The Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit
presents
THE
MAIN EVENT
featuring
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4/19
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2002
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58 •
Torah Portion
Spirituality Is Achieved
By Holy Deeds, Not Feelings
Interestingly, most of these com-
mandments have nothing to do with
what we would consider holiness at
all. Where's meditation? What about
the Reb Sholmo Carlebach-style
Kabbalat Shabbat? Those make me
feel holy. So why didn't they make
the'list? •
They didn't make the list because
I ye got great news! Well, good
it isn't about feeling holy, it's about
news and bad news.
being holy. Ramban, the great
It seems that researchers
Spanish sage, explains that we can
from Duke University in
only achieve holiness by gaining a
Durham, N.C., have found a drug
measure of control over ourselves.
that builds muscle mass in
When we learn to separate
mice. With a little time and
our needs from our desires
patience, I'm sure they'll
— when we focus on
find a way to make it work
what's right and not simply
on people, too.
what I want, we have
That's where I come in.
inculcated Godliness and
The good news is, I no
holiness into ourselves.
longer have to work out to
All too often, we care
stay in shape. No more
more about what feels
sweaty clothes and hard
right than what we know
workouts at the gym. That's
to be true. Even though I
the bad news, too. I guess
knew
it wouldn't be good
RABBI
I've been wasting my time
for
me,
I ate the Ben and
REUVEN
running three times a week
Jerry's
for
dessert because it
SPOLTER
at the Jewish Community
tasted
good.
The same is
Special to the
Center when I could have
true
for
spirituality.
Too
Jewish News
been taking a pill to stay in
often, we look for religiosi-
shape all along.
ty that "tastes good," with-
If only it were that easy.
out wondering whether it's really
Yet, when it comes to religion,
good for us. Then, when that spiri-
too many of us think it's like taking
tual ice cream is gone, we wonder
a pill. We think holiness is some
why we're left feeling bloated and
magical, spiritual nirvana we can
unfulfilled.
read in a book or achieve through
In reality, holiness shouldn't be
meditation. But it isn't nearly that
too easy because if it were, it would-
simple.
n't be worth anything. Only because
Kedoshim, the second of the two
it's so hard is holiness so significant.
parshiyot (Torah portions) we read
It's hard to pay my taxes in full
this week, teaches us how to achieve
without cutting corners. And it's
the lofty goal of holiness. "You shall
hard to keep kosher in a town with
be holy, for I am holy," God tells us.
so few kosher restaurants. It's hard to
Sounds easy enough, but this only refrain from speaking slanderously
begs the question: How do I do it?
about a foolish co-worker.
Can I become holy by connecting
There are a few tips that I can
myself to my fellow Jews? Will I find give you to help you on your path
spirituality in a temple to humanity
towards becoming more holy. And,
utterly devoid of God? No, says the
I'd love to tell you them, but I have
Torah, I will not because spirituality
to go running. There's some ice
and holiness lay not so much in how cream that I have to go work off.
I feel, but in how I act.
. If we wish to find holiness, God
tells us, we will only find it by keep-
ing the mitzvot (commandments).
Honor and fear your parents. Don't
At the end of the parshah, God
worship idols. Don't steal. Don't
explicitly connects our keeping
hate your brother. Don't cheat on
of the mitzvot with our inheri-
your spouse. In fact, Kedoshim lists
tance of the land of Israel. Does
51 different mitzvot ranging from
our behavior as Jews, both as
charity to the poor to honesty in
individuals and as a community,
business to how I cut my hair.
strengthen or weaken our hold
on the Holy Land?
Reuven Spolter is rabbi of Young Israel
Shabbat Acharei
Mot-Kedoshim:
Leviticus 16.1-20:27;
Amos 9:7-15.
.
Wednesday, May 8, 2002
Adat Shalom Synagogue
29901 Middlebelt Road, Farmington Hills .
Strolling Dinner: 7 pm / Program: 8 pm
$36 ticket price
Conversations
$500 Individual minimum gift requirement
to Federation's Annual Campaign 2002
$250 Young Adult Division minimum gift requirement
Advance registration required
Questions? Contact Amy Kasmin,
(248) 203-1481, or e-mail kasmin@jfmd.org
To register online,
visit wwvv.thisisfederation.org
Thanks to
TaMaROFF
Automotive Group
FEDERATION1
ANNUAL
CAMPAIGN help ts
2002 Ilern Men
❑
T his is c-eoleration
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of Oak Park.