ex-
ample, the feeling of inferiori-
ty expresses itself in odd
ways. Persons with inferiori-
ty complexes may compensate
with an insecure ego by say-
ing things that are destruc-
tive and harmful to others.
Feelings of jealousy can
become a green-eyed monster
that poisons words and shoots
them from a bow strung with
bitterness.
Feelings of guilt can shrivel
up the human heart and
wreck lives with horrors,
frustrations and anxieties.
The world needs much love,
more understanding and still
more human kindness. We
can bring these healing
powers to the world about us
through the wonder of words.
They can be winged angels of
beauty, truth and goodness.
The Midrash tells a quaint
tale about words to illustrate
that "life and death are in the
power of the tongue." This is
the tale. A man invited some
friends to dine with him and
sent his servant to the
market to buy the best things
he could find. When dinner
was served, every course con-
sisted of tongue, richly
prepared with different kinds
of sauces. After dinner the
master angrily said to the ser-

Richard C. Hertz is rabbi

emeritus of Temple Beth El.

vant, "What do you mean by
bringing tongue for every
course? Didn't I tell you to
buy the best food you could
find in the market?"
The servant replied, "Have
I not obeyed your orders?
There is nothing better than
a good tongue. It is the organ
we use to speak words of kind-
ness, offer words of prayer to
God and through words of the
tongue spread love and
friendship among people"
The next day the master /\
sent the servant to market to
get some food to feed his dogs.
"Get the worst and the
cheapest stuff you can find,"
he ordered. When the servant
brought tongues again, the
master was dumb-founded.
"What, you dare to bring
tongues again after yester-
day?"
"Master," replied the ser-
vant, "there is nothing worse
than a bad tongue. It is the
organ we use to speak lies,

Shabbat Davarim:
Deuteronomy
1:1-3:22.
Isaiah 11:1-27.

spread gossip, make people
angry at one another, break
up the peace. There is nothing
as good with words as a kind
tongue. There is nothing as
good with words as a kind
tongue. There is nothing as
cruel with words as a bad
one."
The Talmud, in the tractate
Pirke Avot, uses a wise injunc-
tion, "Ye sages, be careful
with your words."
Our sedrah has a wonderful
name, Davarim, which means
simply words, just words.
With that honored designa-
tion the people of Israel were
told that words are powerful
instruments: Words can save;
words can help; words can
soothe, and words can rob and
hurt and draw blood. With
words we can arrive at the
truth. Words can teach; words
can inspire; words can con-
vince, but words can also
destroy.
Our prayerbook has a most ‘1
beautiful and moving prayer.
"May the word of my mouth
and the meditations of my
heart be acceptable to Thee,
0 Lord, My Rock and My
Redeemer." ❑