6

CONGREGATION SHAAR HASHOMAYIM

Torah Portion

Presents

SECOND ANNUAL ZALMAN & DINA KAMEN

MEMORIAL LECTURE

Featuring

"The Holistic and
The Kabbalistic:
Mystical Guide to
Healthy, Joyous and
Fulfilling Living"

RABBI

MANIS

FRIEDMAN

Wednesday, September 12th, 2001, at 7:30 p.m.
Congregation Shaar Hashomayim
115 Giles E., Windsor, Ontario
Tickets: $10.00 (Canadian) or $7.00 (US)
RSVP: (519) 256-3123

REFRESHMENTS

To

FOLLOW THE LECTURE

AQUATIC

Creations

&Landscape

1197 Rochester Road, Suite D • Troy, Michigan 48083

Design, Sates and Installation

of ponds, waterfalls, and streams.

Creating your own personal paradise
with the soothing sounds of water.

--, call 248-588-6550

for more information.

All••• ■ •••

Photographing People....

Let Marc Photograph your Simcha
You'll Love your Memories!!

only $50.00

60

T

❑

cle originally appeared in the Jewish
News Sept. 4, 1998.

IN

8/31
2001

of a question strongly, he's opinion-
ated; when I state my side, I'm being
firm. When the other fellow over-
looks a few rules of etiquette, he is
rude; when I skip a few rules, I'm
original.
We extol self-control and we prac-
tice self-indulgence. We proclaim
brotherhood and we are guilty of
prejudice. We teach young people
his week's Torah portion
the sanctity of human life and rever-
refers to business practices
ence for moral ideas, but the media
in ancient Israel.
portray the themes of brutality,
The text declares,
depravity and decadence in living
"Thou shalt not have in thy house
color. We proclaim our-
diverse measures, a great
selves a nonviolent people,
measure and a small meas-
but we insist that each per-
ure, a large weight and a
son is allowed to have his
small weight. You should
own gun.
have a perfect weight and a
You and I are not
just weight that your days
guilty of all these things,
may be long upon the land,
but collectively we share
which God gives to you."
the responsibility for these
This law addresses chose
double standards — a
engaged in commerce,
responsibility not to be dis-
admonishing them that
charged
by blaming our
RABBI IRWIN
their weights were to be
political
leaders or the
GRO NER
precise. If a person pos-
party in power.
to
the
Specia
/
sessed different kinds of
On the international
Jewish News
weights, he could practice
scene, we observe the dif-
deception by purchasing his
ferent scales by which
goods with a large weight
countries are measured. As. Jews, we
and sellinc, them with a small
have long recognized that the coun-
weight. Thus, he could purchase
try of Israel has to cope with the
more than was rightfully his and sell
double standards of international
less than the customer had paid for.
judgment.
This commandment has a larger
When Israel was threatened with
meaning. It affirms the truth that
destruction by its Arab neighbors,
our lives should be of one standard.
no nation came to its defense. When
One standard of justice and equity is
Israel, having successfully fought
to prevail for ourselves and others.
four wars for survival, continues
One of the most serious charges
now in its struggle to maintain secu-
that can be levied against our age is
rity in the presence of Arab hostility,
that we live by dual standards, indi-
it:, actions are condemned.
vidually, collectively and nationally.
Justice for the Jew is never meted
When we commit an error, we are
out by the same standards applied to
kind to ourselves. We take into
other people. The time has come to
account all of the extenuating cir-
reject double standards in every
cumstances, all of our difficulties,
aspect of our personal lives.
problems and burdens. When we
weigh the faults of others, we do not
refrain from using a different meas-
ure and putting a thumb on the
scale.
Consider the following: Isn't it
funny that when the other fellow
takes a long time to do something,
Give some instance from daily
he is slow; when I take a long time,
life of differences in how we
I am thorough. When the other fel-
judge others and how we judge
low doesn't do it, he is too lazy;
ourselves? Discuss some other
when I don't do it, I'm too busy.
examples from local, national
When the other fellow states his side
and international events that
demonstrate we have double
standards: the values we profess
Irwin Groner is senior rabbi of
and the values we live by.
Congregation Shaarey Zedek. This arti-

Shabbat Ki Tetze:
Deuteronomy
21:10-25:19;
Isaiah 54:1-10.

Conversations

Marc J. Cohen

KID PF-10ToGRAPHY

Torah Abhors Double Standards
In Commerce And In Conduct

248-543-3637

BY APPOINTMENT

email-Marcsphotography@mac.com