N Community Misalaced your JN 5ourceBook? Torah Portion What Are The Qualities Of An Effective Leader? 4,1:1/41.4 ne at our offices or at the following locations: tr T NM UMW HIN I I I visit our website: www.detroitjewishnews.com www.jnsourcebook.com 27676 Franklin Road • Southfield I Big Daddy's West Bloomfield Chuck Muer's Seafood Tavern West Bloomfield Fiddler West Bloomfield Gateway Deli Southfield Unique Kosher Oak Park Vineyards Farmington Hills WASMsk, tae,M, Whole Foods Market West Bloomfield 1:S•11,\k Jewish Living In M 2001 LEGACY akE OUTBACK WAGS DRIVE DAYS e °te ()day f" ‘ D W Y E R AND SONS SUBARU TAI 248-624-0400 \ -1.:L•vg.snbi, • Testing/Evaluation • Therapeutic riittoring 60 Conversations Eliezer Cohen is rabbi of Congregation Or Chadash. J24 7/21 - VISIT OUR NEW SHOWROOM Clinical Ttachifig 2000 ❑ On Maple Rd., West of Haggerty OPEN SATURDAY 10-4 Adding to the ambiguity is the con- tinual identification of Pinchas as Aaron's grandson. This is Aaron for whom, proverbially, peace is the highest ideal, even to the point of acquiescing to construct the golden calf as demanded by the people (Exodus 32:2-5). What then is the proper response to his week's Torah portion reflects the complexity of the the challenge? Should one behave like Torah and, in truth, of the - Pinchas — the fanatic who takes the law reality to which the Torah into his own hands and reacts violently? Or should Moses, the self-effacing mod- must relate. erate who leads by example, be the role At the beginning of the portion, we have Pinchas, the grandson of Aaron the model? Perhaps the meekness and acqui- escence of Aaron, striving high priest, being praised and always to achieve peace, rewarded for his actions should be our ideal? described at the end of the pre- The obvious answer to vious portion. The women of this question is: It all Moab and Milian had been depends. Certainly the type sent to seduce the Jewish men of response necessary into sexual immorality and depends on the particular idolatry. It appears the leader- circumstances of the event. ship of the Jewish nation was One kind of behavior cannot unable to act decisively and possibly be the best response God in His anger had struck RABBI ELIEZER in every circumstance. the nation with a plague. COHEN Sometimes one reaction is When a Jewish man publicly Special to the called for and sometimes flaunted his immorality with a Jewish News another reaction is necessary. Midianite woman, Pinchas Likewise, different people will zealously killed them both. opt for different behavior based on their At the beginning of this portion, own strengths and characters and their Pinchas' victims are identified as impor- personal perception of the situation: The tant personages in their respective com- munities; and Pinchas is rewarded and bottom line is that one size does not fit all. This is true in life; and, therefore, praised for "acting jealously on behalf of this is true in Torah. There is no "one God" and averting God's anger, thereby right answer" for every question in saving the nation (Numbers 25:11). It seems quite clear that the Torah is telling Haldcha (Jewish law), Jewish tradition or us that fanaticism, extremism and Jewish sensibility. Therefore, for someone to offer the zealotry and the resultant violence are monolithic so-called "Jewish" attitude or not only condoned but even approved response to any given question is to over and held up as an ideal. The attitude in simplify, misstate and misapply the these verses is even formulated into sources. Such falsification is the result of Jewish law. either a misunderstanding of the sources On the other hand, when Moses is themselves, a preconceived conclusion told he will soon die (Numbers 27:15- for which one is simply seeking a justifi- 23), he entreats God to appoint a leader cation in Jewish tradition or a lazy over the nation "who will go out before refusal to do the research necessary to them and will come in before them and will take them out and bring them in; find the real truth. Life is not simple, nor are people; and the community of the Lord will not therefore, the Torah — the divine guide . be as sheep without a shepherd" (27:17). for the life of the Jewish people, cannot Moses considers the function of the be simple either. head of the Jewish people as primarily a role model, an exemplar who influences the nation to do as he does and one who participates in the same activities as the nation; he is the "shepherd" of the peo- What examples from the Torah do ple. God tells Moses that the next leader we have for different types of will be his disciple Joshua. This is Joshua response? What examples from real who previously (Numbers 11:28,29) is life can we think of for the variety of taught by Moses that jealousy and responses? What variables play a role zealotry to what Joshua considers a chal- in determining what is proper behav- lenge to Moses' authority is not the cor- ior? Are there any absolutes or is the rect response. proper response always relative? Shabbat Pinchas: Numbers 25 : 10-30: 1; Jeremiah 1:1-2:3. 41 4 es lmk' -