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g T)tvg!

Celebrate the Opening of
The B'nai Moshe School Wing
Sunday,April 13,1997
I I00-2:00

Shabbat Tazria: Leviticus 12:1-13:59;
II Kings 4:42-5:19.

I

Adult Learning
Featuring Aviva Silverman

Jim Carmody
Magician

Living Energy
DJ/Music

1230 pm

Plus Art Projects,Tours, Food..

Irr A IV

Congregation B'nai Moshe
6800 Drake Road
West Bloomfield
810 788-0600

Congregation

B'nai Moshe

Bring family and friends
"Come for the afternoon...
Stay for a L.I.F.E.time"

Special Spring Sling membership Oiler...

airs, lime HEW nitinsus - pay one year of full dues
and receive Me second year membership including
199? & 1998 High Holiday lickeisiREE!

B'nai Moshe is a Conservative Synagogue with emphasis on congregational participation.

NEW '97
AURORA

$399 M

O.

• Based on closed end lease w/approved credit. 48 mo. w/12.000 mi. per yr. w/15c per mile over. Lessee responsible for excess wear and tear. 1st mo. pymt., S400 acq. tee. S800 cap.
cost reduction. rel. sec. dep. (pymt. rounded to next 525 increment). Lic. 8 title lees due at inception, plus 6% tax. To get total amount, multiply pymt. u tax x term. Lessee has option but
is not obligated to purchase at price determined at inception.

GLASSMAN

Man Must Strive
To Correct Imperfection

CD 2..4

by Oldsmobile.

On Telegraph at the Tel-12 Mall, Southfield
1-810-354-3300
1-800-354-5558

ast week's sedrah dealt
It is due to the fact that hu-
with the laws concerning manity was placed on this earth
the correct foods a Jew for a purpose and that purpose
could eat — the purity of was to see the imperfections
animals, kashrut. This week's which do exist on this earth and
sedrah, Tazria, deals with the to work to correct them in the
purificationof the Jews with re- kingdom of the Almighty.
gard to childbirth, leprosy and Le taken et ha'olam bemalkhut
bodily secretions.
shadahy, as we say
As to the first of
three times a day in the
these, the laws dealing
Aleinu prayer. We were
with purification after
placed on this earth in
childbirth, we read
order to be the oshay
that, "If a woman be
shalom, the peacemak-
delivered of a male
ers and the physicians,
child, she shall be un-
the rofay holim — to
clean seven days ... and
emulate God in this
in the eighth day, the
world of ours.
flesh of his foreskin
They are also a
shall be circumcised,"
means for God to test us
RABBI PAUL S.
(Leviticus 12:2-3).
to see if we will obey His
REIS
This verse prompted
commandments and
SPECIAL TO THE
the wicked Roman
make the world a better
JEWISH NEWS
Turnus Rufus to ask of
place to live in.
the famous Rabbi Ak-
Circumcision is a
iba, "Whose deeds are greater, means of perfecting what God
those of God or those of man?"
has already created. It is also a
Rabbi Akiba responded, means of testing to see just how
"Man's are greater."
far we will go in order to fulfil
"Can a man create heaven, His commandments. The fact
then, as God did?"
that it is a healthy procedure is
Rabbi Akiba answered, "Don't simply an additional reason for
ask things of me that are above, following the practice. The facts
which man cannot possibly do. that there is less uterine cancer
Ask me rather of things which in women who are married to cir-
are of this earth."
cumcised males and less penile
"All right then," responded cancer in men who are circum-
Turnus Rufus, "why do you cir- cised are simply additional rea-
cumcise yourselves? Could not sons for circumcision.
God have created you in that
Certainly God, being all pow-
manner?"
erful, could do anything. He
Rabbi Akiba replied, "Why is could have created all men with-
a child born still tied to his moth- out foreskins. The fact that he
er by a cord, so that we must cut did not was not simply another
the cord? Could not God cause reason for our very creation and
the child to be already severed a means for our being tested.
from his mother's womb? But
God could have created a per-
God wanted to leave something fectly peaceful world — a world
for man to correct. Similarly, free of disease and strife, hatred
God left the foreskin for us to cor- and war. He did not, in order
rect. In addition,God uses this that we would have something
as a means of testing us to see if for which to strive.
we will obey His commands."
There is an old saying, "Man
This Midrash on our verse can tragt u.nd Gott lacht" — human-
lead us all to question why God ity strives and God laughs. I
allowed any of the terrible things prefer to read it as, "Gott macht
which afflict humanity to exist. and Man tragt" — God creates
Why did He permit leprosy? and man strives to improve upon
Why did he permit the pains of the creation. Our purpose is to
childbirth to afflict women? Why constantly strive to pass the tests
does he allow cancer, heart dis- with which God is testing us.
ease and wars? Why did he per-
The question is not so simple
mit the Holocaust to take place? as why God did not create a
In sum, why is not the world per- perfect world. It is far more
fect? The answer is given here complex. It is, "What can we do
succinctly by Rabbi Akiba.
to make the world better?" May
we all do our utmost to answer
this question in a strong and pos-
Paul S. Reis is rabbi of
Congregation. Beth. Israel in Flint. itive way. 0