Torah Portion Who's Got The Remote? their enslavement and suffering might continue forever. It is then that they heave a collective sigh of frustration, and cry for their seemingly unending suffering. It is precisely at this point, the Torah tells us, that their cries do not 'm a big Star Wars fan. When fall on deaf ears. "... and their cry rose every movie critic on the planet up to God from their work..And God panned the latest Star Wars remembered His covenant with movie, Attack of the Clones, as a Abraham, Isaac and Jacob." boring, mindless waste of three hours, Only when God begins pushing the I went to see it anyway. They were buttons on His remote-control-on- right. But the special effects were high does history begin moving again. great. In the very next chapter, So, when it came out on God appears to Moshe; the DVD, I rented Attack of the bush burns; and the rest, as Clones, and with the help of they say, is history. my handy-dandy remote con- Today, we seem to be trol, I easily skipped the again experiencing that wooden, boring and mindless same Jewish suffering. The dialogue and fast-forwarded current intifada, which to the exciting action began almost two and half sequences. years ago, continues unabat- Sometimes, history seems ed. The diminished number. to be a lot like that Star Wars of Jewish fatalities in recent RABBI DVD. At times, it plays in months owes not to a REUVEN slow motion, as we watch renewed hope for a lasting SPOLTER events develop in mind- and durable peace, but the Special to the numbing and painful monot- effectiveness of the Israeli Jewish News ony. Rome, as they say, wasn't security forces in combating built in a day. the massive terrorist infra- At other times, though, history structure pervasive throughout the runs in fast forward, as the rushing West Bank and Gaza. torrent of time sweeps away decades in We truly see no end in sight. Ehud an instant. The Berlin Wall actually Barak tried and failed. While Ariel fell in a day. Some historical develop- Sharon might seem somewhat more ments occur over decades while others effective, he has come no closer to take only minutes. achieving a pertnanent resolution that The first chapter of Shemot— a will end this difficult period of Jewish chapter that covers over 140 years of suffering. time — describes the extended We have reached a point of national enslavement of the Jewish people at frustration that has begun to sound the hands of their Egyptian oppres- like the huge sigh of the Jews in sors. There's really not a lot to tell: Egypt. hard work, pain and suffering. Not So we wonder: will this intifada, much changes. which shows no sign of letting up, The Torah then recounts, "And it continue indefinitely, for years or per- was in those many days, the king of haps even decades to come? Or, can Egypt died, and the Jewish people we hope that history will once again sighed from the work and they cried move into fast-forward, ending this out." Why do they sigh now? Why cry painful struggle abruptly? now? What's changed? It all depends on who we think is Chizkuni, the medieval Torah com- holding the clicker. mentator, explains that when the king dies and a new king takes his place, the Jewish people hope that this new king will annul the evil decrees of his predecessor. Instead, this new pharaoh simply continues the oppressive poli- Does Moshe, raised by royalty cies aimed at degrading and subjugat- and growing up in the palace of ing the Jewish slaves. pharaoh in Egypt, consider him- When the change in leadership pro- self a Jew or an Egyptian? How duces no change in the Jews' status does this affect his leadership of and situation, they begin to fear that the Jewish people later on? Shabbat Shemot: Exodus 1:1-6:1; Isaiah 27:6-28:13, 29:22-23. I *Based on GM discount with approved credit. Amount due at inception $3,000 plus Oldsmobile owner loyalty, includes 1st mo., acquisition free and transfer plates. 36 mo., 30,000 mile total $.20 per mile over. ro Tues., Wed., & Ft Sat. 10-4 sci A ut thh i e Tel -m121 803 1 1,4 4.8034 1-888-306-5188 :420 4 4 4 4 4 Join Rabbi Elimelech Silberberg for a course on mystical and Kabbalistic concepts in Judaism starting Thursday, January 9 - 8:30 p.m. Sunday, January 12 -10:30 a.m. or Tuesday, January 14 at 9:30 a.m. 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 681890 q7̀,1. 'PTI Z,fig.5 Tamaroff...It's A Good Name...and Today A Good Name Means A Great Deal! 2003 BUICK PARK AVENUE ULTRA Available Now! ❑ Conversations Reuven Spolter is rabbi of Young Israel of Oak Park. 661810 TaliffaROFF BUICK 248-353-1300 28585 Telegraph South of 12 Mile • Southfield AU rebates to dealer • Plus tax, title and plates • Expires 12/28/02 SN 12/27 2002 47