Community

CONGREGATION SHAAR HASHOMAYIM

Torah Portion

Presents
SECOND ANNUAL ZALMAN & DINA KAMEN

There Is A Burden
In Being 'The Chosen'

MEMORIAL LECTURE

Featuring

people) leaves home, God repeats
again (Genesis 28:14): "Your descen-
dants will be as the dust of the earth
and will spread to the West and to the
East and to the North and to the
South and through you will be blessed
all the families of the earth and
through your descendants."
ertainly a central theme of
His travels and the dispersal of his
the Torah is God's choosing
descendants will enable the families of
of Abraham and his descen-
into contact with
the earth to
dants for their particular role
them and be blessed through this con-
in world history.
tact.
One would think that such a basic
It seems clear that the Torah is
concept would be clearly examined
promising the Avot that
and explained in the Torah.
through the observance of
Quite the contrary — the
God's word, the Torah, the
"choosing of Abraham" and
Jewish people will demon-
the "covenant with his
strate righteousness and jus-
descendants" are simply stat-
tice; and such an example,
ed without any reason or
in turn, will bring its bless-
explanation. There are, how-
ing upon the whole of
ever, those verses in the
mankind.
Torah from which we can
Without doubt, the
possibly infer the duty and
Jewish people have con-
role of the Jews in human
RABBI E LIEZER tributed immeasurably to
history.
human progress — perhaps
CO HEN
At the outset, Abraham is
more than any other nation;
Specia / to the
told (Genesis 12:3): "... and
certainly out of proportion
Jewish News
through you will be blessed
to their numbers. Jews have
all the families of the Earth."
influenced civilization in
Later, before the destruction of the
virtually every facet of human endeav-
wicked cities, are the following verses:
•
or.
(Genesis 18:17-19): "And God said:
The Torah itself, though, tells us
`Will I hide from Abraham that which
that the most meaningful contribution
I am doing? And Abraham will cer-
we can make to mankind is to keep
tainly be a great and mighty nation
the Torah itself to create a just and
and through him will be blessed all
righteous society as an example to the
nations of the earth for I know him
world. (Deuteronomy 4:5-8): "See I've
that he will command his children,
taught you rules and judgments as the
and household after him that they
Lord, my God, has commanded me,
keep the ways of the Lord to do right-
that you should do in the land that
eousness and justice ... `."
you are coming to inherit. Keep them
Thus, it seems the Torah is telling
and do them because they are your
us that the nations of the earth will
wisdom and understanding in the eyes
learn righteousness and justice from
of the nations that will hear all these
Abraham and his descendants, and
rules and they will say: 'How wise and
this will be their blessing from him.
understanding is this great nation. For
Later, again, after meeting the chal-
who is such a great nation to whom .
lenge of God's command to sacrifice
God is close... and who is such a great
his Divinely designated successor, •
nation whose rules and judgments are
Abraham is told (Genesis 22:18): "All
righteous like this Torah.'"
the nations of the earth will be blessed
because you have listened to my
voice."
Likewise, his successor, Isaac, is told
In what ways have Jews con-
(Genesis 26:4 - 5): "... all nations of the
tributed to civilization? Why
earth will be blessed through your
does Torah consider justice and
descendants because Abraham listened
righteousness to be our greatest
to My voice and kept My charge, My
contributions?
Are real justice
commandment, My rules and My
and righteousness possible with-
teachings."
out Divine direction? If all this is
Finally, as Jacob, the third of the
true, whey then have the Jews
Avot (the progenitors of the Jewish
been so persecuted and hated
throughout history?
Eliezer Cohen is rabbi of Congregation
Or Chadash.

"The Holistic and

RABBI

Shabbat Lech Lecha:
Genesis 12:1-17:27;
Isaiah 40:27-41:16

The Kabbalistic:
Mystical Guide to
Healthy, Joyous and

MANIS

C

Sunday, October 28th, 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

/

v.

looking for a class chat eau

change your life?

Join Rabbi Elimelech Silberberg for a course on
mystical concepts in Judaism

Sundays • 11 a.m.
at the Sara Tugman Bais Chabad Torah Center
559 /5 W. Maple Rd., W. Bloomfield

For more information about this class as well as other
classes on Jewish Mysticism & Basic Judaism
call the Torah Center 248-855-6170
visit us at bctc770@aol.com

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