itilatitttit 14 Spirituality TEMPLE ISRAEL'S FAMILY LIFE CENTER Torah Portion In Conjunction with The Caring Community Committee And the Temple Treasures, Presents: Cur Monthly Senior Adult program SINGSATION: The fabulous Oakland County Parks Broadway Revue Commemorates the Great American Broadway Musical THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2002 1:30 P.M. AT TEMPLE ISRAEL 5725 Walnut Lake Road West Bloomfield As a part of our regular afternoon program for seniors, you are invited for coffee, cookies and wonderful COMPallY: Open to the public free of charge. 13ring your friends for all the fun! iv,;1947 n e o: :aion y 0,1 2. 12 .13:311:Jet n Let us see you 5111--. lInn 121213412j7j2nYVV11112 For further information, contact Kari K. Provizer, ACP.V, in the Family Life Center (248) 661-5700 Partially funded by the David Arthur Stulberg Memorial Fund • at the Harry az Phyllis Kellman Memorial Fund Classic Photography "Capturing The Good Times In Life" marty abrin murray goldenberg applegate center 248-350-2420 REGISTERED . ELECTROLOGISTS Come and let us remove your unwanted hair problem and improve your appearance. Near 12 Mile Rd. between Evergreen & Southfield Ask for Debby at 248.559.1969 (Appointment Only) k A ••■ DAVID ROSENMAN'S PlUIRCHASEIRS NEW & USED CAR BROKER %TN 7/ 5 2002 54 Sales • Leasing • Buying (248) 851-CARS (248) 851-2277 s. Rededicate Ourselves To Truth, Justice And Righteousness can easily tear us apart from within. This was graphically illustrated by the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin by a fellow Jew in 1994. What should we be changing about ourselves? The most important item on our agenda is to get to know different ho or what is our true types of Jews better and to look for enemy? admirable qualities in their approach That question is to Judaism. As Pirkei Avot says, hevei addressed in a surprising dan et kol hadam lkaf zekhut ("give way in the haftorot of these three weeks everyone the benefit of the doubt"). of puranuta (admonition), when the Instead of always seeing the flaws in Jewish calendar fixates on the cata- our fellow Jews, let us celebrate their strophic destruction of Jerusalem by extraordinary virtues. Babylonians (586 B.C.E.) and Even Jews who are patently Romans (70 C.E.). Despite ignorant and apathetic deserve this intense focus, we read pre- our compassion and our cious little about the maraud- attention. Jews who are pas- ing and conquering armies. sionate, but different from us Rather, our prophets implore deserve our respect and con- Israel tolook within for both cern. The idea is not to call off the blame and the salvation all disagreements — there are from their horrific situation. substantial and important Today, we too confront a divisions in the beliefs of violent and frightening enemy who disregards the value of life RAB BI DANIEL many committed Jews. But we must never forget our NEVINS and threatens our beloved humility even as we engage in Sp ecial to the State of Israel. We Jews under- a spirited debate with each Je wish News standably focus much of our other. energy on the military, diplo- Another strategy is simple matic and media efforts needed to frus- enough: Do more mitzvot (command- trate our opponents. Yet the prophets ments). Jews are blessed with a surfeit of indicate that introspection is also part of religious obligations. Let's try to fulfill the process necessary to emerge from more of them. If you are already meticu- such a trauma strengthened rather than lous about ritual, then work a bit harder defeated. on ethics and tzedakah (righteous acts). Our haftorah this week begins with If you are a generous person who makes the stirring words, Shimu Aar Adonai little time for study, then find a partner beit Yaakov, ("Hear the word of the and start to learn. Lord, 0 House of Jacob"). Rather than Finally, we must remember that we rage against the Babylonians, Jeremiah are not alone. America may be Israel's points out the internal failures of his fel- most important political ally, but God low Judeans. remains our source of strength and salva- This internal examination became a tion. Jeremiah accused his contempo- trend in Jewish thought. After the First raries of abandoning the source of living Temple was destroyed, our prophets waters (oti azvu m'kor mayim chaim) in spent less time complaining about the favor of broken cisterns that cannot hold Babylonians than in bemoaning their water. own idolatrous conduct. When the Let us use these three weeks of admo- Second Temple was razed, the rabbis nition to examine ourselves within and were less interested in the rapacious to rededicate ourselves to the core values Romans than in the causeless hatred identified in the haftorah — truth among Jews that weakened Israel in (emet), justice (mishpat) and righteous- God's eyes. ness (tzedakah). If we can do this dili- Such introspection is no longer in gently, then perhaps the prophet's praise vogue. We obsess about the moral turpi- also will be fulfilled: "Nations shall bless tude of an enemy that recruits its chil- themselves by you, and shall be praised dren to blow themselves up while com- thereby." ❑ mitting mass murder. Yet surely, we should devote at least some of our efforts to strengthening the Jewish people inter- nally. Indeed, if we ignore this task, then when the external threat finally passes Read the Haftorah. If Jeremiah we will be left with rage and fear that were here today, what would he criticize? Daniel Nevins is spiritual leader of Shabbat Mattot-Massei: Numbers 30:2-36:13; Jeremiah 2:4-28; 3:4. Conversations Adat Shalom Synagogue.