® Congregation B David-

Torah Portion

Is proud to present a Pre-Selichot viewing of

The concert

Our Surroundings Affect
Our Spiritual Lives

"CANTOR SINGS YIDDISH"

recorded live at the Jerusalem Theater

ON SEPTEMBER 23, 2000 at 9: I 5 PM

Shabbat Re'eh:
Deuteronomy
11:26-16:17;
Isaiah 54:11-55:5.

followed by
SELICHOT SERVICES
at 1 I :00 PM
with

CANTOR BEN-ZION LANXNER

free admission

5642 W. Maple Road, West Bloomfield MI 48322
THIS YEAR SPECIAL - High Holiday Tickets - $100.00

Now more than Yesterday, but less than Tomorrow

THE ANSWER IS
CONGREGATION B'NAI DAVID

Watch for our BIG NEWS in the next edition of the Jewish News!!!

The Faces of Temple Emanu-E1

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TEMTY

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7th - 8th Grade

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4th - 6th Grade

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friendships they make last through college and beyond."

rcia Leibson, Director of Education & Youth Activities

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,,

money.
his farewell address to the
Th e story is told of Rabbi Yosi bar
people, Moses is concerned
Kasma who, when promised much
about matters both large and
wealth for moving to a particular
small; he even has real estate
town, replied, "Even if you
advice, with warnings about
give me all the gold, pre-
the type of neighborhood in
cious stones and pearls in
which one should choose to
the world, I would not live
live.
anywhere except in a place
Our rabbis have had great
of Torah."
difficulty with the law Moses
As the new year begins,
taught regarding a city that
as
we
heed Moses' call to
had turned to idolatry —
choose blessings and life
total and permanent destruc-
rather than curses and
tion of a place and its popu-
death, let us look at the
lation, human and animal
RABBI
"neighborhoods" in which
alike.
NORMAN
T.
we choose to live.
After many pages of dis-
ROMAN
With what type of mater-
cussion in the Talmud, they
the
Special
to
ial
are the "houses" we build
basically interpreted the sce-
Jewish
News
constructed?
Do they pro-
nario away, saying that such
vide us with shelter, warmth
a city never really existed and
and nourishment as much as they do
never will. "Any city that contains
with prestige and status? Are the
even one mezuza [doorpost scroll]
schools and synagogues we support
cannot become an idolatrous city."
"places of
Torah" or are
they more
devoted to
secular cul-
ture?
Do we
choose our
friends and
associates for
the righteous
values they
espouse, or
do we allow
them to bring idolatrous notions into
The law was written, they deter-
our community? Do we work togeth-
mined, to serve as a lesson, a hypo-
er, respectfully, to make our neighbor-
thetical case study, if you will. Perhaps
hoods more welcoming and decent? El
the most important teaching is that
each house must have at least one
mezuza, for this one symbol may save
the entire city. Or perhaps we must
recognize how necessary it is to prop-
erly "investigate, inquire and interro-
An idolatrous town would be
gate thoroughly" before making any
destroyed only after proper
major decision in our lives.
investigation, inquiries and
Perhaps the learning that we glean
interrogation. Why were all
from this law is in our choice of
three procedures necessary?
neighborhood and friends. The com-
Why would one mezuza on
mentators on this awkward passage
even one house save an entire
from our parsha (Torah portion) ask a
town? Why did you choose to
live where you do?
Norman T. Roman is rabbi of Temple
Kol Ami.

n

As we heed Moses' call to
choose blessings and live, let
us look at the "neighborhoods"

in which we choose to live.

Conversations

-Eeftow

Formerly Designer & Owner of The Closet Company

I

pointed question: What would have
caused a righteous person to live in an
idolatrous city anyway?
They answer that such a person
should have been more careful in his
choice of neighborhood, for if
money" made him go there, rather
than living among more ethical and
charitable people, "let him lose his

•TN

Mr= MEWS