Wondering how to pay
Jewish oducationP
for your
For families with children in Sunday, afternoon or evening
classes, the Jewish Educational Scholarship Program
may be the answer.
Rules, Regulations
Govern Our Conduct
RABBI RICHARD C. HERTZ SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
This communal scholarship fund was established by the Jewish Feder-
ation of Metropolitan Detroit to encourage synagogue and temple mem-
bership, and to promote Jewish education.
Scholarships are based on financial need, with priority given to families
who are affiliated with a congregation or sponsoring organization.
Application forms are available at any of the participating schools, or
from the Agency for Jewish Education.
Application Deadline is June 30, 1995
Questions? Call the
Agency for Jewish
Education, (810) 354-1050
Participating schools:
Adat Shalom
Belt Kodesh
Beth Abraham Hillel Moses
Beth Achim
Beth Shalom
Birmingham Temple
B'nai Moshe
Jewish Parents Institute
Shaarey Zedek
Shir Tikvah
Temple Beth El
Temple Emanu-El
Temple Israel
Temple Kol Ami
Temple Shir Shalom
Workmen's Circle
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Allied Jewish Campaign
THE JEWISH THEOLOGICAL
SEMINARY OF AMERICA
AND THE BUSH
WAS NOT
CONSUMED
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cordially invites you
to its 1995 Detroit Gala
In Honor Of
Leonard P. and Ann Baruch
Archer and Libby Ben-Moche
CONGREGATION SHAAREY ZEDEK
CONGREGATION BETH ABRAHAM
HILLEL MOSES
Mark and Judy Goldsmith
CONGREGATION BETH SHALOM
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Larry and Tobi Fox
CONGREGATION BETH ACHIM
Sidney D. and Maggie Feldman
Robert P. Roth
ADAT SHALOM SYNAGOGUE
CONGREGATION BNAI MOSHE
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Guest Speaker.
DR ISNIAR SCHORSCH, CHANCELLOR, JTS
Rosh Chodesh Iyar 5755
May 1, 1995
at CONGREGATION SHAAREY ZEDEK
Award presentation: 7:00 p.m.
Cocktails: 6:00 p.m.
Couvert: $150 per person
Dinner. 8:00 p.m.
Gala Chairpersons:
Larry Wolfe
Howard Tapper
JTS Central States Region
RS.V.P. (810) 258-0055
6735 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills
his week's portion receives
its name from the opening
words "After the death" re-
ferring to the death of
Nadab and Abihu, who had of-
fered "strange fire" on the altar
of the sanctuary and were struck
dead.
The frightening and mysteri-
ous execution of the sons of Aaron
raised many questions. What was
their crime? Was their death a
formal ritualistic crime? What
manner of fire was it that came
forth from their fire pans and in-
cense to offer strange fire before
the Lord?
Rabbinic teaching maintains
that Nadab and Abihu were
guilty not of some minor ritual-
istic mistake but some basic and
fundamental flaw in their char-
acter, their integrity. Rather than
looking to the older generation of
Moses and Aaron for direction
and advice, these young priests
conspired among themselves,
"When will these old men die so
that we can be the ones to take
charge?" Their arrogance, their
conceited disrespect for others,
resulted in their extreme pun-
ishment.
A different tradition holds that
the two were intoxicated and
were dead drunk when they ap-
proached the altar, thus no spir-
itually prepared for the service
they intended to offer.
Both these interpretations in-
dicate that the crime of Nadab
and Abihu hardly fit the punish-
ment, for Aaron's sons evident-
ly had some sense of what was
holy.They did not die a physical
death with capital punishment.
Rather it was a spiritual death
that prevented them from being
prepared to enter the spiritual
holy of holies.
What was needed for the pu-
rification of the sanctuary? Chap-
ter XVI sets forth the necessary
procedures. The sanctuary, after
all, was the visible presence of
God, but His presence was there
only on condition that the Is-
raelite sanctuary be maintained
in a state of purity. How the sanc-
tuary was to remain in that state
of purity became the subject of
Chapter XVI describing the role
of the high priest, the main cel-
ebrant of the purification of the
sanctuary. Certain blood rites
were to observed. Then the high
priest was to turn his attention
to the second mode of purifica-
tion, that of riddance.
Now comes the scapegoat. The
high priest laid his hands on the
scapegoat, confessed all the sins
of the people in order that the
T
scapegoat would serve only the
people, not the priesthood itself.
By laying his hands on the scape-
goat, the high priest transferred
to it the sins of the people. It then
was driven into the wilderness
to a land of no return.
Besides dealing with the sanc-
tuary and its purification, the se-
drah deals with an annual day of
atonement. All kinds of rules and
regulations are established to
govern the conduct of the people
on that day.
Another subject is introduced
in the latter part of this se-
drah.Chapter XVIII contains a
systematic and complete collec-
tion of laws dealing with the sub-
ject of incest and other forbidden
sexual unions. This sedrah un-
derscores how marriage is the
foundation of society. Forbidden
marriages are identified. Forbid-
den sexual activity is dealt with
and considered to be a trans-
gression against God's com-
mandments. Such offenses would
undermine Israel's right to the
land of canaan and would even-
tually bring about exile.
Shabbat Achrei Mot:
Leviticus 16:1-18:30
I Samuel 20:18-42.
The whole point of the prohi-
bitions concerning proper sexual
activity is that the violation of the
code of family life commits an out-
rage that defiles their land. Land
and people are interdependent.
The exile of the people from its
land was the ultimate punish-
ment, for exile was a punishment
abhorrent not only for Israel but
for other nations too. The sedrah
clearly proclaims the goal of es-
tablishing the holy community of
Israel to be dependent upon its
proper standards of sexual be-
havior.
Incidentally, the Torah has no
word for sex or even sexuality.
The Jewish attitude towards sex
as contained in this sedrah shows
a certain discipline against un- C/\
chasteness. Moderation and self-
control are the essence of
holiness, for unchaste conduct by
an individual constitutes an of-
fense against God. Christianity
identified the flesh with sin, glo-
rified celibacy and regarded mar-
riage as a concession to human
frailty (First Corinthians 7:1-9).
This attitude is alien to the spir-
it of the Hebrew Bible. A man is
to cling to his wife so that they
become one flesh (Genesis 2:24).