aror, 4"%::k Selective Kindness Is Highly Prejudicial RABBI MORTON F. YOLKUT SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS I MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY! CHANNEL 52 only on ra Continental Cablevision° THE BIRMINGHAM TEMPLE MILLION $ AUCTION, HI 28611 West 12 Mile Road Farmington Hills, Ml 48334 477-1410 Saturday, April 16, 1994 Silent Auction begins at 6:45 p.m. Live Auction follows Celebrity contacts, Condo vacations, Trips, Theater, Dining, Sports, Health Clubs, Art, Jewelry and MUCH MORE! Door Prizes Hors d'oeuvres, Beverages, Luscious Desserts c.r) Shuttle Parking Service Admission: $10 in advance $15 at the door LU • Cr) LU CD F- LU LU H- 30 • TREADMILLS Electric/Manual • STAIR CLIMBERS • HEALTH BIKES Manual/Dual Action/Electric • ROWING MACHINES • MISC. GYM EQUIPMENT (ALL ITEMS DISCOUNTED) LARRY ARONOFF ACTON RENTAL & SALES 891-6500 540-5550 • 2000 fine china, crystal stemware, and silverware patterns - the largest in-stock dealer in the USA. • Introduce the bride-to-be to Heslop's registry and exclusive bridal plan. Orchard Mall • West Bloomfield (Orchard Lake & 15 Mile) 737-8080 n this week's Torah portion, we find a detailed and com- prehensive list of kosher and forbidden animals, fish and fowl. Ramban. (Nachmanides) in his commentary observes that the forbidden fowl are all birds of prey and their cruel habits render them unfit for our unique, spiritual diet. This interesting explanation presents a problem. For among the prohibited birds, there is one which is reputed to be gen- erous and kindly, busily en- gaged in delivering "bundles of joy" to grateful parents — the stork. Jewish tradition also seems to attest to the noble character of this remarkable bird. The Hebrew word for stork is hasidah. This name is derived from the word hesed which means loving kindness. Why is the stork called hasi- dah? The Talmud explains: "Sheosah hasidut im havroteha —because it shows kindness to its own kind, by sharing food with other storks (B.T. Hulin 63a)." What could be a nicer, a more sublime name for a bird? But the obvious question is, if, ac- cording to Nachmanides, the reason the prohibited birds are not eaten is because they are predatory and cruel, what can we say of the stork? Why is this ostensibly kindly and sympa- thetic bird treife? Doesn't it deserve to be included among the kosher rather than the for- bidden fowl? The great Chasidic master, the Kotzker Rebbe, answers that it is because the hasidah shows kindness only to its own kind. It shares its food only with its close companions. It is con- cerned only with the needs of its own immediate group. This selective and parochial type of kindness is, in fact, an extreme form of cruelty. Generosity ex- tended to favorites only, while withholding it from others, is not hesed, but discrimination and cruelty. True kindness must be indiscriminate — who- ever needs help is deserving. In our interpersonal rela- tionship, we must guard against this ubiquitous distortion of the concept of kindness. Hesed is a quality of character that res- onates out of a recognition of the innate dignity of all peoples. It rests on the assumption that all human beings are worthy of humane consideration, regard- Morton Yolkut is rabbi of Congre- gation B'nai David. less of color, creed or class. Once we begin to make distinctions among groups or individuals as a prerequisite for considerate treatment, we deny the hu- manity of all men and under- mine the foundation of ethical behavior. Discriminatory kind- ness becomes an act of preju- dice, all the more cruel and ruthless because it pretends to be kindness. Legion are the examples in Jewish history of this subtle, yet painful, form of cruelty and dis- crimination. We are a people that has suffered not only from undisguised inhuman brutality, but also the type that parades as kindness. We are the victims not only of Nazi bestiality, but also of nations with pretentions to kindness, whose "kindness" somehow never reached the Jews in their midst. We have Shabbat Shemini: Leviticus 9:1-11:47 II Samuel 6:1 7:17. - known the anguish of living with peoples whose concern never extended to their Jewish neighbors. Our history has taught us how insidious this stork-like kindness can be, which favors its own kind, and is only capable of selective goodness. The hasidah teaches us a vital lesson. Its ability to feel and care is limited only to those that are of its own kind and for this failure the Torah lists it among the birds which we are not allowed to eat. Let this lesson inspire us to extend the parameters of our acts of hesed and concern beyond our own kind, beyond our own circle of family and close friends. To justify our existence we must extend our deeds of loving-kindness to all people, even as it is written in the Psalms: "And His tender mercies are over all His works." ❑ Independence Event Planned Adat Shalom Synagogue mem- bers will mark Israel Indepen- dence Day at a congregational service and dinner on April 15. Reservations are required. For costs, call the synagogue, 851-5100.