stand the process of reflection, repen-
tance and reconciliation, I tell them
about one of my memorable child-
hood transgressions.
As a preteen in Davenport, Iowa,
my girlfriend and I spent the after-
noon shopping downtown. For rea-
sons that now completely elude me,
we each stole several lipsticks and
some makeup from the local five-and-
dime.

Wishing all our friends and
customers a healthy and
Happy New Year

Judaism teaches
personal
responsibility.

When I came home, my mother
discovered the stolen goods, eliciting
rears and an immediate confession.
She drove me back downtown where I
asked to see the store manager.
Embarrassed, apprehensive and con-
trite, I returned the items to him,
apologized and offered to pay.
I have not shoplifted since.
"Really? You really did that?" Gabe,
11, incredulously asked.
"Don't tell anyone," Danny said. As
the youngest of four, he's familiar with
the concept of guilt by association.
I tell Danny that people are not
supposed to remind you about sins
for which you've already atoned. It's a
paraphrase of Leviticus 25:14: "Ye
shall not wrong one another."
How much easier it would be to
merely perform Kapparot, a series of
prayers that allow us to symbolically
rid ourselves of sins by swinging a
rooster or hen above our heads three
times and saying, "This is my substi-
tute, this is my exchange, this is my
atonement. This fowl will go to
death, and I will enter upon a good
and lona b life."
And how much easier it would be
to avoid discussions of wrongs, to not
ask forgiveness of people we have
injured, to not make our children
return to the store where they have
stolen something. How much easier it
would be to abdicate personal respon-
sibility and to espouse universal for-
giveness.
Instead, as Jews, we stand in judg-
ment on Rosh Hashanah, and on
Yom Kippur our fate is sealed. In the
days between, we concentrate on the
serious task of teshuvah.
Eshanah tovah tikatevu — May you
be inscribed for a good year.

RUSTICS

BIRMINGHAM 248-644-1919 • 690 OLD S. WOODWARD
LIVONIA 734-522-9200 • 29500 W. 6 MILE RD.
NOVI 248-348-0090 • 48700 GRAND RIVER

Open Sundays. Please call for store hours.
All prior sales excluded.

CASUAL FURNITURE AT COMPLETELY RELAXED PRICES

r u fT\ LINCOLN

Mercury

MEL FARR FORD
OAK PARK

MEL FARR
LINCOLN MERCURY
WATERFORD

AUTOMOTIVE
GROUP

TOYOTA

mama

MEL FARR IMPORTS
BLOOMFIELD HILLS

MEL FARR
"SUPERSTAR" USED CARS

THE SUPERSTAR

DEALER

1-800 MEL-FARR

HYUrlD141 / SUZUKI.

Mel Farr, Sr. President

FERNDALE

Ia:shaff, ali prow.- nelyithoiss, owd lily' al ettstomeiss,

6

h`My wit" heat* .Wo,sh glet%slitiwct

Gloria, Herb and the staff at Saggit

WISH YOU A NEW YEAR FILLED
WITH GOOD HEALTH AND HAPPINESS

1B

lit

9/18
1998

Detroit Jewish News

R57