Torah Portion
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CARPET SALE
SAVE
411 POC
Once a year we offer our
Finest Carpets and Area
Rugs at unheard of prices.
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Our most popular style.
Practical for any area
of your home. A unique
process reduces foot-
prints and vacuum
marks. Features
advance Teflon treat-
ment to resist stains.
Carpet
Sts ■ I, Loot)
—
®
Soft yet durable.
For rooms that
require a
more formal
elegant look.
Most spills
bead up.
Reg. $24.99—
—
ir
Reg. $49.99—
mg . .. yd.
HURRY. . . SALE ENDS MAY 23RD
MCLEOD
CARPET COMPANY
SINCE 1959
N
14
RESIDENTAL • COMMERCIAL
FOR ALL YOUR FLOORING NEEDS
2721 WOODWARD AVE. • BLOOMFIELD HILLS • JUST SOUTH OF SQUARE LAKE RD.
333-7086
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TRAX®
EVENT PRODUCTIONS
Mas er
BT59905
air
44.1•Ms.
•MCS, DO, DANCERS
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•VALET PARKING
(248) 932 5 90
LOCATED IN THE ORCHARD MALL (WEST BLOOMFIELD)
Wen Only /Xe bed will
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LA MIRAGE CENTER • 29555 Northwestern Hwy. • Southfield, MI
248-356-2454
•
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CHOCOLATES
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70
Mir
•VI DEOGRAPHY
•NOW HIRING
VALET PARKS RS
Northwestern Highway, between 12 & 13 Mile Road
that we will be believed. "What I hon-
estly mean," "frankly speaking," "sin-
cerely now." Weren't we serious, frank
or truthful before? Each of these pre-
fixes creates the impression that what
has already been said is not worthy of
serious consideration. One senses the
deep human need not only to be
RABBI IRWIN GRONER
understood but also to be believed.
Special to The Jewish News
4111
We all want to leap over the barriers
that divide us, to enter the mind and
he opening verse of this
heart of another and reveal what is
week's sedrah declares, "And
important to us. We want to be taken
God said unto Moses, speak
seriously, but we are not always suc-
unto the priests ... and thou
cessful.
shalt say unto them." The verb emor
When we say that words are inade-
to speak is repeated in differ-
quate, perhaps we are inad-
ent grammatical forms three
equate. Modern man has
times. God speaks to Moses;
abused this glorious gift,
Moses speaks to the priests-,
the blessing of language.
the priests speak to the peo-
Judaism has affirmed from
ple.
its very beginning that
In that communication lies
sacred words have incalcu-
a message. The Torah deals
lable power to provide
with the most basic human
meaning, to establish truth,
capacity. What distinguishes
to inspire character. Thus,
us from the rest of the animal
in the rabbinic tradition, it
RABBI IRWIN
kingdom is the ability to use
is stated that God created
GRO NER
language to communicate, to
the world with 10 state-
Spec ial to
speak and to understand.
The Jew ish News ments, with 10 sayings.
It is a curious fact that
From this perspective, the
Moses, despite his impedi-
very foundation of exis-
ment of speech, could speak more suc-
tence is sacred language, for it can cre-
cessfully than modern man. He was
ate a universe.
heard not only in his own generation,
Every word has a value in Jewish
but in the generations that followed
tradition. Every word we say is heard
for all the centuries until now
by the author of all life. We, however,
In contrast, the words we hear
have lost respect for the spoken word.
today are of cheap currency and
We say more or less what we really
ino
diminishing worth. In every waking
mean to create an impression or to
moment, the mass media bombard
attain a desired result. We use words
our senses with words to persuade, to
for equivocation, for evasion, for
sell, to stimulate, to entertain. Our
aggression. We say one thing; we
language is becoming devalued as it
mean another.
flows in a torrent over us. We have
A servant of Rabbi Gamliel was
notes of explanation, memos of dis-
once asked by his master to bring him
cussions, letters of understanding,
the choicest and most precious object
announcements of information; but
in the marketplace. He brought him a
somehow words are not adequate.
tongue. Then Rabbi Gamliel said,
We know that improving commu-
"Bring me the least desirable, the
nication is one of the most challeng-
cheapest and most vulgar commodity,"
ing problems we face in our shared
The servant again brought him a
lives — in our homes, with our
tongue. Rabbi Gamliel asked his ser-
friends, at work and in the larger soci-
vant, "Why is it you brought me the
ety in which we live.
same object after I asked you for those
The Torah has much to tell us on
opposite items?" The servant said,
this theme. Words were so powerful
knowing his master, "When a tongue
and enduring in the biblical tradition
is good, there is nothing better. When
because they were sacred and revealed
a tongue is bad, there is nothing
the truth.
worse."
Consider what we do when we
Words have the power to heal,
want others to truly believe and take
build and nurture. We also can depre-
seriously what we have said. We use a
cate character, create suspicion or
series of verbal prefixes to make sure
destroy another person's career by
careless words. The Jewish tradition
Irwin Groner is senior rabbi at
says- that we can build a world, we can
Shabbat Emor:
Leviticus 21:1-24:23;
Ezekiel 44:15-31.
V E ET Ip lEE
The newest look in
carpet. Extremely
durable, made
of new Unproved
STAINMASTERL
This carpet is
easy to maintain.
—Reg. $32.00—
Sale•• • $ 16
STAINMASTER
What We Can Do
With The Power Of Speech
Congregation Shaarey Zedek