Torah Portion

Respect For Life
Through The Givers Of Life

r, X i t

JERRY FENBY
HOT ICE
TEEN ANGELS
THE CONTOURS
SIMONE VITALE
QUIET STORM
PERSUASION
SUN MESSENGERS
SUNSET BOULEVARD
TIM HEWITT
LOVING CUP

BILL MEYER
RENNIE KAUFFMAN
FENBY-CARR
ERIC HARRIS-DJ

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ENTERTAINMENT AGENCY

248153-9966

Temple Israel Sisterhood's
1st Ever Mah Jongg Tournament

"wwwww-vmvrompmg"-;,
Ma rve oes :gag€02.100gcgg

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Thursday, January 22, 1998
7:00 p.m. SHARP!

Come alone or bring your Mahl group.
$15 per person pre-registered
$18 at the door

Questions: Elissa Burda 248-738-1843 or Stacey Emmer 248-682-3908

Love Those Fabulous
PARTY PAPER

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PARTY PAPER GOOD5...
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1/9
1998

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248-S55-048O

Crosswinds Mall • Orchard Lake Road at Lone Pine • West Bloomfield

over to the trained professionals and we'
are free to pursue our own lives unen-
cumbered by the time, effort and emo-
tional investment necessary to do the
job ourselves, but at what price to the
elderly?
After a vigorous life, one whose pri-
ority was to unselfishly and at great sac-
his week's Torah portion
rifice provide for us, our parents are
deals with the end of the life
now shunted away — not really living r---/
of Jacob, his death and bur-
but rather simply waiting.
ial.
Our culture idolizes youth, beauty,
He has been reunited with his long-
action and power, all of which the
estranged son Joseph, who "named his
elderly have lost; and, thus, they are the
firstborn Menashe, (which means)
ultimate marginalized population.
because God has caused me to forget all
In the Jewish tradition, it was the
of my toil and all of my father's house-
elder who was the repository of wisdom
hold" (Genesis 41:51) .
and experience which were
Although Jacob was afford-
the ultimate ideals; and thus
ed all of the honor and digni-
(-
2\
the old were revered and
ty that he deserved and that
accorded authority. How dif-
Joseph, second in command
ferent is our culture where the
in Egypt could supply, the
weak and old-fashioned are
verses describing his last days
objects of scorn instead of
seem to express the kind of
reverence.
isolation all too prevalent with
We can't be bothered by
the elderly in our own cul-
the needs of our elderly par-
ture.
RABBI ELIEZER ents. In fact, the story in the
Jacob clearly is not living
Talmud exemplifying the
COHEN
with any of his sons although
proper parental respect, that
Special to
he is being provided for by
The Jewish News of Dima ben Nissan who was
Joseph (Genesis 47:11-12).
"dressed in a golden silk cloak
The verse (Genesis 48:1) says
and was sitting among the
"and he (someone unnamed) told
heads of Rome; his mother came and
Joseph 'behold your father is sick"' as if
tore it from him, slapped him on the
to say that Joseph himself was not inti-
head and spat at him and still he did
mately involved in his father's condi-
not angrily rebuke her," seems like a
tion. Likewise, Jacob, in the middle of
quaint legend that bears no resemblance
speaking to Joseph, sees Joseph's sons
to the reality of our lives. Yet this rever-
and asks, "Who are they?" (Genesis
ence for our parents and other elderly
48:8). Certainly, if they had been in
a reverence demonstrating the real pri-
constant contact with Jacob, even with
orities of love and family and respect for
his limited eyesight, he would have rec-
human life, rather than for the vanity of
ognized his own grandsons.
beauty, power and wealth.
Also, when Jacob is about to give his
The love our parents and elders in
blessing to Joseph's sons and he pur-
general have showered on our genera-
posely crosses his hands, Joseph is upset
tion must be reciprocated. Let us make
and attempts to physically reverse his
our elderly a real part of our lives so
father's hands, saying, "Not so, my
that real life itself can remain a part of
_
father; this one is the firstborn. Put your theirs. ❑
right hand on his head" (Genesis 48:18),
indicating his assumption that his father
is not really aware of what he is doing.
All in all, the sense of the verses seems
to indicate the extreme isolation and
marginalization of the elderly Jacob.
Jewish Experiences for Families and
Even with the best of intentions, cer-
Congregation B'nai Moshe will host a
tainly with deep concern for proper
special family Havdalah program 7-9
care, we "deposit" our elderly in institu-
p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17, at B'nai Moshe
tions. This enables them to receive the
Families are invited to participate in
necessary medical and physical care and
hands-on activities related to Shabbat,
perhaps, even more importantly so,
including a Starlab planetarium explo-
allows us to carry on with our lives. The
ration of the stars.
burden of caring for the elderly is given
The family Havdalah program is part
of
metropolitan
Detroit's "Rekindling
Eliezer Cohen is rabbi of
Shabbat" initiative. It is free of charge.

Shabbat Vayechi:
Genesis 47:28-50:26; I
Kings 2:1-12.

T

Havdalah
And Stars

Congregation Or Chadash.