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November 04, 1994 - Image 56

Resource type:
Text
Publication:
The Detroit Jewish News, 1994-11-04

Disclaimer: Computer generated plain text may have errors. Read more about this.

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:

Top 10 Reasons To Get In
10 Gear With the Sidiree at

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0 'elareestem Verl 74-deot.

Limited Vision
Denies Potential

-

et a

Its the Synagogue with an AFFORDABLE membership
plan for YOU!

re

Rabbi Herbert Yoskowitz joins Cantor Max Shimansky
and Reverend Joseph Baras.

RABBI IRWIN GRONER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

CA On site religious school.

CA Youth programs.



Two daily minyans.

r e Sisterhood, Men's Club, Young at Heart, Club Chayim,

and Singles.

Shabbat Dinners and Sit Down Kiddushes



Culture and Concerts.

CI Lunch and Learn, and Book Bites.

ra Rabbi Herbert Yoskowitz BEHIND THE WHEEL revving up
--11 your Shit!

&e

(centrally Located)
21100 West Twelve Mile Rd. Southfield • (810) 352-8670

CONGREGATION B'NAI DAVID

(ALIVE AND WELL AND GROWING IN WEST BLOOMFIELD)

cordially invites you to attend
our

SHABBAT, PARSHAT TOLEDOT SERVICES

on

SATURDAY, NOV. 5, 1994

at the

JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER/MAPLE-DRAKE/ROOM 239
• Guest Rabbi Martin Gordon will officiate and deliver the sermon
• Cantor Usher Adler will chant the liturgy
• All the favorite melodies and familiar davening
• Traditional services in the Sefard Nusach. Services every Shabbat.
• Cholent Kiddush will be served following services
• The community is invited - children are most welcome

Call (810) 557-8210 for further information.

"OLD CITY MENORAH"

C/3

LU

C)

LL,

CC

H-

Specially priced
$75.00

LU

56

TRADITION TRADITION!
Call Alicia Nelson • (810) 557-0109

AA

he Torah portion describes
Isaac, the Patriarch, in his
last days, about to bestow
the blessing of the birth-
right to his son. "And it came to
pass, that when Isaac was old
and his eyes were dim, so that
he could not see, he called Esau,
his older son, and said to him
`my son,' and he said unto him,
`Here I am.' "
Isaac is about to make a ter-
rible mistake. He intends to give
the blessing, the spiritual her-
itage that has been handed
down from his father, Abraham
to Esau, an unworthy son. Esau
was a hunter, a man of violence,
who could not fulfill the moral
demands of that way of life
which Abraham had begun. It
was Jacob, the younger twin,
who could properly achieve this
task. But Isaac was partial to
Esau because Isaac did not rec-
ognize the truth.
Rabbi Elizer says, "Isaac did
not 'see' means that he did not see
with the 'Divine spirit' what
would be the character of Esau
in his later years, how he would
become a marauder, a man of
cruelty, a murderer."
Isaac lacked not only sight but
insight. He was deficient not
only in vision, but also in un-
derstanding. He was blind to the
truth which he should have
known, that Jacob was the prop-
er recipient of the most precious
gift that he, the father, could be-
stow.
Isaac's failing is not unusual
or extraordinary. Our under-
standing of people, relationships,
and values is often distorted,
confused or imperfect. We fail to
recognize that which we should
see, grasp, and understand.
This defect is universal. In
some degree, all of us are limit-
ed in this capacity of vision. But
we ought to recognize these lim-
itations and attempt to overcome
them. Unless we do, we shall do
injury to ourselves and those
whom we love, we shall deny
ourselves the achievement of
that potential which we could
otherwise attain.
One of the most profound doc-
trines of the Wise Men of Greece
was, "Know Thyself." But each
of us treads a narrow line be-
tween reality and delusion. A
great discrepancy often exists
between what we are and what
we think we are. We view our-
selves as fine, caring, loving,
considerate people. But there are
occasional moments when we
discover that we have remark-
able capacities to be unpleasant,

rude, unloving and egotistical.
Rebecca McCann put it this way,
"I'm sure I have a noble mind,
and honesty and tact; and no
one's more surprised than I to
see the way I act."
Conversely, we often see oth-
ers as they are not, and fail to
see them as they are. We look
upon others as they are not, and
fail to see them as they are. We
look upon others as individuals
created to serve our needs and
to provide for our comfort.
Dorothy Parker was known
for her caustic wit. She was once
at a cocktail party at which
someone praised another promi-
nent woman by saying, "She is
very kind to her inferiors." Ms.
Parker then asked bluntly,
"Where does she find them?"

Shabbat Toledot:
Genesis 25:19-28:9
Malachi 1:1-2:7.

Stripped of its malice, the
question points to a truth that
applies to all of us. Where do we
find our inferiors?
- Indeed, isn't there something
perverse in us when we begin to
divide people into the categories
of superior and inferior? Are we
not obliged to consider other per-
sons simply as human beings
and accord them the considera-
tion and respect due them by
virtue of this towering endow-
ment?
Finally, many of us are often
limited vision when we look
upon Judaism. For some, Ju-
daism is a meaningless collec-
tion of antiquated rituals. For
some, it is a gigantic relief soci-
ety - engaged in an unending se-
ries of campaigns. For others, it
is just a folk superstition in
which no well educated person
can believe. For still others, it is
a pleasant although innocuous
pastime, suitable only for the
very young or the very old.
We can, if we will recapture a
different vision,in which we per-
ceive Judaism as having pre-
sented the highest ideal the
world has known — peace and
justice and brotherhood. Ju-
daism offers us a way of life
based on faith and reason, a way
of holiness and truth that can
bless each day and hallow every
act. ❑
Irwin Groner is senior rabbi of Con-
gregation Shaarey Zedek.

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